The premier three-cushion league in the Netherlands is heading for a double weekend with many interesting matches. SIS Schoonmaak defends the lead with a weakened team, the competition is lurking. SIS Schoonmaak itself plays a home match against J&F Auto's on Saturday and an away match against A1 Biljarts on Sunday afternoon. For the reigning champion, the top guns Dick Jaspers, Jean van Erp (Covid) and Raimond Burgman are unavailable on both days. Other matches important for the top of the standings are Burgmans Biljarts-Dekker Keukens, J&F Auto's-Bousema, Zundert-Cues&Darts and Dekker-Dallinga.
Eddy Merckx leads the SIS Schoonmaak team on Saturday and Sunday, German Tom Löwe and Brabant player Toine Dekkers are substitutes for the champion. By the way, it is still striking how many new, for the premier league relatively inexperienced players have shown up at the start of the league. Not only Tom Löwe and Toine Dekkers, but also Huub Adriaanse, Erwin Hens and Menno de Vries at Post Luchtkanalen and Jean Paul de Kraker, a sporadic substitute, at Dallinga.
A total of 96 players will come to the tables for the double weekend, most of whom will play on both Saturday and Sunday. The foreign players can be divided into 26 times a Belgian at the table, 9 times a German, 3 times a Frenchman, 2 times a Greek, 2 times a Turk and 1 time a Spaniard. Paul Brekelmans, KNBB section chairman: ''That is the intention of the double weekends: the players only have to travel once for two league matches.''
The main question for this weekend is: what does SIS Schoonmaak have to fear from this double round now that the team captain has to replace the core? Thus, it is notable that J&F Auto's, which rotates its players, has not chosen its strongest line-up for today's away match, Saturday, against SIS Schoonmaak. Jeffrey Jorissen, the leading man, will get a day off, which means Glenn Hofman will now play as leading man against Eddy Merckx. Still, there is confidence among the Hague team. Glenn Hofman played a 30-point third division match in Belgium this week with 3.750 on average. SIS Schoonmaak plays on Saturday with Eddy Merckx, Martien van der Spoel, Raymund Swertz and Toine Dekkers, fourth man in the SIS 2 team. On Sunday, away against A1 Biljarts, Tom Löwe makes his debut in the champion's team and Toine Dekkers comes into action for the second time.
Dekker Keukens defends its second position on the rankings first on Saturday against Burgmans Biljarts. The debutant Burgmans, which surprised with a third place so far, can again have Eddy Leppens at its disposal, facing Dave Christiani. On Sunday, Dekker will play the home match against Dallinga. Burgmans travels to Woonwonder on Sunday, which is in the long middle order of five teams in the good company of Bousema, J&F, Cues&Darts and Dallinga.
Nice posters for this double weekend:
X Nikos Polychronopoulos plays two-time leader at STV Zundert, which is only too eager to continue its advance with Roland Forthomme at table two.
X The Greek whirlwind plays on Sunday against another, Spanish world player: Ruben Legazpi.
X Martin Horn and Ronny Lindemann meet on Saturday in a German clash at Bousema-A1 Biljarts.
X Johan Loncelle is back at Bousema after a minor accident that kept him sidelined for a fortnight.
The matches will not be broadcast live on Kozoom on Saturday, on Sunday as usual there will be broadcasting.
The program and line-ups for the 5th round:
SIS Schoonmaak-J&F Auto's
Eddy Merckx-Glenn Hofman
Martien van der Spoel-Therese Klompenhouwer
Raymund Swertz-Joey de Kok
Toine Dekkers-Herman van Daalen
Bousema/JBS-A1 Biljarts
Martin Horn-Ronny Lindemann
Johan Loncelle-Jelle Pijl
Stefan Galla-Richard Bitalis
Frans van Schaik-Kay de Zwart
Cues&Darts/Xtreme-Post Luchtkanalen
Pierre Soumagne-Marc Celen
Jack van Peer-Erwin Hens
Volkan Cetin-Huub Adriaanse
Nick Zuijkerbuijk-Wilco van Wijk
Team Eekhoorn-STZ Zundert
Peter Ceulemans-Nikos Polychronopoulos
Frans van Kuyk-Roland Forthomme
Kurt Ceulemans-Thorsten Frings
Jerry Hermans-Sam van Etten
Woonwonder-Dallinga
Ismail Yasin-Jean Paul de Bruijn
Harrie van de Ven-Peter De Backer
Frank Martens-Steven van Acker
Frits Broeders-Jean Paul de Kraker
Burgmans Biljarts-Dekker/AP
Eddy Leppens-Dave Christiani
Anno de Kleine-Barry van Beers
Marco Janssen-Gerwin Valentijn
Johan Roijers-Henk Blauwblomme
Sunday 16 October, 6e round:
A1 Biljarts/DPC-SIS Schoonmaak
Ronny Lindemann-Eddy Merckx
Jelle Pijl-Raymund Swertz
Kay de Zwart-Tom Löwe
Addy Wienk-Toine Dekkers
J&F Auto's/Jorissen-Bousema/JBS
Jeffrey Jorissen-Martin Horn
Glenn Hofman-Johan Loncelle
Therese Klompenhouwer-Stefan Galla
Herman van Daalen-Frans van Schaik
STZ Zundert-Cues&Darts/Xtreme
Nikos Polychronopoulos-Ruben Legazpi
Roland Forthomme-Pierre Soumagne
Thorsten Frings-Huub Wilkowski
Francis Forton-Volkan Cetin
Dekker/AP-Dallinga
Dave Christiani-Jean Paul de Bruijn
Barry van Beers-Peter De Backer
Gerwin Valentijn-Steven van Acker
Henk Blauwblomme-Berry Dallinga
Woonwonder-Burgmans Biljarts
Ismail Yasin-Eddy Leppens
Harrie van de Ven-Davy van Havere
Frank Martens-Anno de Kleine
Martin Spoormans-Marco Janssen
Post Luchtkanalen-Team Eekhoorn
Marc Celen-Peter Ceulemans
Erwin Hens-Frans van Kuyk
Menno de Vries-Kurt Ceulemans
Wilco van Wijk-Jerry Hermans.