Bethal pool leagues crown Botha and Pieterse as champs

BETHAL – The last frame was broken and the fat lady has sung her song on Sunday, 22 November in the Vitruvian and Mona Lisa leagues of the Da Vinci’s Pool Club.

Neels “The Pensioner” Botha and Sylvia Pieterse clinched the titles of league champions.

The entertainment was top-notch as the semi-finals and the finals were played on Sunday.

The first place in the finals of the Vitruvian league was determined between Wilfred van Niekerk and Frans Muller. The match was a race to six and the first two frames produced a victory for each of the players.

With a score of 1 each as the third frame began, Muller caught a break and used the slight advantage to rack up the score to 4-1.

This did not shake Van Niekerk who won the sixth frame and whitewashed Muller in the seventh to take his tally up to 4-3.

Muller gained the upper hand in the eighth frame, but Van Niekerk showed great determination and won the next two frames levelling the scores at 5 each.

The decider was on the last frame as the winner was set to go on to the final.

Both players left it all on the table but a fatal miss from Van Niekerk for the side pocket gave Muller the opening he was waiting for and he went for the kill, winning the decider and securing his place in the finals.

The second semi-final was decided between Shane Nolan and Neels “The Pensioner” Botha.

This was a match for the ages and why the purists love the game so much.

Botha won the lag and broke the first frame.

Nolan swiftly got the upper hand winning the first frame and the three after that taking the score to 4-0.

Nolan had the match in the bag…or so it seemed.

Botha finally showed his experience in the fifth frame when he beat Nolan to take the score to 4-1.

But what for all intents and purposes was thought to be “too little too late” quickly turned into the comeback of the year.

It was like watching the last fight from a Jean-Claude van Damme movie.

Botha was down for the count and out of nowhere he came back to level the score at 4-4 and just like in the movies he landed a straight punch and a roundhouse kick to win the match 6-5, leaving Nolan and the crowd speechless, securing his place in the finals against Frans Muller.

The final between Muller and Botha was a race to seven and left nothing for the imagination.

These two players kept it close with some brilliant technical play and fantastic shots.

After the Fourth frame, the score was level at 2 each.

Botha won the next three frames before Muller got the chance to take another, bringing the score to 6-3.

Unfortunately, a comeback was not on the table for Muller and Botha won the last frame and the match 7-3.

The women in the Mona Lisa league produced some quality in their respective matches.

The first semi-final pitted Elaine Muller against the newcomer Jolanie Kruger.

The match was a race to 4 and produced some quality play.

Kruger put up a brave fight and made it difficult for Muller to pull ahead. After frame four the match was tied at 2 each. Unfortunately,

Kruger succumbed to the pressure and Muller won the match 4-2 securing her place in the final.

The second semi-final was between Sylvia Pieterse and Carien le Roux.

Both players have a lot of experience and it was difficult to pick a favourite.

Le Roux won the first frame only to lose the next two bringing the score to 2-1.

She levelled the score in frame four but the experienced Pieterse was not deterred and pocketed the next 2 frames and the match 4-2.
Pieterse and Muller faced off in the final.

Pieterse showed great skill and played fantastic match-winning shots. Her aim was spot on and unfortunately, Muller had no answer for the storm Pieterse unleashed on her. Pieterse won the match 5-0.

Da Vinci’s Pool Club thanked Bethal Golf Club for supplying the venue and supporting their club, Bethal Traders for sponsoring the player certificates, The Ridge Times for providing coverage throughout the league and the players who competed in both leagues.

For any inquiries send a WhatsApp Jo van den Berg at 081 348 4446.