KYLE IS THE REAL DEAL, IT IS NOT HAPPENING FOR SANDILE AND RANDAL
Another weekend, another successful campaign by Kyle Akaloo. The Viper has been phenomenal this season and it is not a surprise that he is currently at number two and still a hot contender for the title, I am one of those that do not believe in miracles but this certainly has some celestial influence. Kyle won perhaps only just one or two matches throughout the 2013 campaign in the BPL’s inaugural season, he got relegated to the lower league but bounced right back, it was expected that he would do well to avoid relegation but being amongst the top performers would have been rubbished by all and sundry. With Jane in his corner, opponents are monumentally disadvantaged and it doesn’t seem like there is any stopping the pair. I am not saying this is the year of the underdog but perhaps Kyle and Leicester City have the same ancestors and beyond all expectations Akaloo and the Foxes surge on. Charl will be monitoring the Kyle scenario with an Assassin’s scope, and the return match between these two title contenders in PE will be the game not to miss as it might very well decide who win be the main man at the end of it all amongst other things but Jonck knows that very well and he will want to bring his A+ game.
Paul had to take on both Yulan and Kyle solo after Yazeed failed to make the trip to the East Coast due to a family crisis and now this meant that he had to take all the blows coming his way without the cushion and the back up from his traveling partner. The first match against Yulan at swerve would have been the one that Paul would have spent days and nights meditating upon, and knowing how lethal Hawkeye is at his backyard, the Gentleman would have perhaps just prayed for at least one set and a win would have been a much needed bonus. Maybe revenge was the operating word and the drive in Paul’s preparation as this was the biggest match of the weekend. Yulan wasted no time in welcoming the visitor with an apple, a win and another apple, Paul managed to pull one back but Yulan the next one to seal the set at 4-1. Hawkeye is the apple machine this season, after this weekend his tally is now at a sweltering 32, followed by Charl with 25. The second set went all the way to the wire and lived up to expectations, the Cape’s mainstay was up against the player of the decade and the country’s most decorated marksman, a living legend and Mr. Pool himself. The Gentleman did well to keep his composure and win that set in the deciding frame which was preceded by a Yulan apple, a dry break was all sit took to allow Paul on the table and he took that opportunity with both hands and cleaned up. Paul always had his nose in front in the final set and it was not a surprise that he gradually won it 4-2.
The win against Hawkeye was good for Paul but perhaps it was also bad in that it may have misled him to think that his next opponent was going to be a little docile and a bit on the lighter side of the toxic scale. Paul got to Ricochets in Durban and found the resident evil waiting in anticipation, Kyle hadn’t had any warm up match the day before due to Ace’s absence but if you are on a roll I guess you do not need much warm-up. The Viper was spitting from all fangs, and he must have been flawless to disfigure Paul in that format. You wouldn’t believe it too if at the end of the first set someone told you that Kyle had won 4-0 against Paul or would you? I also had to wipe my eyes and clean my spectacles and pull the score-card closer to iron out the disbelief but yes Akaloo did it, he managed to win the second set 4-3 and this may as well be his biggest win this season, and with Yulan now a veteran and in his twilight years, the KZN is at least assured that Kyle is their next big thing. We agree and we honor the Viper with the Sheriff’s Toast of the Week, he played very well and he opened up the race for the title wide now, just when Charl thought Paul was becoming a nuisance, he now finds himself with a completely new problem in Kyle.
Sandile hosted the current number one seed in Gauteng at Ballbreakers Cresta in a must win encounter for both relegation prone athlete. It was always going to be difficult at the moment for anyone to topple Bana Shilolo and Sandile was not a bad candidate to attempt mission impossible, he is a master in his own right but the dynamics of the BPL do not always workout the traditional way. Nsovo took the first set 4-1 only for Madlala to come back firing and register a bonus point win (4-0) in the second set and a sterling performance by Bana Shilolo to take the third one 4-2. Although Nsovo won against Sandile, they both find themselves still stuck in the red zone at position 8 and 9 respectively and a point adrift with Aden Joseph at rock bottom. I do not foresee that many changes in the order at the bottom of the log but it will take some doing to see any one of these three athletes escape relegation, in fact it will be nothing short of Houdini’s escapade.
Rushin and Yummy were the only other Capetonians that journeyed to the KZN to take on Lenny and Sly and the visitors were not given much breathing space on Saturday, Lenny… yes Lenny Ramghulam smashed the Hammer 4-0 and 4-1 producing two apples in the process and across the hall Sly was taking care of a bewildered Keeyam and he won 4-1 and 4-3. Lenny continued where he’d left off the day before and tore Yummy apart as well (2-0) and these wins in the past weekend saw him crawl out of the relegation zone for the first time this season and he swopped positions with none other than Yummy himself and off-course the Sheriff always commends good performance; Lenny gets to be joint Toast of the Week with Kyle. Sly was not as lucky on Sunday as the Hammer decided to strike while the iron was still hot. Sylvester won the first set 4-1 but that spurred Rushin to come out and play, the next sets ended 4-2 and 4-3 in the Capetown’s favour and not even Lenny’s stellar performance could inspire Sly against Bowers. Rushin did just enough to find himself on top of the log and that should be good motivation for him as we head towards the home stretch.
No it is not jingle bells for Riaesh Randall Pillay, it is relegation bells. Pillay once again failed to redeem himself and this time around he came second to Kevin Seseane who is also struggling to shrug off relegation. Riaesh failed to secure at least a set in his own backyard and this poor string of results spells nothing but disaster for the late comer. With only 27 points, Pillay finds himself at position 10 on the log and 50 points behind the log leader. The win was also not enough to save Kevin’s woes, he is at 9th position and the axe is still hovering above his head. Will your favourite athlete win the league or survive relegation? Follow us at www.billiardleagues.co.za to stay updated with the league and other competitions.
THE BPL NEVER DISAPPOINTS!!!
