Celtic seals first finals victory over Cattle Country

Namibia Pool and Billiard Federation (NPBL) Black Ball League’s finals kicked off at Kiepies Dance Bar and Restaurant last weekend.

Each of the frames (as the individual clashes between the five players on each side are called) was a spectacle of talent, strategy and tension, where every shot mattered and rules made the difference between triumph and loss.

In the ultimate showdowns between Celtic Pool Club from Swakopmund and Cattle Country from Gobabis, Celtic clinched a narrow victory with a nail-biting close finish, edging out a 13-12 win.

Rule breaches

The outcome left some of the Gobabis team disappointed, as two key penalties ultimately swayed the match. The first penalty, which came early in the rounds, hit Cattle Country’s John Mashy, costing him the match against Celtic’s JC van Rooyen.

An infringement of league rules – for which Mashy was penalised – saw Cattle Country drop a frame, putting them on level footing with Celtic, who had initially forfeited 5 points due to being one player short.

The second penalty came at a critical moment for Daniel “Shoya” Kafe, who faced Celtic’s Afrika Kuhatumwa. In what might have been a frame-winning shot, Kafe, on the verge of potting the black ball, lost his chance after another rule breach.

The atmosphere was thick with tension, as the Gobabis team felt these penalties significantly impacted their rhythm.

Celtic comeback

Celtic subsequently held their ground firmly, mounting a strong comeback. They narrowed the gap to 11-9 by mid-game and, frame by frame, pulled even closer, ultimately overtaking Cattle Country despite the initial disadvantage of being one player short.

The highlight of Round 5 saw a high-stakes battle between Celtic captain Anton Strauss and Cattle Country’s Mashy. Mashy seemed on his way to a quick win with only one black ball left on the table, while Strauss had four.

However, the Celtic captain wasn’t ready to concede, potting his remaining balls with astonishing precision. Though Mashy eventually secured his point in this round, Celtic took the overall frame count in Round 5, tipping the match in their favour at 3-2.

‘Penalised for breathing’

Cattle Country’s team captain, Carlington “King Carli” Mugari, expressed his frustration over the two penalties that cost them key games.

Hinting at the strictness of the league’s rules, he said: “In this competition, if you so much as breathe wrong, you get penalised.”

Reflecting on the defeat, Mugari was candid: “We played well and fought hard, but it wasn’t quite enough. Our brothers from Celtic were just stronger this time. We couldn’t clinch it. The game was good, but some improvements need to be made on our end.”

Cattle Country also comprised Daniel Gambe and Solomon “Chicco” Tsoka.

Celtic captain Anton Strauss shared his pride in his team’s performance. “I’m very proud of my team, and I want to thank everyone for coming and giving us such strong competition. It was tough, but as we always say, ‘no battle, no victory,’ and we pulled through in the end,” he noted.

He added: “There’s plenty of room for improvement across all the teams. All they have to do is practice, because practice makes perfect.”

To crown it all, the title of Player of the Match saw an equally thrilling face-off. Tied for wins, Celtic’s Afrika Kuhatumwa and Collin Bougardt played one last decider frame. Bougardt emerged victorious, sealing his spot as the frames’ standout player.

Other weekend results

In other weekend matches, Celtic faced a tough defeat against Team Apex, losing 16-9. Ironically, Team Apex then fell to Coastal Waves by the same score of 16-9 but rebounded with a convincing 19-6 victory against Coastal Suns.

Cattle Country continued their strong performance, defeating Coastal Suns 16-9. Tura Boys showcased their dominance, overpowering Spatra Killers with a remarkable 24-1 win, and later besting Sparta Breakers 21-4.

In other matches, Queen Cues lost 16-9 to Corner Pocket, while Tura Boys had a close encounter with Sparta Shooters, ultimately losing 11-14. Top Spin faced a rollercoaster weekend, losing to Sparta Shooters 7-18 but securing a close win over Sparta Killers, finishing 18-17. They also bounced back with an 18-7 victory against Sparta Breakers.

Namshooters displayed their strength by defeating Play Masters 23-2, while 007-2 faced a tough challenge, losing 3-22 to Namshooters.

The remaining finals will be played next weekend, with team YOPC going up against 007-1 and Cattle Country taking on Coastal Waves.

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