Mumbai Stars rode their luck to emerge champions of the BSAM 2nd Videocon-Billiards Premier League (BPL) when they snatched a tough 3-2 victory over SPG Billiardiers in a keenly contested final at the Bombay Gymkhana here.
The Stars thus reasserted their supremacy over the Billiardiers for the second time in the last few days, having won Qualifier I by a more convincing 3-1 margin, to emerge champions of the 8-team competition.
The victorious team received the crystal BPL Trophy and a cash award of Rs 3.2 lakh, while the Billiardiers picked up the runners-up trophy and Rs 2.7 lakh from the total pool of Rs 10 lakh.
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Rrockets, who finished third, went home richer by Rs 2.2 lakh and fourth placed Adamo Potters got Rs 1.70 lakh.
After the match scores were level at 2-all, an erratic Hasan Badami of Stars won a nerve-wracking fifth and deciding game against seasoned pro and former world runner-up Devendra Joshi, who carried a handicap of -190 as compared to his rival's -60, to pull it off for the Stars.
Dhruv Sitwala of Ottomans, who had constructed a break of 197 in the league phase, won the highest break award.
Results (Final): Mumbai Stars beat SPG Billiardiers 3-2 (Nikhil Ghadge and Hasan Badami (-75 handicap) bt Ishpreet Singh Chadha and C S Puranik (-70) 175-167; Ashok Shandilya (-190) lost to Devendra Joshi (-170) 193(65,53)-290(93); Vishal Madan (-160) bt Vishal Gehani (-60) 260-122; Ashok Shandilya (-190) lost to Ishpreet Singh Chadha (-100) 189-200; Hasan Badami (-60) bt Devendra Joshi (-190) 161-229.