Rod Lyall 06/08/23
On a weekend dominated by poor weather, Punjab Rotterdam’s prospects of making the final four took a hit at Het Zomercomplex on Saturday, when they lost a rain-affected match to leaders Voorburg by 40 runs.
After electing to bat Voorburg lost both openers early to the combination of seamer Mubashar Hussain and fielder Mohammad Shafiq, but they were rescued by a captain’s innings from Sybrand Engelbrecht, who made an unbeaten 112 and steered them to a respectable 249 for nine.
He received useful support from Noah Croes (33) and the brothers Boissevain, Laurens making 31 and Philippe 19; Sohail Bhatti was the most successful of the Punjab bowlers with three for 41.
The Punjab response was delayed by rain, so they started chasing a revised target of 231 from 42 overs, and by the time another shower held up proceedings again they had already lost openers Asif Khan and Yasir Usman.
The task was now to make 212 in 35 overs, but Voorburg’s bowlers steadily worked their way through the middle order, and at 103 for seven the home side’s challenge appeared to have faded, despite Shafiq’s 30 and 33 from Sikander Zulfiqar.
Bhatti smacked a defiant 34-ball 52, including six sixes, but when he became Shariz Ahmad’s fourth victim, bringing the leg-spinner’s tally for the season to 38, the innings ended on 171.
No result was possible in the Amsterdamse Bos, where Excelsior ‘20 had battled their way to 167 for eight in 43 overs against VRA Amsterdam before the rain ended the action for the day.
Michael Hart had led the way with 77, a season’s best effort with the bat, but he eventually fell to Aryan Dutt, the most successful of VRA’s bowlers with three for 22.
And the news was even worse on Sunday, when all three Topklasse matches – along with most of the rest of the programme – fell victim to persistent rain.
The greatest frustration was perhaps at the Bermweg, where Sparta 1888 had bowled themselves into a winning position against ACC, only to see their hopes dissolved as the rain set in.
A solid third-wicket stand of 75 between Shreyas Potdar (41) and Thomas Hobson (34) had taken the Amsterdammers to 98 for two, but once Faizan Bashir had removed Hobson the innings fell apart, the last eight wickets falling for 30 runs and the last five for just five.
Bashir finished with three for 23 and Joost-Martijn Snoep three for 21, and Sam Ferguson and Gagandeep Singh had negotiated their side to 19 without loss before the weather intervened.
Every effort was made to get the sides back onto the field, but in the end Pluvius had the last word.
The rain did not reach Deventer until later in the afternoon, by which time HBS Craeyenhout had posted 239 for six against the <bSalland attack and opener Tim Drummond had made his first Topklasse century, a 135-ball 123.
He shared a second-wicket stand of 110 with Tayo Walbrugh, whose 56 took him past 800 runs for the season – or brought him to 1139 if we include the T20 Cup.
But no further play was possible, and with Salland still having a mathematical chance of avoiding relegation the teams will have to try again next weekend to reach a result.
Another side with a legitimate grievance against the weather gods were VOC Rotterdam, who had reduced HCC to 36 for five in a match already cut to 37 overs before the players were driven from the field.
Arnav Jain and Burhan Niaz picked up two wickets apiece, while only Boris Gorlee with 21 was able to reach double figures with the bat.
TKcricket 