Bertus de Jong and Rod Lyall 12/07/2024
As our long slog through the wettest Summer in recent memory continues, we’ve gotten enough cricket played in defiance of the elements for the table to take on a shape of sorts, at least enough to concentrate the minds of the handful of clubs hovering around the sixth place cut-off as the end of the first phase looms.
BdJ: Of those, sixth-placed HCC will likely feel most bullish about their prospects, with a game in hand and a home fixture against the struggling ACC lined up for Sunday. The single point the Amsterdammers collected from another wash-out against Excelsior last Sunday is their best result all season, having sunk to a heavy defeat in a rain-swept encounter with VCC the day before. Overseas Izhaan Sayed and Guy Sheena’s mid-20 batting averages and the former’s 10 wickets for the season have not been nearly enough to keep them competing in the top flight, with Rahil Ahmed the only other bat averaging over 20. HCC’s current position is a fair reflection of a middling season, with the core trio of Gorlee, Staal and Overdijk’s sub-par returns serving well as a pars pro toto, but the young Teun Leijer and Kloppenburg have stepped up impressively, and on current form you’d say the weather is more likely to deny them two points than the opposition.
RL: With fellow-contenders VOC and Voorburg to face on the final, double weekend, the Lions will be more than usually keen to overcome the trials of a sodden Diepput and the possibly less imposing challenge of an ACC who are going to have to achieve an extraordinary turnaround if they are to avoid the drop to the 50-over Hoofdklasse. Even a return to the leadership of the experienced Anis Raza has been unable to disguise the Amsterdammers’ limitations, with Sheena the only batter to have hit a fifty and the bowlers collectively achieving little more than five wickets a game. HCC have not been overwhelmingly more successful in either department, but they have been effective enough to master Excelsior, Hermes-DVS and Sparta, and seamers Adam Leonard, Daniel Crowley and Overdijk, together with Conor McInierney and Jed Wiggins, can be expected to be too strong for ACC’s struggling top order.
BdJ: The rest of the mid-table contenders face a sterner test on Sunday, not least VOC Rotterdam, who take on front-runners Punjab-Ghausia. While VOC’s three overseas have supplied a decent return of runs this season, an under-performing middle order has too often left the likes of Aaditt Jain to try to martial the tail in doomed rallies at the death. The bowling too has lacked rather for penetration, with no bowler taking ten wickets yet across the five matches the rain has permitted them. Punjab don’t have anyone in double figures yet either, but have taken 19 more wickets between them. They’ll be missing Burhan Niaz this weekend of course owing to Belgian commitments, but given the depth of their bench that does little to change the odds.
RL: Just one more win in their final two games would seal Punjab’s place in the championship pool, but they will probably be aiming to go further than this and go into the second phase at the top of the table. Saqib Zulfiqar has been in great form since his return from international duty, while skipper Sikander has been leading the side with aplomb. But Punjab’s trump cards also include their opening partnership of Shoaib Minhas and Musa Ahmad, the explosive power of Jonathan Vandiar, and the bowling of Ahmad Shafiq, while Fawad Shinwari has slotted into the team very effectively, both behind the stumps and in the middle order. VOC, by contrast, have relied upon the less heralded skills of Jelte Schoonheim and Asief Hoseinbaks and the emerging talents of Arnav and Aaditt Jain, although it’s fair to add that they have seriously missed the injured Jock McKenzie in recent weeks. With HCC and ACC to come, VOC’s chances of squeezing into the top six would be greatly enhanced by a win here, although Punjab will start as favourites.
BdJ: Level on points with VOC are Hermes DVS, whose victory in the Schiedam Derby last week keeps their hopes of a top six finish alive. They travel to Craeyenhout to take on second-placed HBS, who will be looking to consolidate their place at the top end before South African pre-season begins to thin their ranks. In the absence of captain Barresi (expected to return this week), stand in skipper Tayo Walbrugh has been leading from the front, and combined with Kyle Klein’s all-round form and Julian de Mey’s left arm spin that’s been more than enough enough to keep them in touch with the top spot. Hermes will presumably be happy enough with their station at the minute, for a side setting their sights no higher than survival this season they’ve looked more or less on course. A top six berth is within reach for them though and a strong finish to phase one could see them secure their place next season and perhaps even readjust their ambitions. Come Sunday though they will be without Olivier Elenbaas, who suffered a lapse in self-possession last week and earned himself a ban for audible obscenity and general unruliness. That’s said it’s been Ralph Elenbaas doing the damage with the new ball this season, while Niels Woermeijer’s impressed at the death. If the Hermes top order can fire together as they all have separately on occasion, there’s every chance they could take two points home from the Hague.
RL: Given that the Crows’ final match is a showdown with VRA, going into the second phase in a favourable position probably requires them to take the points against Hermes, and to do so in style. In addition to Walbrugh, Klein and De Mey, there have been useful contributions so far from Lehan Botha and Matt de Villiers, and when you add in Barresi and Benno Boddendijk HBS have the nucleus of a side capable of bringing them their first 50-over title since 1980. It should certainly be powerful enough to see off the challenge from Hermes, who have performed decently enough on their return to the top flight (their defeat of Excelsior last week probably the high point to date) but may have to be content with ensuring that they stay up come the end of August. Ash Ostling and Daniel Doyle have been a contrasting opening pair, but the absence of the mercurial Olivier Elenbaas won’t help their chances here.
BdJ: Currently in fifth place, Excelsior ‘20 welcome third-placed VRA to Thurlede on Sunday, needing a win to shore up their place in the top six. VRA haven’t given up many thus far however, a big-scoring loss to defending champions VCC the only points they’ve dropped on the field so far. The weather has rather deprived them of match practice of late, though Shariz Ahmad, Clayton Floyd, Ben Fletcher and Shirase Rasool have all been in action for Netherlands A this week. That Excelsior aren’t contributing any personnel to those matches does rather highlight how the no-longer-so-young home-grown contingent seems to have hit a bit of a plateau at or around the “decent club cricketer” level, with the three overseas again the stand-out performers for Excelsior this season. While VRA’s strength this season of course owes a lot to shrewd acquisitions and luck with blow-ins, the new-look side has gelled well even in the absence of injured skipper Nidamanuru, and will start as strong favourites on Sunday.
RL: It’s true that Excelsior have owed much to bowling spearhead Jason Ralston (whose 20 wickets are double the number captured by any other bowler), Derek Mitchell and the evergreen Lorenzo Ingram, but Tim Etman and Roel Verhagen, without showing such consistency, have both contributed half-centuries, while Niels Etman and Jens Blankestijn have both chipped in with the ball. Whether through availability issues or sheer indecision, however, Excelsior give the impression that they aren’t quite sure what the optimal disposition of their resources might be. The same applies to some degree to VRA, although in their case they have the entirely legitimate argument that their selections have been affected by significant unavailabilities, of Vikram Singh and Teja Nidamanuru on international duty, of Johan Smal, and now of Nidamanuru through injury. Man for man, though, VRA have a clear edge over their hosts, especially in bowling, where the new-ball combination of Ben Fletcher and Elijah Eales will fully test the Excelsior top order.
BdJ: Finally Sparta 1888 are looking at a must-win showdown with title-holders Voorburg at Bermweg, realistically needing two points to avoid another relegation battle at the back end of the season. Voorburg themselves still need to pick up some points if they’re to be sure of a place in the top six, much less think of mounting a title defense. The looming departure of Gavin Kaplan compounded by the likely unavailability of their internationals during the upcoming series against the USA and Canada makes the latter almost fanciful at this point, though new skipper Noah Croes has had a fine season with the bat thus far and newcomer Michael Molenaar has already proved a fine prospect. Sparta themselves have looked competitive in phases, though Riley Mudford’s inability to replicate his T20 form has left them short of runs, while Khalid Ahmadi (on Belgian duty this weekend) and skipper Martijn Snoep have been the only bowlers to perform consistently.
RL: Sparta are another side whose top order has largely failed to deliver this season, and Voorburg have an attack entirely capable of taking full advantage. Even if Viv Kingma has only collected a couple of wickets since his return to the team and Ryan Klein is still barely bowling, Mees van Vliet and Molenaar have proved more than useful. A more interesting, and possibly decisive, encounter, though, will be that between Voorburg’s powerful top six and a Sparta bowling unit which has kept their side in the hunt. Cameron Fraser has both claimed early wickets and put in a fine defensive, if wicketless, display against HCC last Sunday, and Martijn Snoep has been steady as always. There’s no doubt his team are missing Mudassar Bukhari and Ashan Malik, and it would be a real turn-up if they were to get the better of the defending champions, but they can never entirely be written off at the Bermweg, and this might, weather permitting, be one of the more absorbing contests of the round.
BdJ’s picks: HCC, Punjab, Hermes, VRA, Voorburg
RL’s picks: HCC, Punjab, Hermes, VRA, Voorburg
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