Rod Lyall 21/07/24
VRA Amsterdam took the two points they needed to make sure of a place in the top six when they secured a two-wicket victory at Het Loopveld on Saturday, but they had to battle to achieve it against an ACC side which was more competitive than it had been throughout the 50-over campaign so far.
Put in to bat, ACC had passed 150 for the first time this season, their innings given a promising start by an opening stand of 43 between Rahil Ahmad (32) and Chris Knoll (23), the latter making his first appearance of the year, and although the VRA attack worked their way steadily though the line-up Guy Sheena, Ben van der Merwe and Shreyas Potdar all chipped in, enabling them to reach 167.
Shariz Ahmad was the most successful of VRA’s bowlers with three for 35, Clayton Floyd and Elijah Eales picking up a couple apiece.
It seemed unlikely to be enough, but when Izhaan Sayed, Sahil Kothari and Mahesh Hans combined to reduce VRA to 70 for four the home side sensed that they were in with a chance of a shock victory.
Eales steadied the ship with 40, but when he departed36 were still needed with only three wickets in hand, and it was left to Udit Nashier to steer his side home with an unbeaten 35, supported in the agonisingly slow closing stages by Ben Fletcher.
The VRA win was a disappointment for Hermes-DVS, who had done everything that might be asked of them as they chased the final top-six spot, beating defending champions Voorburg by 49 runs at Westvliet.
Defending a total of 193, in which Daniel Doyle had made 35 and CP Klijnhans 48, the five-man Hermes pace attack quickly had Voorburg in trouble, Olivier Elenbaas removing both openers, and Niels Woermeijer and Sam van Giezen claiming the prize wickets of Gavin Kaplan and Noah Croes respectively.
That made it 37 for four, and although Ryan Klein – who had earlier signalled his return to fitness by bowling a full 10-over stint for the first time this season – held things together with a fighting 35, Sebastiaan Braat eventually claimed his wicket along with two others to finish with three for 30, and Voorburg were all out for 144.
VOC Rotterdam’s last hopes of avoiding the relegation pool were meanwhile being extinguished by HCC at De Diepput, where the home side had a comfortable 80-run victory after setting the day’s highest total, 247 for seven.
HCC had themselves been in trouble at 110 for five, but they were rescued by two half-century partnerships, Daniel Crowley (27) and Hidde Overdijk adding 67 for the sixth wicket, and then Overdijk and Yash Patel putting on a further 55 for the seventh.
Overdijk was eventually bowled by Jock McKenzie for 58, but Patel remained not out on 44, made from 28 deliveries with three fours and two sixes.
HCC’s own seam attack soon bit back when VOC replied, Crowley, Adam Leonard, Overdijk and Teun Leijer reducing the visitors to 68 for four, and although Arnav Jain made 40 and Jason van der Meulen 32, the Rotterdammers were never really in the hunt, and the final wicket fell at 167.
The day’s results meant that the two pools for Phase Two were largely finalised, although Hermes-DVS still have a pathway into the top six should they beat Sparta at home on Sunday and Excelsior lose to Punjab-Ghausia.
With the NRR difference between the Schiedam sides currently just 0.058, there are many scenarios in which Hermes could squeeze ahead of their rivals.
And with only three points separating first and sixth, Sunday’s final round of first-phase matches will have also a great bearing on the coming battle for a spot in the semi-finals at the end of August.
TKcricket 