VRA demolish HCC to claim second spot

Rod Lyall 26/08/24

VRA claimed second place with their most commanding performance of the season on Sunday, bowling HCC out for just 59 and knocking off the runs in 14 and a half overs to complete an eight-wicket victory.

Ben Fletcher ripped through the top order as HCC slumped to 14 for five, his first seven overs yielding figures of four for 13, with Elijah Eales picking up the other in a new-ball spell which was even more parsimonious, his six overs including four maidens.

There was no way back for the Lions from there, only Jed Wiggins (32) achieving double figures as Clayton Floyd took over with three for 5 from 33 deliveries, and VRA were faced with the simplest of tasks.

Adam Leonard and Wiggins did pick up a wicket apiece when the hosts replied, but Johan Smal’s unbeaten 27 sealed the issue, and VRA had earned themselves a double crack at a place in the grand final.

They will now face Punjab-Ghausia in the first semi-final next week, the leaders having cemented their place with an almost equally victory over defending champions Voorburg.

Openers Nehaan Gigani and Cedric de Lange gave their side a solid start after Voorburg had been put in to bat, putting on 62 for the first wicket, but once Sajjad Kamal had removed both of them and New Zealand import Oliver White the innings turned into a procession, and the champions were all out for 155.

Shoaib Minhas again ran through the middle and lower order, claiming five wickets in an innings for the first time with figures of five for 44.

The chase was led by Jonathan Vandiar, whose 64-ball 65 included six fours and as many sixes, all but five of his runs coming from boundaries.

Four wickets, meanwhile, were falling at the other end, and when Vandiar too was dismissed with 53 still needed, it seemed for a moment as if Voorburg might be in with a chance.

But Punjab bat deep, and Khurram Shahzad and Fawad Shinwari ensured that they reached their target without further loss, finishing with 29 and 31 respectively as Punjab won with more than 22 overs to spare.

That put Voorburg’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals in the hands of Hermes-DVS, since a win for HBS Craeyenhout at the Loopuyt Oval would enable them to squeeze into fourth spot.

Sent in by HBS captain Tayo Walbrugh, Hermes proceeded to post the day’s highest total, a fourth-wicket stand of 92 between CP Klijnhans (59) and Olivier Elenbaas the foundation of an imposing 248 for nine.

Elenbaas went on to make 85 before he was run out, and with smaller contributions from Sebastiaan Braat and Zaffar Chaudhary, HBS were left with a substantial task if they were to leapfrog Voorburg.

Despite losing Lucas del Bianco and Walbrugh early they managed to reach 62 for two, but then their chase was overwhelmed in ten sensational deliveries.

First Roy Numair removed opener Manjinder Singh, and then Ralph Elenbaas claimed four wickets in one extraordinary overwhich saw HBS slump to 67 for seven.

Reece Mason was still there, and he and Julian de Mey set about salvaging something from the wreckage, but two breaks for rain saw the innings reduced first to 46 overs and then to 39, with almost no change to the target.

Mason eventually fell for 46, and the innings ended soon afterwards on 127, Ralph Elenbaas the hero for Hermes with five for 51.

So Voorburg will after all get a chance to defend their title, and it is good for the health of the competition that they will be able to do so with their quartet of international stars restored to the squad.

In the Relegation Pool, ACC continued their late revival with a second successive victory, beating Sparta 1888 by three wickets in another hard-fought encounter.

Mahesh Hans was another to claim five wickets, the second time he has achieved this, taking five for 35 as Sparta were dismissed for 175, Juandre Scheepers again top-scoring with 63.

Ben van der Merwe was again the key figure in ACC’s reply, although this time he could not see the mission through to completion: he fell for 67 with 34 still needed, and it was left to Sahil Kothari to finish the job with an unbeaten 37.

At Thurlede another rain-affected match ended in a four-wicket victory for VOC Rotterdam over Excelsior ’20, although the game was a good deal closer than that margin might suggest.

Excelsior reached 200 for seven, thanks to 83 from Derek Mitchell  and a useful, unbroken eight-wicket partnership between Joost Kroesen and Roel Verhagen, but at 125 for three, with Jock McKenzie and Jason van der Meulen well set, VOC appeared to be cruising.

Then, however, a break for rain was immediately followed by the dismissal of Van der Meulen, and a second interruption adjusted the target to 179 from 41 overs.

When Victor Lubbers bowled Mckenzie for 55 with 35 still needed Excelsior were back in the game, but Arnav Jain contributed a crucial 25, and the final over began with five required and Tim de Kok and Aaditt Jain at the crease.

Four deliveries were enough to seal the issue, and VOC will have the consolation prize of topping the Relegation Pool after next week’s final round of matches.