Rod Lyall & Bertus de Jong 23/04/25
The KNCB’s overdue decision to reduce the top divisions in the men’s competition to eight teams as from next year makes this a particularly sharp year in the Topklasse. At least two teams will be relegated, three if the eighth-placed side lose a play-off against the champions of the Hoofdklasse. Furthermore, there will be no finals round, with the title going to the side that tops the table after the double round-robin which starts this Saturday. Even more than usual, even match will be crucial.
RL: Defending champions Punjab-Ghausia Rotterdam face a tricky visit to Craeyenhout to take on HBS. But the astroturf outfield at Craeyenhout is always a bonus for hard-hitting batters, of whom the champions have no shortage, and few away fixtures will present them with as few qualms as that offered by the Crows. The home side, though, have a pretty formidable batting line-up as well, not least skipper Tayo Walbrugh, whose 1954 Topklasse runs on this ground have come at a remarkable average of 81.42, with nine centuries and seven fifties in 30 innings. Few overseas players have literally made themselves at home to that degree. Punjab, though, have a strong attack, and they have the capacity to clip the Crows’ wings. Predictions at this stage of the season are even more problematic than usual, but if the Rotterdammers are able to continue where they left off last year they might just come out on top.
BdJ: The stake-raising decision to pull the trigger on the transition to an eight-team top division has certainly put the top flight under the pump, if you’ll pardon the metaphor melange, and prompted something of a scramble for talent among the more nervous teams. Not so the defending champs though, who are understandably content with the squad that claimed the title last season. Pre-season losses at the hands of VRA and Sparta are unlikely to concern them unduly, and they did best Excelsior handily in the warm-ups with Fawad Shinwari did rack up an unbeaten ton in that game. HBS meanwhile have put in a fair few calls (and recalls) over the winter, the addition of Roelof van der Merwe and Heino Kuhn to the roster perhaps the most eye-catching signings for the season. The Craeyenhout old guard has also returned in force, with Navjit Singh and the brothers Vink expected to play a bigger role this season, and of course the return of Toby Visée at the top of the order ensuring HBS do not lack for hitting power of their own. The Crows have perhaps looked a bit undercooked in pre-season, losing by 9 wickets to VCC at the NextCommunications T20 Cup, though tough to draw any conclusions from 15 overs a side. All told they have the ingredients to prepare an ambush for the champions, and the Craeyenhout mat is something of a leveller, though taking two points off the title-holders first up would remain an upset
RL: Last year’s runners-up VRA Amsterdam start at home, welcoming Excelsior ’20 Schiedam to the Amsterdamse Bos. With potentially half-a-dozen debutants across the two sides it will be interesting to see who settles down quicker, but Excelsior have one of the most promising signings of the summer in former South African Test opener Raynard van Tonder. They also have last year’s spearhead Jason Ralston, and the attack has the cutting edge to unsettle VRA’s theoretically solid top order. How the Schiedammers adjust to the absence of Lorenzo Ingram will be one of the indicators of their ability to stay clear of the relegation zone in what looks like an even more challenging season than usual, while the home side will similarly be hoping that their new trio of overseas, Peter Ruffel, Jack Cassidy and Patrick Gouge, slot quickly into the side. Unlike tried and tested Craeyenhout, the quality of the early-season pitch under VRA’s new groundsman will also be a point of interest, but again, we wait to see which of these sides hits the ground running.
BdJ: Speaking of eye-catching acquisitions, the arrival of van Tonder and the late announcement of Belgian-Australian-Zimbabwean all-rounder Antum Naqvi at Thurlede has set tongues wagging as the season closes in. Neither of the new overseas has been tested in pre-season, but the pair, together with Jason Ralston spearheading the attack, will likely be key for Excelsior. The loss of Ingram naturally looms large and the home-grown batting looked rather suspect last season, though Stan van Troost looks in decent nick and Rens van Troost has been quietly developing into something of a wildcard down the order. If Excelsior have turned heads with name signings, VRA have adopted something of a moneyball approach. VRA’s new acquisitions will be largely unknown to any but the most dedicated followers of Associate or NZ domestic cricket, but the side looks well rounded and the locals largely boast a better track record in recent seasons than their Excelsior counterparts. Those locals may of course be called away to national commitments later in the season, leaving an already unsettled selection looking like something of a grab-bag side, but for the season opener they should be at full strength and will start as favourites.
RL: Back in the Topklasse after a two-year gap, Kampong Utrecht will be able to field Scott Edwards and Max O’Dowd when they take on the internationals’ former club, VOC Rotterdam at Maarschalkerweerd. They will also, of course, have Ingram in their ranks, bringing has vast experience to the side. Not to mention Akhil Gopinath, Salland’s most effective bowler over the past couple of seasons. Once again, the question will be how quickly VOC’s rejigged side settles into form, and the degree to which their crop of youngsters are able to build on last year’s experience. Making the most of the presence of national team members when they are available will be a key factor for several clubs, and Kampong will want to make sure of the points here and get their season off to a flying start.
BdJ: The newly promoted Kampong will likely be pleased with their winter’s work, in addition to the coup of prizing Ingram away from Thurlede, the Utrecht club have also secured the services of former VOC overseas Lane Berry, while Northern Districts’ Ben Pomare makes way for Melbourne bat Lachlan Bangs for the 2025 season. While Edwards and O’Dowd will likely be only intermittently available given the international schedule, but at full strength Kampong arguably have the most formidable batting line-up in the competition. All five were absent for some or all of the preseason, though the ebullient Damien van den Burg has looked in fine form at the top of the order, and Kampong’s front line bowlers all found wickets in their warm-up against Excelsior. VOC meanwhile, aside from switching out a couple of overseas, otherwise largely unchanged from the squad that struggled last season. But the likes of Aaditt Jain and Sieb van Wingerden are indeed all a year older, and the side will likely be undisturbed by national team call-ups across the season. Coming up against a full-strength Kampong first up is a tough assignment however, and VOC taking two points back to Rotterdam would be a remarkable result.
RL: The two oldest clubs in this year’s top flight, HCC and Hermes-DVS Schiedam, will face off at De Diepput. Having negotiated their return to the Topklasse with flying colours, the Light Blues may find this demanding campaign even more challenging, but in Asad Zulfiqar and Sahil Kothari they have two additions to their squad who may compensate them for the loss of CP Klijnhans. They will be hoping to get more out of Aryan Dutt’s presence than was possible last season, but HCC at home are never an easy proposition, always presuming that the predicted fine weather for the opening weekend in fact eventuates. The Lions, of course, are still more reinforced, with Clayton Floyd and Henrico Venter rejoining the colours, and a complete change of the overseas guard. Another tough one to call, but I’m going with home advantage – just!
BdJ: Probably the toughest of a tough set of games to call, while HCC had the better of Hermes last season there’s been sufficient personnel changes to muddy the waters there somewhat. How quickly HCC’s new overseas adapt to Dutch conditions could be determinative, though Ollie White at least has had the benefit of half a season in the Netherlands last year. Hermes new acquisitions are largely local, with Belgian legspinner Dewald Dumon no stranger to Dutch competition while Kothari and Zulfiqar are of course seasoned Topklasse campaigners. Overseas opening pair Daniel Doyle Calle and Ashley Ostling are similarly well settled now, though whether anyone ever truly acclimatises to an away fixture at de Diepput is questionable.
RL: In a very promising start, Sparta’s new overseas Kyle Klesse and Lukas Boorer saw them home a couple of weeks ago with an unbroken stand of 80 to beat defending champions Punjab, after local boy Jochem Steenbergen had given them a decent start with a half-century, and Klesse followed this up with a century against a Bloemendaal XI last weekend. With Ahsan Malik claiming four wickets in the former match, Joost-Martijn Snoep’s side will have plenty of grounds for optimism as they welcome 2023 champions Voorburg to the Bermweg. If they’re at full strength, though, the Villagers (I really want to call them that in the absence of another nickname, and I reckon it’s one they should wear with pride) have plenty of firepower with both bat and ball, and Sparta will need to be at their absolute best if they are start their season with a win.
BdJ: The unfancied Spartans have arguably had the best showing in the pre-season warm-ups thus far, with both their new overseas looking astute acquisitions. Indeed there will be growing concern at Bermweg that the German selectors will come calling for Klesse at some point in the season. Come Sunday though they will presumably be at full strength and in some form, presenting a tricky opening assignment for Voorburg. The 2023 Champions had a somewhat disappointing 2024 season, failing to reach the final for the first time in four years, but look appreciably stronger this time round with the addition of Zimbabweans Patient Charumbira and Carl Mumba, as well as Melbourne youngster Henry Melville. The return of Gavin Kaplan, whose early departure last season saw VCC’s campaign lose momentum, further bolsters what looks an intimidating line-up.
RL’s picks: [degree of confidence: about 30%] Punjab, Excelsior, Kampong, HCC, Voorburg.
BdJ’s picks: Punjab, VRA, Kampong, HCC, Voorburg.
TKcricket 