Rod Lyall 14/06/26
Not, perhaps, since the heyday of the legendary Nolan Clarke has the Dutch competition seen a player with the determination to post really big scores and both the skill and temperament to do so on a fairly regular basis, as Hermes’ David Rushmere is proving himself to be.
Having announced his arrival with 169 on the season’s opening day, Rushmere had a run of low scores before rediscovering his form with 118 (out of a total of 188) against Rotterdam last week.
And on Saturday he was at it again, producing a 124-ball 167 as Hermes chased VRA’s imposing 313 for eight and getting his side to within 38 runs of their opponents’ total.
The VRA innings was built on a third-wicket stand of 192 between Sam Cassidy and skipper Teja Nidamanuru, which enabled them to recover from a perilous 14 for two; Cassidy eventually fell for 103, but Nidamanuru continued to his own hundred – remarkably, his first in the Topklasse – before being dismissed for 104 as the Amsterdammers pushed on towards 300.
He eventually became one of four victims for Ralph Elenbaas, at a cost of 71 runs, but quick-fire cameos from Jack Cassidy and Udit Nashier took them past that milestone.
Opening in place of the absent Daniel Doyle-Calle, Rushmere saw his side slump to 43 for three, all three wickets grabbed by Sharad Hake, before he found a partner in stand-in skipper Nick Statham, who contributed 51 as the pair put on 117 for the fourth wicket, bringing Hermes back into the game.
Once Statham had departed Rushmere again watched as wickets fell steadily at the other end, but he continued the pursuit almost single-handed, going past his 150 and hitting a succession of boundaries before he was the last to fall, caught off Nidamanuru as he attempted another six to go with the 17 fours and six sixes he had already struck.
The defeat left Hermes still at the foot of the table, but they could derive some consolation from the fact that their rivals in the relegation battle, VOC and HBS, both also lost.
VOC’s 13-run defeat by Voorburg was the outcome of a seesawing battle at Westvliet, where the home side recovered from 52 for four to post 238 for seven, thanks mainly to Michael Rippon’s 69 and Don Glover’s 71, and the fifth-wicket partnership of 133 they shared.
Tom de Leede chipped in with an unbeaten 39, ensuring that VOC would need their highest total of the season to take the points.
Tim de Kok made 44 and Jason van der Meulen 38 when they replied, but at 145 for six they were again in trouble, and only a stand of 51 between Ahsan Malik (29) and Asief Hoseinbaks (27) took them to within striking distance of their target.
Then Jaynul Islam removed both in the same over, and Waseem Mohsen ended the innings, finishing with four for 41 as VOC were all out for 225.
At De Diepput, outside title contenders HCC were too strong for HBS, dismissing them for 178 and chasing down their target for the loss of just two wickets.
Kent Goedeke (41) and Lucas del Bianco (60 not out) were the mainstay of the HBS innings, while Josh Brown and Justin Trijzelaar were again the most effective of the Lions’ attack, taking three for 37 and three for 43 respectively.
Tonny Staal and Shirsak Banerjee gave HCC a bright start, and once they had gone Zac Worden and Boris Gorlee finished the job with an unbroken stand of 103, Worden ending on 46 not out and Gorlee hitting a 50-ball, unbeaten 70, which included seven fours and four sixes, taking their side home with more than 15 overs to spare.
The top-of-the-table clash between Kampong and Rotterdam was reduced to 38 overs a side after overnight rain, Sikander Zulfiqar’s side reinforcing their position as leaders with an emphatic 49-run victory.
They, too, started badly, Shirsak Kumar and Lachlan Bangs reducing them to 21 for three, but they were rescued, first by Shoaib Minhas and Abdul Rehman Niazi (37), and then by Minhas and Saqib Zulfiqar.
Minhas eventually fell for 61, but Saqib stayed to the end, making an unbeaten, 34-ball 50 as Rotterdam reached 197 for eight.
This always looked likely to be too much for Kampong, and although Bangs made 59 before he was run out, the defending champions were all out for 148.
Voorburg’s narrow win keeps them within a point of Rotterdam, although with a greatly inferior net run rate, with HCC and Kampong a further two points behind.
In the lower half of the table, VRA have somewhat eased their concerns about relegation, although only three points separate VRA in fifth spot from Hermes at the bottom, with HBS and VOC also in the danger area, and four rounds remaining.
TKcricket 