Rod Lyall & Bertus de Jong | 02-07-2026
Never in the long history of the Dutch top flight has the championship been decided on the first weekend of July, and it really does feel like a premature climax. Perhaps it marks the eclipse of the 50-over format by T20, in which case it is part of a much larger trend in world cricket which many of us profoundly regret. Will there be a time when the list of national champions runs from the original time cricket to a period of limited overs formats (63 overs, 60 overs, 55 overs, 50 overs) to the T20 title?
Be that as it may, there’s no doubt that this eight-team competition has been intensely competitive, and we go into the final weekend with the championship still up for grabs, and the relegation spot not quite finalised either. In the absence of play-offs at least three teams are playing only for pride, but the outcome of seven of the eight games will help to determine both issues.
Saturday
RL: Leaders Voorburg face a tricky trip to the Boudewijn Hoek Oval to face Hermes-DVS, knowing that their hosts will guarantee themselves another year in the Topklasse if they manage to take the points. Having won their last two games to ease themselves clear of VOC, Hermes are entitled to go into this one with a certain amount of optimism, but they will need to be at their absolute best against opponents who have their noses in front as they head towards the line. The return of Gavin Kaplan has made a huge contribution to Voorburg’s recent performances with the bat, and while their bowling may still have some question marks, it looks a lot sharper when Jaynul Islam is in the side.
BdJ: Worth noting that Voorburg could potentially claim the title at Harga should second-placed RCC slip up against VOC; a combination of results the Hermes will be desperate to forestall, given it’s the only one that would see them enter the last round still at risk of relegation. The chief concern for the Sky Blues will indeed be the consistent strength of Voorburg’s batting, especially now back at full strength. Kaplan’s been averaging almost 100 since his late arrival, Peter Hatzoglou is rumoured to be reinforcing this weekend, and with Dutch internationals Cedric de Lange, Noah Croes and Bas de Leede all averaging north of fifty too, Voorburg’s batting card is arguably as strong as (and indisputably very similar to) that of the national team. The VCC bowling has looked relatively weak in comparison however, with both Michael Rippon and Mees van Vliet having somewhat subdued seasons, with Hermes own enviable top order finally finding some semblance of form the Sky Blues might just be able to capitalise. The teams are at opposite ends of the table for a reason though, and though Hermes did manage to hold Voorburg to a tie away earlier in the season they’ll still start as underdogs at home on Saturday.
RL: At home to wooden-spooners VOC, Rotterdam must at least keep pace with their rivals, whom they would overtake should Hermes pull off a surprise. For the Bloodhounds, this is last-chance saloon: they will be relegated unless they can produce the shock of the season and beat Rotterdam at the Zomercomplex. They have clicked just three times this campaign, always against more fancied opponents, but it’s hard to see them doing it against a side which has a powerful top order, bats in depth, and boasts a varied attack, especially when for the latter the title is on the line.
BdJ: Depending on events at Harga, this fixture could well prove critical at one end of the table or the other. Trailing Hermes by three points (and VRA/HBS by four) the Bloodhounds path to Topklasse survival grows ever more narrow. Given their net run rate, as it stands they will need to win both their remaining games and hope other results fall their way. Despite showing some creditable fight throughout the season, most notably from new skipper Jason van der Meulen and the bowling attack, I’d agree VOC besting Rotterdam in their own back yard would be the upset of the season. The Rotterdammers have looked nigh-unstoppable with bat in hand, and while VCC have twice outscored them only HCC have managed to contain them thus far.
RL: Currently fourth and third, Kampong and HCC meet at Maarschalkerweerd in an encounter which is more important for the visitors, whose hopes of a miracle depend on their going on winning and results going their way elsewhere. The hosts have definitely gone off the boil as their hopes of retaining their title have ebbed away, and the departure of Lachlan Bangs certainly hasn’t helped their cause. HCC, on the other hand, have if anything improved in the back half of the season, although they have been distinctly more impressive bowling first and chasing.
BdJ: The 2025 champions really haven’t looked anything like their best of late, sinking to defeats against Hermes last week and VRA the week before, but then it’s worth noting HCC lost to both those sides recently too. Kampong’s problems seem to run a tad deeper though, beset by mounting injuries and unavailabilities all season that not even Max O’Dowd’s return to domestic form could paper over, of which Bangs is only the most recent. An in-touch O’Dowd along with Edwards and Jacod still makes facing Kampong away a tough proposition, and all will likely get a tune-up in this week’s pro-series game. Alex Roy’s return has also shored up the bowling side somewhat, but HCC has there opponents outgunned in that department at this point, with Brown currently topping the League wicket-tallies and Crowley racking up a personal best last week, while Tim Pringle is also back in the country and available ahead of the international (and franchise) season. HCC still need a lot to go right for them to find themselves in with a chance at the title come the final round, but for now at least it’s partly in their hands.
RL: Many might call this a dead rubber, but for those of use who believe there’s no such thing, the visit of HBS to the Amsterdamse Bos to take on VRA is about which of these sides might squeeze into the top half of the table at the expense of Kampong, who are two points ahead of the home side at this point and who have an almost identical NRR. Their mid-table positions reflect the fact that both sides have blown hot and cold all summer, although the hosts can probably claim to have greater strength in depth, especially given the indifferent form of Tayo Walbrugh and the inconsistency of Lehan Botha.
BdJ: Admittedly a match that’s unlikely to matter much in the scheme of things, but it should be pointed out that neither side are arithmetically safe from relegation at this point. A victory on Saturday would certainly see the winner safe even in the case of unlikely results elsewhere, while the loser could still theoretically start the final round in danger. VRA have weathered some misfortunes well this season, and a mid-table finish without most all their best bowlers from last season and this one would be an achievement in itself. Their threadbare attack was rather exposed by VCC last week, but even with Tayo Walbrugh finally finding some runs it’s questionable whether HBS have the firepower to take the same advantage. That said the Crows were able to restrict a full strength VRA side to 261 early in the season and chase comfortably at Craeyenhout. While this may prove the least consequential of the day’s fixtures, it may well also be the most closely contested.
Sunday
RL: What will be at stake at De Diepput on Sunday is anybody’s guess: should HCC win on Saturday and Rotterdam lose, then the Lions would go into this game just one point in arrears, and if Voorburg had lost as well, a last-minute grab at the title would be on the cards. A lot of ifs, yes, but however they are resolved this looks certain to be The Game of the Final Round. Arguably, HCC’s home ground suits Rotterdam’s big hitters even better than their own, but we shouldn’t forget that in their previous meeting, at the Zomercomplex, HCC dismissed their previously-rampant opponents for just 120. A trick they will certainly be keen to repeat on Sunday.
BdJ: Should results fall HCC’s way on Saturday this could indeed have the makings of a thriller, HCC’s net run rate advantage over VCC meaning should they end up level on points Voorburg’s run of narrow wins punctuated by a couple of very heavy defeats will tell against them. That said of course it could equally be a dead rubber. Most likely only Rotterdam that will will have something at stake and will consequently be the side under the greatest pressure, and who better than the Lions to play for pride?
RL: On one scenario, Voorburg are already champions and Sunday’s game at Westvliet becomes a victory lap; in another, everything is on the line as they take on Kampong with hopes of succeeding them. Both these sides have been at the top of the table at some point this season, but more recently they have headed in different directions: Voorburg have settled into a much more consistent pattern – not least because of Kaplan’s presence – while Kampong have never really recovered from the national selectors’ raid on their squad, losing their last four games. Or possibly five.
BdJ: In all but one scenario there will at least be something to celebrate at Maarschalkerweerd on Sunday, and in any event no doubt a cracking mid-season end-of-season party – tempered only by looming pro-series commitments for a fair portion of participants. There’s every chance though that the game itself will be a live one only for Voorburg, and while some sides have improved with the pressure off Kampong look like they’ve been going through the motions since their chances of retaining the championship receded. Voorburg made fairly light work of a full strength and fully motivated Kampong earlier in the season, and it’s difficult to imagine a different result in their final game.
RL: Once again, the significance of the game at Craeyenhout between HBS and Hermes-DVS will depend on what happens on Saturday: if VOC lost then Hermes will be safe, but if the Bloodhounds pulled off a miracle and Hermes lost, then this will be a must-win for the Schiedammers. Both sides have potential match-winners, but they also have palpable weaknesses, and if this match turns out to be really meaningful, it may hinge on who steps up when it really matters. The Crows have a crop of youngsters, a resource Hermes seemingly lack, and it’s possible that we will see more of them on Sunday as they start to look towards the T20 competition.
BdJ: Arithmetically there’s still a chance that if things go very badly wrong for HBS that they may have have a live NRR spreadsheet running for this game, though with a margin of about 300 runs on NRR over VOC chances are they’ll be safe enough by the time Sunday rolls around. The reverse fixture went down to the wire at Harga earlier in the summer, but on home astro one would be tempted to back the Crows.
RL: It would be a pretty extraordinary piece of Houdini-ism were VOC to finish their campaign with victories over Rotterdam and VRA and contrive to avoid playing Hoofdklasse cricket next season. But having survived a play-off last year to stay up, the Bloodhounds have had another disappointing season, and it seems most likely that whatever’s at stake, it will be the visitors who return to Amstelveen with the points.
BdJ: I’d actually say that if by some combination of derring-do and good luck VOC found themselves in a position where a win in their final game might see them survive, I’d probably back them to do it. It would imply that they were coming off the back of a much more improbable win over Rotterdam the day before and that fortune is in their favour, while VRA will (barring some absolutely absurd scorelines against them) have nothing but position to play for. Both paper strength and form points to a VRA victory though, both on run of results this season and past precedent for season finale dogfights between the two sides.
RL’s tips:
Saturday: Voorburg, Rotterdam, HCC, VRA
Sunday: HCC, Voorburg, Hermes, VRA.
BdJ’s tips:
Saturday: Voorburg, Rotterdam, HCC, HBS
Sunday: HCC, Voorburg, HBS, VRA
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