Rod Lyall 31/08/26
The Dutch monsoon season decimated the penultimate weekend of the T20 Cup campaign, with only two of the scheduled seven matches reaching a conclusion, and three of the remaining five being abandoned without a ball bowled.
The resulting scatter of shared points leaves matters unresolved at both ends of the table, although it would require an extraordinary combination of events to see Sparta 1888 escape relegation, while the battle for the title has effectively been reduced to a head-to-head showdown between leaders Rotterdam and pursuers Voorburg, who will in fact meet in a virtual final on Sunday morning (weather permitting).
Long-time leaders Excelsior ‘20 still have a theoretical chance of stealing the Cup, but again it would require some almost-unimaginable reversals of form, especially since the Schiedammers have not won since the departure of overseas stars Riley Ayre and Jack Wood.
Their most recent defeat was at Thurlede on Saturday, when Voorburg restricted them to 127 for seven and went on to a six-wicket victory with four deliveries to spare.
Tim Etman’s 41 gave his side a solid start in difficult conditions, and then Joost Kroesen held the latter part of the Excelsior innings together with a 45-ball 50.
Waseem Mohsen responded with 52 from 43 deliveries for the visitors, and after Tom de Leede had chipped in with a useful 21, Michael Rippon and Nirav Kulkarni knocked off the remaining runs, timing their chase to near-perfection.
Facing Kampong in their second match of the day, Excelsior had reached 64 for four in nine overs, with Tim Etman unbeaten on 27, before the rain arrived and the match was abandoned.
Runs were much easier to come by at the Zomercomplex, where Hermes-DVS ran up 183 for four against Rotterdam, thanks in large measure to a record-breaking third-wicket stand of 130 between Ash Ostling (54) and Daniel Doyle-Calle, whose 95 not out came from 52 deliveries and included four fours and seven sixes.
Shoaib Minhas, however, replies with a 41-ball 85 for Rotterdam, and with Muhammad Gondal contributing 34 and the veteran Sherry Butt 32, the six-wicket victory came with two overs to spare.
No play was possible in the later game between Rotterdam and VRA, and at Sportpark Bermweg Sparta 1888 were on 41 for three after 9.5 overs when the players were driven from the field.
TKcricket 