Author: tkcricket

Rod Lyall 13/08/23

The battle for semi-final places extended into Sunday’s final round of matches in the Championship pool, but even victory over HCC was insufficient to carry ACC into the final four as the defending champions had the advantage of the single point they had gained from their tie with Sparta 1888 back in July.

The other side to miss out was VOC, who lost to Rotterdam rivals Punjab by seven wickets at the Hazelaarweg.

After winning the toss VOC were stunned by the loss to two wickets within the first four balls of the match, Muhammad Shafiq removing both Francois Fourie and Lane Berry without scoring, but a third-wicket stand of 135 between Max O’Dowd (79) and Scott Edwards (65) put their side back on top for a time.

Once Sulaiman Tariq had dismissed them both, however, the innings subsided, and with Sikander Zulfiqar claiming three for 29 the last six wickets fell for the addition of just 10 runs as the side was all out for 175.

Punjab were in trouble in their turn, Asief Hoseinbaks reducing them to 48 for three and taking three for 29 in an unbroken ten-over spell, but that brought Saqib and Sikander Zulfiqar together, and they saw their side home with a stand of 129 to complete a seven-wicket victory with 70 balls to spare.

The win, together with results elsewhere, carried Punjab back into second spot and earned them a double chance of reaching the grand final – they will now play leaders Voorburg at Westvliet in the first semi-final.

HCC missed their chance to go second when they lost to ACC by 75 runs at Het Loopveld.

The basis of ACC’s total of 247 for seven, their second-highest of the season, was a fourth-wicket partnership of 141 between Thomas Hobson and Heino Kuhn, which rescued them from a perilous 48 for three.

Hobson was eventually dismissed for 79, but Kuhn remained unbeaten on 104, managing the tail and ensuring that momentum was maintained in the closing overs despite two run-outs.

HCC got off to a solid start when they replied, Tonny Staal making 57 before he was caught by Hobson off his own bowling, but with Mahesh Hans cutting through the top and middle order to claim three for 31 and two more run-outs, their challenge faltered, and they were all out for 172.

At Westvliet leaders Voorburg flirted with defeat by Sparta 1888, but were seen home by a dogged ninth-wicket stand of 42 between Philippe Boissevain and Mess van Vliet after Joost Martijn Snoep and Joost Kroesen appeared to have put the Spartans into a winning position.

They were defending a relatively modest 162, which was dominated by Garnett Tarr’s 93; he received too little support, however, and with Shariz Ahmad taking five for 32, his fourth five-wicket haul of the campaign, and bringing his season’s tally to 43 at an average of 11, Voorburg should have had a relatively easy chase.

But Snoep struck three times to reduce them to 47 for three, and when brothers Musa and Shariz Ahmad appeared to swung the game their side’s way Kroesen chimed in, removing first Musa for 53 and then Shariz for 42.

At 121 for eight Sparta were now on top, but Boissevain and Van Vliet, with plenty of overs in hand, were content to pick off the runs in ones and twos, their partnership not including a single boundary but moving swiftly enough to reach their target with seven and a half overs to spare.

Snoep finished with three for 38 and Kroesen with the day’s most popular figures, three for 29.

Despite this defeat Sparta stayed ahead of HCC on NRR, and will therefore enjoy home advantage in next Saturday’s second semi-final.

In the Relegation pool, HBS removed any lingering fears of the drop into the Hoofdklasse with a 140-run victory over Excelsior ‘20, who could still – at least in theory – be overtaken by bottom side Salland.

HBS set the highest total of the day, 270 for eight, thanks to another century by Tayo Walbrugh, his fifth of the season.

He shared in useful partnerships with Wesley Barresi (33) and then with Kyle Klein, and after he fell to Roel Verhagen for 104 Klein took over the baton, making an unbeaten 70 as the Crows piled on the runs.

Excelsior were soon in trouble, and although Stan van Troost made 36 and his brother Rens 31, they never looked likely to mount a serious challenge, Nic Adendorff claiming five for 51, including the vital wicket of Lorenzo Ingram, and they were eventually dismissed for 140.

The Schiedammers will now need to win one of their two remaining games next weekend, away to VRA on Saturday and at home to Salland on Sunday, or at the very least they will have to ensure that they do not lose heavily enough to eat away their very considerable net run rate advantage over their rivals.

Rod Lyall 12/08/23

Another blistering century from Vikram Singh was enough almost to put paid to Salland’s last remaining hope of remaining in next season’s Topklasse in the Amsterdamse Bos on Saturday, as VRA chased down their visitors’ 224 for eight in 23.3 overs.

Despite a reduction to 32 overs a side after heavy rain overnight and during the morning caused a delayed start, Salland set their highest total in their two years in the top flight, Piyaranga Ottachchige equalling his highest score of the season with 82, made from 80 deliveries, and skipper Victor Lubbers contributing 41.

But any thought that the Amsterdammers’ 455 in 47 overs at Craeyenhout a fortnight ago might have been a fluke, or solely a product of Craeyenhout’s batter-friendly conditions, was quickly dispelled as Singh again went onto the attack.

Salland managed to remove Shirase Rasool (33), Johan Smal (30) and Teja Nidamanuru (10) at the other end, but Singh was again completely dominant, reaching his third century of the campaign from just 57 deliveries with seven fours and six sixes.

By the time his side had completed their chase he had moved on to an unbeaten 133, made from 70 balls with ten fours and nine sixes, and he had brought his strike rate for the season to 110.48.

Although two wins in their final two matches could theoretically bring Salland level with either HBS or Excelsior ’20 – should either of them lose all three games they still have to play – their net run rate deficit is so great that it would take an extraordinary set of results to enable them to escape bottom spot on the table.

In the Championship pool, HCC, after an early collapse against VOC Rotterdam in their rained-off encounter last week, elected to field at a damp Diepput this time and quickly seized the initiative, Hidde Overdijk removing first Max O’Dowd and then Scott Edwards with successive deliveries in just the third over of the game.

VOC never really recovered from this double blow, and although Lane Berry made 24 and Mussayab Jamil 29, a fine spell from Daniel Doram, who bowled nine overs and took four for 14, prevented any recovery.

Overdijk picked up another wicket to finish with three for 14, and it took an enterprising 17 from Asief Hoseinbaks to get their total up to 110 before they were all out, almost ten of their 41 overs left unused.

A target of 111 caused the defending champions few problems, Ratha Alphonse leading the way with 40, and after he departed Patient Charumbira declined to live up to his given name, smacking two fours and two sixes as he raced to an unbeaten 22 from ten deliveries, HCC needing one ball more than half their allocated overs to complete a seven-wicket victory.

The victory enabled HCC to leapfrog Punjab Rotterdam, as did Sparta 1888 by virtue of their three-wicket win against ACC at the Bermweg.

ACC were again unable to take full advantage of a good start, which saw them reach 103 for two thanks to 36 from Rahil Ahmed and 26 from hius fellow-opener Shreyas Potdar.

But thereafter only Heino Kuhn was able to gain the upper hand against Sparta’s persistent attack, and no-one was able to stay with him for long; he was the ninth man out for exactly 50, and the innings ended on 195.

The Amsterdammers fought hard in the field, reducing Sparta to 73 for four at one stage, but a fifth-wicket partnership of 91 between Will Clark (75) and Joost Kroesen (45) turned the game around, and Sandeep Sardha saw them to victory with two balls to spare.

Saturday’s results ensure that Sparta and HCC will both play in the semi-finals, but VOC would squeeze into fourth place were they to beat Punjab at the Hazelaarweg on Sunday.

For ACC, even victory over HCC is unlikely to be enough: any result at the Hazelaarweg is likely to leave them outside the top four.