Preview – Page 13

Round 16 preview

Bertus de Jong & Rod Lyall 10/08/18

With three rounds to go in this season’s Topklasse, Sunday’s round of matches will likely prove decisive, and indeed it’s entirely possible that both the championship and relegation will be decided in three days’ time.

BdJ: All eyes will be on the Bosjes van Pex where frontrunners VOC Rotterdam take on third place HBS Craeyenhout in the day’s biggest game. A win for VOC would put out an end to the Crows’ title hopes, and might just see VOC lift the trophy on the day. Though HBS are traditionally a tough proposition at home, they’ve looked unusually vulnerable at Craeyenhout this season, with three of their four defeats coming on home turf, and their imposing battery of top order guns has misfired on more than one occasion. There’s also question marks over the fitness of skipper Toby Visée and bowling spearhead Berend Westdijk, both of whom sat out their match last week at Drieburg, where HBS held on for a 19-run win against a below-strength Dosti after being bowled out for 141. A similar showing against VOC is unlikely to be sufficient, though the visitors have their own injury worries, with Max O’Dowd still at less than 100% and Corey Rutgers’ finger still a mess. VOC have been below full strength for much of the season however, and it’s not stopped them winning.

RL: No question that this is one of the season’s key games, and of keen interest to more than the two participants. It’s lent added piquancy by the fact that two of VOC’s reconstructed squad were wearing HBS colours last season, and by the somewhat controversial abandonment of the corresponding match at Hazelaarweg without a ball being bowled. The Bloodhounds go into this game with the scent of a first title since 1994 in their nostrils, and although their batting form hasn’t always been as consistent as they would have wished, they have generally fought their way out of trouble. And there’s no doubt that in Klaassen, Fletcher, Hanif, Seelaar and Baker they have the most effective attack in the competition.

BdJ: Should VOC take two points home from Craeyenhout, they’ll be taking the trophy too if HCC upset second-placed VRA at De Diepput. Though HCC’s own title hopes are long gone, having never really recovered from losing their opening two games, they nonetheless showed plenty of fight when they fought back to a dramatic tie against Excelsior at Thurlede last week. Though the HCC old guard have struggled somewhat this season, youngsters Tonny Staal and Hidde Overdijk have stepped up admirably, and with overseas players Ryan Ninan and Bryce Street both enjoying solid if unspectacular seasons there’s a real chance VRA’s title challenge may be ended at on Sunday. VRA too are still struggling to come back from two opening defeats, which may yet cost them a title shot should their persistent top-order troubles be on show again. The Amsterdammers have had to rely on their middle and lower order to get them out of trouble repeatedly, and while the depth of their batting is an undoubted strength their habit of losing early wickets is bound to tell against them eventually. With Vivian Kingma out for the rest of the season their bowling isn’t what it might be either, though in Quirijn Gunning and Haseeb Gul Mia they still boast a more than serviceable new ball attack and in Adeel Raja and Leon Turmaine a solid spin section. Effectively trailing VOC by two matches, VRA will need a little luck to set up a de facto final in the Bos on the closing weekend, but first they’ll need a win at De Diepput.

RL: Peter Borren’s outstanding century last week set up a comfortable victory for his side against lowly Punjab, and with six wins out of six in this latter half of the season VRA are deservedly VOC’s last remaining challengers for the title. They will be hoping that HBS do them a favour at Craeyenhout on Sunday, while at the same time needing to make sure of their own victory over HCC, for whom Boris Gorlee returns after leading the Dutch Under-17 side to the European Division 2 title in England earlier this week. That should have done his confidence a world of good, but HCC’s hopes of a morale-boosting win over VRA may depend more up the ability of Mark Jonkman, Ali Ahmad Qasim and the rest of the attack to upset the Amsterdammers’ powerful but inconsistent batting line-up.

BdJ: Meanwhile at the other end of the table Punjab Rotterdam will need to see off Dosti-United if they are to keep their faint hopes of Topklasse survival alive. Two points adrift of ninth-placed Quick, Punjab can’t afford to drop another game. They can take comfort from the knowledge that Dosti have little to play for, and still more comfort from the fact that Taruwar Kohli is done for the season. Without him Dosti’s batting has looked by turns brittle and directionless, though the same charge could be levelled at their opponents of course. Before Peter Borren’s spectacular counter-attack Punjab had looked well on top of VRA last week, suggesting there’s plenty of fight left in the Rotterdammers, at least with ball in hand even without the contribution of Bernard Vorster’s legspin, but for impetus with the bat they have relied almost entirely on Ali Raza and Stephan Myburgh at the top of the order, tending to shut up shop once both are dismissed. Whether the looming prospect of relegation will be enough to inject some urgency into the middle order’s batting is an open question, but if Punjab are to pull off a late-season Houdini act they can’t rely on Raza and Myburgh to win three for them.

RL: Dosti, of course, still have Anees Davids and Mohammad Hafeez, both of whom contributed significantly to their side’s achievement in dismissing HBS for 141 last week. They may be one of the teams who rely most on a few big-name players, especially with Vinoo Tewarie and Rahil Ahmed unable to perform consistently with the bat, but the same is true of Punjab, who have proved all season what a key role was played last year by Shoaib Minhaas and Khurram Shahzad, both of whom have performed reliably for Hermes-DVS this time round. After a promising start Rohan Qadri hasn’t added a great deal to Punjab’s line-up, and the way forward may be pointed by the success of young seamer Mubashar Hussain. This is not the moment for in-depth philosophising about the deficiencies of the Topklasse, but both these sides illustrate the urgent need for such a discussion.

BdJ: Five losses and the format finished off Excelsior 20’s title defence some weeks ago, and barring a remarkable turnaround from Punjab ACC will be playing for position from here on too. Though they are notionally still at risk, Rehmat Zulfiqar’s record-breaking knock against Quick last week effectively secured safety for the Amsterdam club. The elder Zulfiqar brother remains a hit-or miss gambit at the top of the order, though when he hits he hits big. Yet ACC remain a rather unbalanced side, their scattered successes this season usually built on some combination of Zulfiqars coming off in a big way. The bowling especially has been a weak point, now exacerbated by Botha’s departure, as shown by Quick coming close to chasing the 311 run total they posted last week. Conversely, Excelsior’s winning formula of batting around Lorenzo Ingram and James Hilditch is again viable following the latter’s return from injury, and their supporting cast have a few seasons’ experience on ACC’s youngsters.

RL: The difficulty of maintaining a youth development policy with a limited talent pool is starkly illustrated by these two sides: Excelsior were themselves surprised by the early success of their young team over the past two seasons and have come down to earth with a bump this year, while ACC’s reliance on the Zulfiqar brothers has been underlined by the side’s fragile middle order and generally poor bowling. Aryan Kumar and, to a lesser extent, Shirase Rasool have made some progress, and will return from the U-17 tournament with more experience under their belts. But too much still depends on at least two Zulfiqars going big with the bat, and on Sikander and Saqib’s contributions with the ball. Man-for-man (or in some cases boy-for-boy) Excelsior are much stronger than their opponents, and then there are Ingram and Hilditch . . .

BdJ: Winless in their last six games, Sparta 1888 will be looking to recapture some of their early form to finish the season on a high, though both they and their opponents Quick Haag will be largely playing for pride too on Sunday. Like ACC, Quick remain at notional risk of relegation, but a win at Bermweg (or a loss for Punjab) will cement their place in the Topklasse for next season. Struggling for consistency both in terms of selections and success, Quick have relied heavily on coach (and now captain) Jay Bista throughout the season, with support from the evergreen Doc Mol. Bista and Mol have kept them afloat more-or-less singlehandedly, and whilst the former has been the league’s stand-out performer the latter’s contribution of 24 wickets and 433 runs should not be underrated. If both fire again on Sunday though that will likely be enough to see off Sparta, who have lacked any reliable performers with the bat. The pitch at Bermweg is not easy to get in on though, and with Mudassar Bukhari and Dost Muhammad sharing the new ball early wickets are always on the cards.

RL: Outstanding batting by Bista and Mol last week again succeeded in papering over some of Quick’s cracks, but the real story was the way in which their bowling was demolished in the early stages. Jeroen Brand’s spell underlined how much his side have missed him, but with Imran Khan’s contributions also intermittent at best (and perhaps now again disrupted by injury) the bowling is distinctly threadbare. Whether Sparta are in a position to capitalise on this depends a lot on Michael Pollard and Warren Bell: if they come off, then Sparta might muster a big enough total to cause Quick problems on that Bermweg pitch. It would take a succession of unfortunate events for Quick to find themselves facing the drop, but they will breathe a lot easier if they take the points away from Capelle on Sunday evening.

BdJ’s tips: VOC, VRA, Punjab, Excelsior, Quick.
RL’s tips: VOC, VRA, Dosti, Excelsior, Quick.

Round 15 Preview

Rod Lyall & Bertus de Jong 04/08/81

After the annual fallow week and the excitement of the international interlude, the Topklasse resumes this week with four rounds left to play and the key issues almost sharply defined at both ends of the table.

RL: Two points clear at the top, but more importantly with two defeats fewer than their nearest rivals, VOC Rotterdam are at home to Sparta 1888, who have dropped back to sixth after briefly leading at the turn. The Hazelaarweg side may have had something of a scare last time out, hanging on to beat ACC by two wickets, but there is no doubt about the championship potential of their side, and they know that if they keeping winning the chasing pack can do nothing to catch them. Max O’Dowd’s continuing injury problems are a worry – he missed both of this week’s ODIs – but with Fred Klaassen and his new-ball partner Pierce Fletcher in fine form and skipper Peter Seelaar a dominant force, they should prove too strong for a Sparta side whose big guns have generally failed to fire in recent weeks.

BdJ: Corey Rutgers and O’Dowd both remain at less than 100%, though both showed against Quick Haag that they needn’t be to win games for VOC. Whether either or both will play tomorrow is an open question, but part of the reason that VOC are at the top of the table is that they have coped with injuries and absences better than most, and even without the pair they would start as favourites against a Sparta side that’s been on the slide for most of the season now.

RL: Now perhaps VOC’s only serious challengers for the title, VRA Amsterdam must keep winning themselves and hope that the Rotterdammers slip up along the way, setting up a winner-take-all confrontation between the two sides on 26 August. This week VRA are at home to likely wooden-spooners Punjab Rotterdam, who have to win at least three of their last four games to have any realistic hope of survival in the top flight. VRA will be without Vikram Singh, who is in England with the national Under-17 side, but still seem much too powerful for a Punjab side which has shown flashes of form – mainly from openers Stef Myburgh and Ali Raza – but who otherwise have been outclassed for much of the season. The return to form of Eric Szwarczynski, enjoying his role as opener in company with Dan ter Braak, has given greater solidity to the home side’s batting, and with the outfield in the Bos at its quickest the runs can be expected to flow.

BdJ: More than the absence of Singh, whose promising future looks like it will remain ahead of him for at least another season, the departure of Michael Rippon after a one match cameo leaves VRA looking more beatable than last round. That said, Punjab don’t look the team to beat them. An upset at the Bos tomorrow would make things more interesting at the bottom of the table and less so at the top, but given the strength of VRA’s batting it really would be quite the upset.

RL: In view of Punjab’s plight the threat of relegation faced by Quick Haag and ACC may appear largely theoretical, but that doesn’t detract from the importance of these sides’ clash at De Diepput this week, since the winner will take a large stride away from the danger zone. Both teams will be missing players from the Under-17 squad: Teun Landheer and Govert Trappenburg for Quick, and Shirase Rasool for ACC. But it’s once again the key players on each side who will likely decide this match: Richardt Frenz and the Zulfiqars for ACC; Jay Bista, Sean Davey (if he’s fully fit) and Geert Maarten Mol for Quick. It was Quick who prevailed when the sides met back in May, but there’s little to choose between them and this one could go either way.

BdJ: Yup, the toughest call of the round this one. ACC have been affected more than most sides by the u19’s absence, and will be without Devon Botha’s services too, the South African’s stint in the Netherlands having come to an end. Though the Amsterdammers will likely be able to field a full complement of Zulfiqars tomorrow, who will doubtless be looking to make a point after being overlooked for national duties last week, the bowling attack looks weaker than ever. Quick have retained the in-form Jay Bista’s services to the end of the season, and one suspects ACC will struggle to contain the mumbaiker, much less dislodge him. A strong showing and a little luck may be required for ACC to take a step toward safety on Sunday.

RL: If we still had play-offs involving the top four the encounter between Dosti United and HBS Craeyenhout would be one of the games of the season, but the latter’s defeat by VRA a fortnight ago means that they have only the slimmest chance of getting back into title contention, and this match is close to being a ‘dead’ rubber. It’s also robbed of some of its glamour by the departure of Taruwar Kohli, one of the iconic players of the season, and that should give the Crows considerable heart – provided that Sharn Gomes is still among their number. With Tobias Visée and Wesley Barresi both having been in good form with the bat for the national side, and an attack which has been consistently impressive, HBS are tough nuts to crack, and without Kohli the home side will need to draw on all their talent and determination if they are to have a chance here.

BdJ: Despite a successful season the Crows’ hopes of adding the Topklasse title to their T20 trophy are indeed now out of their hands, and they will need a perfect run couple with other results going their way if they’re to catch VRA and VOC. It’s unlikely their hopes will be entirely snuffed out tomorrow though, facing a Dosti side that’s now missing both Kohli and Anees Davids and are themselves playing for little but pride. It will take quite the team talk from young skipper Vinoo Tewarie to instill the sort of inspiration Dosti will need to spring an upset on HBS.

RL: Fifth and seventh on the table, Excelsior ‘20 and HCC meet at Thurlede in what is to meaningful cricket what the Norwegian Blue in the Monty Python sketch is to parrots, although once again in another universe Excelsior would be fighting for a place in the play-offs. That said, every cricket match is worth winning, and both as individuals and as teams these sides have plenty to prove. Excelsior, still without James Hilditch, will be looking to finish their season on a high, putting behind them a very disappointing run of form, and the progress made by Joost Kroesen with the bat and his younger brother Gijs with the ball are a couple of positive features the Schiedammers will want to see continue. HCC are without Boris Gorlee, skippering the Under-17s in England, but they have Tonny Staal and Hidde Overdijk as core members of a young side which will also be looking towards a more prosperous future. Lorenzo Ingram, of course, remains capable of turning any game Excelsior’s way, but this, too, could be a very close match.

BdJ: It’s inevitable given the lamentable new format that the tail end of the season will see an increasing number of matches with little on the line but pride, but for HCC and Excelsior at least there’s plenty of that to play for. Excelsior will be keen to prove that they are more than just the Jimmy and Lorenzo show, and their young youth graduates will doubtless be keen to draw national selectors eyes back the Thurlede. Whilst HCC’s reliable new ball pair of Mark Jonkman and especially Reinier Bijloos have struggled to make the same impact as in seasons past, Ali Ahmed and Overdijk have stepped up admirably, and Tonny Staal looks a much more complete player following his antipodean adventures. The latter pair have been rewarded with senior T20 call-ups, and were arguably unlucky to miss out on selection against Nepal this week. Though besting Excelsior away is a big ask, I make the visitors narrow favourites.

Rod Lyall’s tips: VOC, VRA, ACC, HBS, Excelsior.
Bertus de Jong’s tips: VOC, VRA, Quick, HBS, HCC

Round 14 Preview

Rod Lyall and Bertus de Jong 20/07/18

With five rounds left it’s beginning to look as if the national championship is VOC’s to lose, and with their two main rivals due to meet this week the title race may effectively be reduced to two contenders by Sunday evening.

RL: The match of the day is undoubtedly the visit of third-placed VRA Amsterdam to Craeyenhout to take on HBS, currently one place above them on the table by virtue of having lost one game fewer. VRA won the corresponding encounter in the Amsterdamse Bos on 21 May despite openers Daan ter Braak and Eric Szwarczynski making just eight runs between them, and with this pair having shared century opening partnerships in each of their last two games the Amsterdammers are beginning to look like a formidable batting line-up on the field as well as on paper. But HBS are a different proposition on their own astroturf, and their seamers have shown that the side’s championship prospects do not depend wholly on its batting. This promises to be one of the best games of the season, and it’s certainly one of vital importance to both teams.

BdJ: A crucial game no doubt, one that looks almost like a semi-final as we head toward the late phase of the league. Both sides still have a game in hand against VOC at the top of the table which could see them draw level with the leaders on points, but first they will need a win on Sunday in what will likely be on of the last few genuine “4 pointers” of the season. VRA’s batting will be strengthened by the return of Ben Cooper as well as Szwarczynski’s belated return to form, and though Vivian Kingma looks set to miss the remainder of the season the presence of Michael Rippon in the Netherlands and on the VRA list gives van den Burg a tempting option, especially if Adeel Raja is unavailable. Should Rippon play VRA’s already remarkable batting depth would be still further extended, and might give them the edge even in the face of HBS’ own intimidating top order. Though Toby Visee had the chance to get another good look at Rippon’s left arm wrist spin from behind the stumps in today’s Pro-Series matches, and Wes Barresi has seen plenty of him from the same vantage point over the years, for the rest of HBS’ line-up it may take some getting used to.

RL: Leaders VOC Rotterdam, on the other hand, have what is theoretically a less challenging task, away to struggling ACC at Het Loopveld. They were uncompromising in their dismissal of champions Excelsior last week, and they are likely to focus equally hard on neutralising the undoubted threat of the Zulfiqar brothers and Richardt Frenz (which incidentally would be a pretty good name for a blues band). ACC’s problem is that they have too little to back up that top four or five, depending on whether Sikander Zulfiqar is able to return to the side, and that their attack lacks the firepower to trouble a side with the batting depth of VOC. With Scott Edwards coming in at six and able to rely on significant support from the lower order, even early wickets don’t necessarily put the Rotterdammers on the back foot, while the pace attack of Klaassen and Fletcher will certainly test the top of ACC’s batting.

BdJ:No argument here. The depth of VOC’s side even when key players such as Rutgers or Ahsan Malik have sat out due to injury is largely what has got them to the top of the table, and though skipper Seelaar’s form has certainly helped, they have shown they can win even when he has a rare off-day. Conversely, ACC’s lack of bench strength has been exposed repeatedly, and they will need a solid showing from the top order and more penetration with the ball than they’ve consistently shown to upset the Rotterdammers.

RL: Two sides which started well and have fallen away, Sparta 1888 and Dosti United Amsterdam meet in a mid-table clash at Sportpark Bermweg. Both sides are reliant on a few key players, although Sparta’s largely seam attack is more extensive and a good deal more imposing than Dosti’s. Generally speaking, when Taruwar Kohli makes runs Dosti wins, and when he doesn’t, they don’t. Sparta, equally, need a significant contribution with the bat from Michael Pollard and/or Warren Bell, and neither has been as consistent as they or their team-mates would have liked. Mudassar Bukhari needs just one wicket to reach 300 in the top flight, and it’s a fair bet he would love to do it against his former team-mates – and then go on to claim a few more. Having lost four on the trot Sparta need to halt their slide, while Dosti remain in the top half of the table and will be very keen to stay there.

BdJ: The first of the inevitable mid-table dead rubbers is indeed already upon us, and with neither of these sides in realistic danger of relegation or a late surge to the title this match rather takes on the appearance of a friendly. That said, newcomers Sparta certainly have plenty to prove in their return season, and should not be underestimated on home turf. Whilst Dosti boast both the season’s lead runscorer and lead wicket taker in Kohli and Hafeez, Sparta look the more rounded side and at a ground such as Bermweg reliance on a single player for runs is arguably a greater weakness than elsewhere.

RL: Having lost to Quick Haag last Sunday HCC will be hoping for yet another reversal of fortune when they entertain bottom-placed Punjab Rotterdam at De Diepput. Ryan Ninan was one of the few bright lights in last week’s performance, and HCC need him to produce a strong finish to the season to back up his overseas colleague Bryce Street and the younger brigade of Tonny Staal, Hidde Overdijk, Boris Gorlee and the rest. Punjab, on the other hand, continue to drift towards relegation, which seems increasingly certain unless openers Stef Myburgh and Ali Raza can repeat their two century stands on a weekly basis or someone else can emerge as a potential matchwinner. With five games left HCC are not yet mathematically safe, but two points here would make their cushion a good deal more comfortable than it is at present.

BdJ: For all Myburgh and Raza’s belligerence at the top of the order, Punjab have looked increasingly like a side that has resigned itself to a return to the Hoofdklasse. All too often early wickets have seen the Rotterdammers throw in the towel early in a chase, blocking their way to respectable defeat rather than going down blazing, and with a bowling attack that rarely threatens to take ten wickets they have struggled to defend any sort of total. HCC’s inconsistent form will give them some hope though, especially if they can get off to a decent start in the first innings with either bat or ball. They remain a dangerous side if there’s blood in the water, but nonetheless head to de Diepput as outsiders.

RL: Excelsior ‘20’s season reads WWAWWWALLWLLL, which looks a bit like the sound their supporters must feel like making as a season which began so promisingly comes to pieces before their eyes. This week they are at home to a Quick Haag side which produced one of their better performances in beating HCC last week, while Excelsior, after a decent start in the field, were again dismissed for under 100. Hampered by James Hilditch’s absence, the champions lack conviction with the bat, and to some degree with the ball, and Quick, needing a couple more wins to get clear of the danger zone, will be hoping that Jay Bista, now captain as well as leading allrounder, can lift them to a victory which would have seemed deeply improbable a few weeks ago. So much of cricket is played in the head, and Quick’s may just be in a better place at this point than the Schiedammers’.

BdJ: It’s remarkable in itself that these two recent champions should be battling for mid-table position at this point in the season, though the current title-holders will doubtless be the more disappointed of the two with the position they find themselves in. Quick were targeting top-flight survival even before a game had been played, and have not had to revise their ambitions, whilst Excelsior’s defense of the championship has unwound calamitously since Hilditch’s injury. For all the talent in Excelsior’s young squad, his absence has underscored the extend to which the Schiedammers’ success has been built around his and Ingram’s partnership. Quick meanwhile are down one overseas as well, with Sean Davey likely to sit out, and as Jay Bista himself observed at de Diepput a couple of weeks agom a pro can’t reliably win Topklasse games on his own. That said, on the mumbaiker’s current form one could see him proving himself wrong. He will have a tougher task than Ingram come Sunday though, the prolonged absence of Quick skipper Jeroen Brand further weakening a Quick squad already struggling with departures and retirements.

Rod Lyall’s tips: HBS, VOC, Sparta, HCC, Quick.
Bertus de Jong’s tips: VRA, VOC, Sparta, HCC, Excelsior

Round 13 preview

Bertus de Jong & Rod Lyall 12/07/18

We’re very much over the hump now and heading rapidly toward the business end of the season with just six games to play, and the table has duly divided itself neatly in three. At the top end VOC, HBS and VRA remain very much in the running for a shot at the title, whilst defending champions Excelsior have joined former frontrunners Dosti and Sparta, together with HCC, as near-certain also-rans this time round, and Punjab, Quick and ACC look set for a nervy relegation battle.

BdJ: A win against table-toppers VOC Rotterdam might just keep Excelsior ‘20’s hopes alive another week, but given their recent run that’s the tallest of orders and the continued absence of batting linchpin and opening bowler James Hilditch won’t help their cause. VOC have looked all-but invulnerable at fortress Hazelaarweg, where a three-wicket win over VRA has been the closest they’ve come to defeat. Both Corey Rutgers and Max O’Dowd showed they were more than capable of pulling their weight for the frontrunners last week against Quick, both notching 80+ scores despite O’Dowd carrying a gluteal niggle and Rutgers a finger fractured six ways from Sunday. With skipper Pieter Seelaar’s imperious run of form showing no signs of stalling, an away match at VOC remains the toughest proposition in the league at this point.

RL: With several key acquisitions over the winter VOC were seen as a good championship bet before the campaign started, and while they took a little while to get into their stride – and despite some misfortunes with injuries – they have evolved into a formidable unit. They still have several big matches to play, and a few weeks ago this would have been one of them: after all, Excelsior were the last team to beat them, back on 19 May. But as VOC’s star has risen Excelsior’s has waned, and it would take a significant reversal of form for the defending champions to take the points back to Schiedam. The VOC new-ball pairing of Fred Klaassen and Pierce Fletcher is another of the Rotterdammers’ trump cards, and without Hilditch the Excelsior attack looks a lot less menacing.

BdJ: Should the title-holders spring a surprise, HBS Craeyenhout are currently best placed to take advantage as they head to meet bottom-placed Punjab Rotterdam at the Zomercomplex. On paper a match-up between the second-placed HBS and bottom-placed Punjab should be a fairly easy call, but then on paper the Crows’ top order ought to be delivering regular 300+ totals. Instead against HCC last week they clung on to defend 138 in an entirely unconvincing 15-run win, and Punjab’s opening pair of Stephan Myburgh and Ali Raza demonstrated that that sort of score would be unlikely to suffice come Sunday, racking up 149 runs in an unbroken partnership against Sparta at the traditionally bowler-friendly Bermweg. That said, last week HBS were facing a bowling attack featuring two of the league’s top five wicket-takers, whilst Punjab can boast not a single bowler in the top twenty, and indeed last week was the first time they managed to take all ten wickets. It will take a remarkable turnaround in form for Punjab to contain HBS’ battery of big hitters given the short boundaries at the Zomercomplex and one suspects delivering a third victory will be beyond even the powers of Raza and Myburgh.

RL: HBS, too, have settled into a winning pattern based on a powerful top five batsmen backed up by a well-balanced attack, and showed last week that even when the former fails to deliver the latter can defend a low total. Farshad Khan has been incisive since his return to the side, and together with Berend Westdijk and Wessel Coster heads a seam department capable of troubling any batting line-up. Punjab rely more on spin, and unless they can make early inroads into that HBS top order they may find themselves chasing an awful lot of leather. It is indeed hard to see Punjab upsetting one of the main title contenders, but Rohan Qadri has certainly made a difference to the side and the Rotterdammers know that every point is vital if they are to lift themselves away from the bottom of the table.

BdJ: Third placed VRA will be hoping for upsets in both the above-mentioned games, in which case a win against Sparta 1888 at the Bos could get them to second place and just one win behind VOC. The Amsterdammers’ home record may not inspire a huge amount of confidence, and continued questions over Viv Kingma’s fitness are also a concern, nonetheless they remain marginal favourites to take two points on the day. Though Sparta won the first encounter earlier in the season, the sort of cricket played at VRA is traditionally a different beast from what one sees at Bermweg. That said, the game is far from a foregone conclusion, with the hosts’ top order in patchy form and the bowling attack likely understrength. Though Sparta have stalled rather after an impressive early run, seamers Dost Muhammed and Mudassar Bukhari remain a dangerous combination, and Michael Pollard will doubtless be looking forward to a run out on the league’s best batting wicket. Though Sparta’s three consecutive defeats in the last three games have put them pretty much out of contention for the title, they remain more than capable as acting as spoilers for VRA’s hopes too.

RL: Even without Ben Cooper and Viv Kingma VRA were impressive against an injury-weakened ACC last week, with Quirijn Gunning and Haseeb Gul Mia doing the vital early damage and spinners Adeel Raja and Leon Turmaine doing the rest. If Eric Szwarczynski has definitely put his run of poor form behind him the batting, too, will have a more solid feel, and with some of the air having escaped from Sparta’s early-season balloon the home side should go into this game with plenty of confidence. Pollard is, obviously, a potential match-winner, and so too is Warren Bell, who has not so far had the impact in the Topklasse which he had during his side’s promotion-winning run last season. It should be a good tussle, with the encounter between former international team-mates Peter Borren and Mudassar Bukhari one to savour.

BdJ: Similarly HCC find themselves more-or-less safe but solidly out of contention following back-to-back losses, a position their opponents Quick Haag will nonetheless envy. Already weakened by retirements and departures, the Hanen have been plagued by injuries, illness and unavailability issues throughout the season, and now find themselves in real danger of relegation. Still groundless, they return to De Diepput for their nominal home match against their hosts again as underdogs, though HCC’s own shaky batting will give them some hope, as will the form of Quick overseas Jay Bista. The mumbaiker’s near-chanceless 124 against VOC last week consolidated his claim to the title of best player in the competition, and even the impressive collection of scalps dangling from the belts of Hidde Overdijk and Ali Ahmed Qasim are unlikely to faze him. The fitness of his fellow overseas Sean Davey remains doubtful, however, and as events last week again demonstrated it’s pretty tough to win a Topklasse match on your own.

RL: This is probably the toughest game to tip about this week, given the evident vulnerability of both sides, especially with the bat. Overdijk and Qasim can be a very effective pairing, as their demolition of Sparta demonstrated, and the dismissal of HBS for 138 should give Quick – and any other visitors to De Diepput – pause. Bista is obviously a key factor, and HCC will be hoping that Ryan Ninan, who has had a lean season so far, will rise to the challenge and have at least a great an impact on this match. They also need Tonny Staal and Bryce Street to deliver with the bat, while Quick will be looking to the experience of the likes of Geert Maarten Mol and Lesley Stokkers to give Bista the support he needs. If I were going to break the unanimity of this week’s predictions this is where I would do it, but on balance I tend to go with m’colleague and predict a home win.

BdJ: It will be a similar situation at Drieburg where hosts Dosti-United are safely ensconced in the mid-table whilst visitors ACC are barely more than one defeat away from the wooden spoon spot. A washout against Excelsior means ACC are just a hair above Quick on points average, but nonetheless they’ll be desperate to put some more distance between themselves and their relegation rivals. Though likely the more motivated of the two teams, they remain underdogs when they head across the Amstel, especially if they are again unable to field a full complement of Zulfiqars. With Dosti coming off the back of a comfortable win against (an admittedly under-strength) Excelsior and Taru Kohli still in flying form with the bat and now in the wickets as well, two points will take some getting at Drieburg.

RL: ACC have been the Jekyll and Hyde of this season’s Topklasse, and much will depend on which of the two incarnations turns up at Sportpark Drieburg. A young and inexperienced team, they are desperately dependent on a good start, and with Anees Davids back in the Dosti line-up the home side are well placed to deny it to them. Their own top order has also been inconsistent, especially on the rare occasions when Kohli has failed to deliver, but ACC’s bowling is their weaker department, and they really missed the injured Sikander Zulfiqar against VRA last week. But if Richardt Frenz and the Zulfiqars who do play stay around for a while, Dosti may need to be at their best to take the points.

BdJ’s tips: VOC, HBS, VRA, HCC, Dosti.
RL’s tips: VOC, HBS, VRA, HCC, Dosti.

Round 12 Preview

Rod Lyall & Bertus de Jong 06/07/18

In contrast with last week, when the top six were pitted against each other and the lower four likewise, this Sunday’s programme matches each of the top five against one of the sides in the lower half of the table. Such is the nature of the Topklasse, however, that in any of these fixtures there could be lurking a surprise.

RL: Perhaps the most interesting encounter is at Thurlede, where third-placed Excelsior ‘20 will take on Dosti United Amsterdam, currently sixth. If winning is a habit, it’s a habit that has eluded Excelsior recently, and after three defeats in their last four games the defending champions really need to turn things around. James Hilditch’s absence last week undoubtedly made a big difference, but the fundamental problem is that he and Lorenzo Ingram have been getting too little consistent support from those around them. Joost Kroesen’s first Topklasse half-century is a step in the right direction, as is the return of keeper Roel Verhagen. Dosti, too, were without Anees Davids last week, but his replacement Amitoze Singh more than compensated with both bat and ball, and their two wins keep them just about in touch with the pack.

BdJ: This match-up is definitely harder to call now than it might have been at the start of the season, and duly provides us with our only point of disagreement. Excelsior are now entirely bereft of the momentum that they have been able to count on for all of last season and most of this one, and will likely miss Hilditch at least as much, not only for his stabilising influence with the bat but also his habit of creating chances with the new ball. “Where’s Kohli’s wicket coming from?” is the question that looms largest here, as recent games have shown you either get him early or far too late. Excelsior will need Gijs Kroesen and Rens van Troost to step up with the ball as much as Verhagen, Etman and Joost Kroesen with the willow.

RL: Local derbies always have an extra vibe, and that between ACC and VRA Amsterdam at Het Loopveld West is likely to be no exception. The home side come off another outstanding batting performance from their top order, although it will be a worry that the limitations of their attack were again exposed by Punjab’s batsmen. VRA have a better-balanced combination, particularly with Viv Kingma restored to the attack, and if they are at full strength they should be the stronger side. They have underperformed all season, however, and with an unsettled batting order they have struggled to realise their potential in that department. Daan ter Braak, Ben Cooper and Peter Borren have kept them going, with Leon Turmaine often chipping in with valuable runs. ACC’s top five, by contrast, have found a rich vein of form, and VRA will need to secure early breakthroughs if they are to prevent another big total.

BdJ: It’s a testament to the strength of this VRA side that they are still in touch with the top of the table despite consistently underperforming and rarely fielding a full first-choice side. Moreover, rather perversely for a team that plays at the Bos, they are generally at their best on artificial wickets. They’ve lost just one game on a mat so far this season, and generally their away record is better than at home. Though ACC’s top four are all have a weight of runs behind them from the last few games and both Kingma and Gunning are carrying niggles, one suspects that VRA’s depth will win out at het Loopveld come Sunday.

RL: Quick Haag’s current groundlessness has produced an unusual sort of double-header this week, since they will play VOC Rotterdam on the artificial surface of the second ground at De Diepput. (This may be a subtle preparation for playing on their own artificial ground next season.) VOC have deservedly moved to the top of the table, and it’s hard to see Quick causing them much trouble unless Jay Bista has another personal field day. He has been outstanding both as batsman and bowler in recent games, but few of his team-mates have been able to give him consistent support. The reconstructed VOC side, by contrast, has strength in depth, with Seelaar, O’Dowd, Klaassen and Edwards getting plenty of backing, especially from the other bowlers. If the batting has sometimes seemed a little brittle, though, the big names have salvaged the situation, and they should once again prove too strong for Quick.

BdJ: VOC’s position at the top of the table would look a lot less precarious if they could still count on the full roster they had assembled at the start of the season, but with Cory Rutgers and Max O’Dowd both playing against doctor’s advice they are beginning to look more reliant on Pieter Seelaar than they might like. The new Dutch skipper has been a man to bank on thus far, his only challenger for Topklasse MVP as things stand being the aforementioned Jay Bista. An off day for either could yet turn the game, but though VOC have looked more vulnerable away than at Hazelaarweg the nominal hosts will likely need more than that, and indeed it would take a remarkable reversal of form for Quick to pick up points here.

RL: While Quick and VOC do battle behind them, HCC will be playing HBS Craeyenhout on their main ground. On their last outing here Ali Ahmed Qasim spearheaded a remarkable win against Sparta, and the Diepput pitch certainly offers plenty for the faster bowlers. He and the other HCC seamers, Hidde Overdijk, Reinier Bijloos and skipper Mark Jonkman, will need to be at their best against the HBS top order, where the aggressiveness of Tobias Visee, Jaron Morgan and Wesley Barresi is well balanced by the more restrained skills of Wessel Coster and, especially, Sharn Gomes. And Coster, Berend Westdijk, Farshad Khan and Ferdi Vink will also present a threat to HCC’s batting, where Tonny Staal and Bryce Street have frequently been given too little support.

BdJ: More than his exploits against Sparta, one suspects Qasim’s 8-wicket demolition of HBS’ much-vaunted batting line-up will be playing on the Crows’ minds ahead of Sunday’s encounter. But they would do well to be at least as wary of young Hidde Overdijk, who has quietly made his way to third in the wicket-taking table with 22 at 17.55. Even while Overdijk and Qasim have had stellar season, however, the reliable paring of Jonkman and Bijloos have struggled, and the batting has been inconsistent at best. Even should HCC contain HBS’ battery of big guns, there’s no guarantee they could chase even a sub-par total.

RL: Having lost their last two matches and dropped from first to fifth in the table, Sparta 1888 will be especially keen to get back on track with a win over Punjab Rotterdam at Sportpark Bermweg. But the advent of Rohan Qadri has strengthened Punjab somewhat, and they did well to get within 30 runs of ACC’s massive total last Sunday. Their bowling still lacks a cutting edge, however, and against quality batting they clearly struggle. In Michael Pollard and Warren Bell, both of whom are due a score, Sparta have batsmen capable of taking full advantage of this, and while the Bermweg pitch Is something of a batsmen’s nightmare, Mudassar Bukhari, Bell, Dost Muhammad, Usman Saleem and Joost Martijn Snoep are better equipped to make the most of the conditions.

BdJ: First innings scores at Bermweg have been trending resolutely downward from a high of 176 in the season opener, culminating in two sub-50 scores in the last two games to be played there. One could say that might make it something of a leveller, but as the esteemed professor rightly points out, it is the hosts that have the attack to take advantage. Punjab have looked to rebalance their side somewhat in recent matches and have posted some creditable scores, but generally only after conceding unreachable ones. One can never discount the possibility of of a Myburgh special of course, and in Ali Raza he has an equally dangerous foil, but the conditions are unlikely to favour the sort of explosive start that set up the Rotterdammers first and still only win this season.

RL’s tips: Excelsior, VRA, VOC, HBS, Sparta
BdJ’s tips: Dosti, VRA, VOC, HBS, Sparta

Round 11 Preview

Bertus de Jong & Rod Lyall 29/06/18

With six games scheduled for the coming weekend, attention turns to the mid-table for the eleventh round of Topklasse matches where several clubs will be looking to distance themselves from a looming relegation battle, or face must-win matches to maintain their title hopes.

BdJ: For Dosti-United the former is likely the principal concern, having sunk back into the lower half of the table after a bright start to the season. They have two chances this weekend to climb back up toward relative safety, the first a rescheduled 7th-round match against Punjab Rotterdam, currently languishing at the bottom of the pile with just a solitary win.

Dosti will start as favourites at home, but their recent slide has highlighted their dependence on league lead run-scorer Taru Kohli to post winning totals. They themselves have managed to avoid defeat only once this season without a Kohli century, and he has gone scoreless in their last two games. Yet against a Punjab attack that has yet to bowl anyone out this season another ton looks at least as likely as another duck and with three other bats having racked up 200+ runs and Mohammad Hafeez leading the wicket-taking table the Amsterdammers are hardly a one man band.

While their opponents can take heart from the return of Stephan Myburgh, the Netherlands opener is still not fully fit and may not play both games at the weekend. And Punjab have barely looked competitive without him. Myburgh remains their lead run-scorer despite having sat out four games, and despite showing some admirable fight against Excelsior last week it’s hard to argue Punjab haven’t earned their place at the bottom of the table.

RL: Having pushed Excelsior all the way last Sunday Punjab may go into this game with a certain degree of hope – if not confidence – despite their lowly position in the table. Ashan Bamunusinghe has been a slightly surprising keystone of both their batting line-up and their attack, but he and Barend Vorster have received too little support from the rest of the team. Myburgh’s battle for fitness is obviously a continuing concern, and against a Dosti outfit which is capable of much more than they have shown in recent weeks the visitors are likely to struggle.

BdJ: Punjab’s real four-pointer will come on Sunday however, when they face their nearest rivals for the wooden spoon ACC at the Zomercomplex. ACC currently have a 2 point lead over the Rotterdammers, though that may not be the case by the time they meet. Though ACC’s lamentable lack of bench strength was pointed out as a weakness before the season began, but few would have picked them as relegation contenders. They were exposed again by HBS last week however, losing by a calamitous 173 runs as they collapsed to 62 all-out. The promotion of Richardt Frenz to partner Rehmat Zulfiqar at the top of the order has paid off on occasion, but the middle order remains fragile and the tail long.

Whether Punjab have the bowling to capitalise is questionable of course, but likewise ACC’s attack has lacked for penetration at times. Devon Botha has had a creditable debut season thus far but is arguably rather wasted on Dutch wickets, and should Myburgh play one suspects he’ll enjoy himself. Given that two of the three wins these teams have between them have been built on big opening partnerships, and there’s little reason to expect different come Sunday.

RL: ACC provided Punjab with their sole victory so far, when Myburgh and Raza shared a big opening partnership at Het Loopveld back in May. Neither has repeated that form in such a sustained way since, although in the former’s case that is scarcely surprising. Both teams show the shallowness of the talent pool at the highest domestic level, raising legitimate questions about the wisdom of the ten-team Topklasse format. Yet the best of the ACC squad (most of them named Zulfiqar) would grace any team, and they have been much more prolific with the bat in recent weeks – last Sunday’s dramatic collapse against HBS excepted. This is a crucial match for both teams, and even more a must-win occasion for Punjab than for their visitors.

BdJ: Also still in the relegation mix are Quick Haag, who will be Dosti’s second opponents this weekend. If Dosti have looked dependent on Kohli thus far, Quick have been no less so on Jay Bista, who remains the only Quick bat to have passed 200 runs this season. Another side that might be said to be in a transitional phase, Quick have tested a number of youth and former second team players this season, but their depth has thus far proved as lacking as that of ACC. Though seamer Josh Davey has proved a solid signing for them and Bista’s current 3rd spot in the run aggregates probably undersells his talents, the two overseas have lacked any consistent support from the rest of the side who, Geert Maarten Mol apart, have looked an underperforming team that wasn’t too strong in the first place.

RL: This, too, is a vital match for both sides, with Quick just one win clear of ACC and Dosti currently only just ahead of Quick on points average. A mid-table position beckons for the winner, but the loser may face a nerve-wracking battle in the weeks ahead. Quick have indeed looked vulnerable for much of the season, and while a late rally spared at least some of their blushes against VRA last Sunday the collapse of the top and middle order confirms that concern. The attack, too, lacks bite and the variation provided in different ways by Henk-Jan Mol and Asief Hoseinbaks last year, and undoubtedly Dosti have the batsmen in Vinoo Tewarie, Kohli, Rahil Ahmed and Anees Davids to take full advantage.

: The league’s new front-runner VOC Rotterdam meanwhile will take on the mercurial HCC at Hazelaarweg, looking to consolidate their place at the top of the table. Though HCC will be coming off the back of a crunching win over erstwhile front-runners Sparta, the odds are against them taking two points back from Rotterdam. Given the traditionally slow and spin-friendly conditions at Hazelaarweg the Hagenaars’ principal match winners Ali Ahmed Qasim and Hidde Overdijk are unlikely to be at their most effective, whilst the conditions are expected to play in favour of VOC’s spinners Umar Baker and current MVP favourite Pieter Seelaar. Even without Max O’Dowd, Ahsan Malik and probably Corey Rutgers, the hosts head into the game with the wind in their sails and the bookies’ backing.

RL: If m’colleague’s reading of the Hazelaarweg conditions is correct, then the influence of Ryan Ninan on this match should not be under-estimated. He bowled with great control last week while Ali Ahmed Qasim was creating havoc at the other end, and is likely to find the Rotterdam environment much more to his liking. VOC’s batting was in early trouble against Dosti last Sunday, and they too needed a vigorously wagging tail to set an adequate target. I think this may be a closer game than many expect, and while the strength of their batting leads me to favour VOC on balance, it would not surprise me if the leadership of the table had again changed hands by Sunday evening.

BdJ: Tougher to call will be VRA’s return match against defending champions Excelsior ‘20, who travel to the Bos without the usual benefit of a well-established winning habit. The Schiedammers looked altogether unconvincing against bottom-placed Punjab last week, clinging on for a 19-run win to break an all-but unprecedented 2-game losing streak. Nonetheless Excelsior’s lower-middle order again showed an encouraging resilience after the bedrock pair of Ingram and Hilditch both fell cheaply, suggesting that containing or removing the pair remains a necessary but not sufficient condition for besting the title-holders.

VRA certainly have the attack to do it, though the continued side-lining of Vivian Kingma means skipper Van den Burg does not have quite the flexibility he might like should anyone have an off-day. Moreover, off-days have been rather par for the course in the VRA middle-order of late, which has yet to really live up to its potential thus far. In short, this looks like anyone’s game, and two points will likely go to whoever underperforms the least.

RL: Another of the three top-six encounters which this week’s draw offers, this match-up of two clubs who have won twenty championships between them in the past 26 years has plenty of history behind it as well as a fascinating immediate context. Excelsior struggled to reach a modest target of 177 when the sides met on 10 May, owing their victory to a fine innings from Hilditch, and neither has been completely convincing in recent weeks – or, in VRA’s case, all season. There’s an opportunity for one of the big guns – Ingram or Hilditch, Cooper, Borren or Gunning – to stamp their influence on the game, but the result may well depend on how much support they receive from the rest of their team.

BdJ: The round’s final game pits a resurgent HBS against former table-toppers Sparta 1888, who have struggled to maintain their early momentum into the mid-season. The Crows have not lost a game at home since their defeat at the hands of HCC in the third round, when Ali Qasim ran riot for the first time, and though in Dost Mohammad and Mudassar Bukhari Sparta have seamers capable of doing a similar job on HBS’ explosive top order, now that all four of Gomes, Barresi, Visée and Morgan have runs under their belt the chance of such a repetition looks more remote. Sparta have some big hitters of their own of course in Pollard and Bell, not to mention the belligerent Bukhari and Atse Buurman down the order also capable of clearing the ropes, so it’s tough to say what a safe first innings score might be.

RL: Sparta will return to Den Haag with the shadow of last week’s collapse hanging over them, but they will also remember the initial sting of Bukhari, Mohammad and Bell and the way they fought back to dismiss HCC for a fairly modest total. Especially at Craeyenhout, HBS has the most imposing top six in the competition, and Sparta’s five seamers and spinner Faisal Iqbal will need to be at their absolute best if they are to contain them. Warren Bell was very unlucky last week, and if he and Michael Pollard are able to take advantage of the Craeyenhout outfield we could be in for some prolific scoring, and the bowlers could be in for a tough time.

Bertus de Jong’s tips: Dosti, Dosti, VOC, VRA, Punjab, HBS.

Rod Lyall’s tips: Dosti, Dosti, VOC, Excelsior, ACC, HBS.

Round 10 Preview

Rod Lyall and Bertus de Jong 21/06/18

As the Topklasse moves beyond the halfway point the first round of matches this Sunday pits each of the current top five against a team from the lower half of the table, with the former jockeying for advantage and the latter keen to stay clear of the relegation zone.

RL Having started the campaign with a home win over HCC and now sitting at the top of the table, Sparta 1888 will travel to De Diepput with a stiff breeze in their sails. With nine wickets in his last two matches Dost Muhammad has emerged as an unheralded key figure in a varied attack, while the side’s remarkable victory over ACC last week underlines what a dangerous, resilient combination the Capelle club has assembled. Michael Pollard confirmed his class with a century in that game, but his opposite number in the HCC line-up, Bryce Street, is showing signs of running into form as well. The Hagenaars certainly need him to succeed consistently, since the batting looks brittle otherwise, and the bowling fires somewhat erratically.

BdJ One imagines that Sparta’s position at the top of the table at the half-way stage likely comes as a surprise even to them, but it’s hard to call it a fluke. The two defeats they have suffered this season (at the hands of HBS and VOC) may betray a capacity for spectacular implosion, but it is remarkable how little either seems to have shaken their self-belief. Street firing either with bat or ball (or ideally both) is likely a necessary but not sufficient condition for HCC to put the brakes on the Sparta train. A return to form for Mark Jonkman might help too.

RL After starting a little shakily VOC Rotterdam have demonstrated that their strength is not just on paper, while conversely Dosti United have slumped rather since beginning the season on a high. That included, of course, an opening-day victory over Sunday’s opponents, driven by the first of Taruwar Kohli’s three hundreds so far, but he has gone cheaply in several recent innings. His side will need him to be at his best this week, even though VOC seem likely to be without international Max O’Dowd, who sustained a thigh injury during the first of the T20s against Scotland. Still, the Rotterdam side are well balanced in both batting and bowling, and with Pieter Seelaar in great form with the bat they will know that they cannot afford another slip-up if they are to maintain their challenge for the club’s first title since 1994.

BdJ O’Dowd’s addition to a sick list that already includes Ahsan Malik and possibly Corey Rutgers (bot suffering from finger trouble) does leave something of a hole in VOC’s line up, and comes as all the more bitter a blow given his recent return to form. Much will depend on skipper Pieter Seelaar, though the Dutch captain does not look a bad man to rely on just now. Averaging 93 with the bat and a shade under 11 with the ball, Seelaar looks the most valuable player in the league by a distance at the moment, certainly on a VOC pitch that has played to his strengths. Yet if Dosti are at their best Seelaar will struggle to win it on his own. Vinoo Tewarie and Rahil Ahmed stepped up admirably following Kohli’s failure last week, and despite the loss to HCC there were plenty of positives to take from the game. Mahesh Hans will doubtless also be looking forward to a trip to Hazelaarweg, and though VOC certainly start as favourites, this match looks a candidate for an upset.

RL Mention of slip-ups leads us naturally to Excelsior ‘20, whose two defeats in their last two matches have seen them knocked off the top of the table for the first time for over a year. They will have an excellent chance of getting things back on track on Sunday, when they are at home to bottom-placed Punjab Rotterdam, who may have escaped with a fine – at least for the time being – in their dispute with the KNCB over player eligibility, but who are finding life just as difficult on the field as in the committee room. With just one win in eight matches they will need to achieve a substantial turnaround in form if they are to avoid a repeat of Excelsior’s comfortable win on the opening day of the season. The champions may be overly dependent on the success of Lorenzo Ingram with the bat, but their attack remains strong, and they are likely to have too many guns for Punjab.

BdJ One suspects if Excelsior were allowed to pick their opponents next week the beleaguered Rotterdammers would likely have been near the top of the list, but arguably the reverse might just apply too. Excelsior’s vaunted discipline with the ball seemed to desert them last week when they gifted HBS some 27 extras in the innings, which can be only partly explained by apprentice wicketkeeper Woutersen’s struggles behind the sticks. Though Stephan Myburgh may only be semi-fit he will doubtless be looking forward to a return to Thurlede, and he puts on a show at the top of the order it will be interesting to seem how well Exclesior’s rattled attack hold together. Nonetheless there’s little to suggest that Punjab have the depth to really challenge the defending champions, nor, on recent showing, do they seem to have the appetite.

RL Two successive century opening stands indicate that ACC’s promotion of Richardt Frenz was an inspired move but the revival of the side’s fortunes with the bat has not been matched by the attack, and their dramatic defeat by Sparta last week will be in the backs of their minds as they take on HBS Den Haag at Het Loopveld. Nor will their cause be helped if skipper Saqib Zulfiqar’s injury, sustained during the second T20I on Wednesday, keeps him out of the side or significantly restricts his contribution. Even away from Craeyenhout the HBS top order has the firepower to cause the ACC bowlers plenty of problems, and the Amsterdammers’ win in the corresponding match at the start of the season – one of only two they have achieved so far – must now seem a very long time ago. The HBS attack, too, demonstrated against Excelsior last week that they can be an extremely effective unit.

BdJ Little argument here. ACC have looked a decent side at times, even dangerous when the Zulfiqars were all firing, and Frenz’ coming into form makes them a better team than their position on the points table suggests, but a lack of bench strength has long been an issue and they can little afford to lose even one first choice player. A key effect of Frenz taking responsibility from the top of the order has been to free the consistently underrated Rehmat Zulfiqar to pursue the sort of belligerent game which makes him arguably the most dangerous of the brothers at Topklasse level (the elder Zulfiqar has hit as many boundaries this season as his three brother combined) but even so it’s hard to see the hosts out-hitting the HBS top order.

RL Quick Haag’s defeat of VRA Amsterdam at the start of May has also proved to be a false dawn, as the Hanen have won only twice more since. They will, however, return to the scene of that success on Sunday, since the construction work at Nieuw Hanenburg means that VRA will again be playing on their own ground. VRA have problems of their own: the batting, despite some flashes of excellence, has been underwhelming overall, and with Viv Kingma on the casualty list the attack has also lacked a degree of incisiveness. Leon Turmaine has done well with both bat and ball since his return, but with Eric Szwarczynski having a miserable season the top order continues to look vulnerable. Whether Quick have the resources to make it two out of two is another question, but the game is likely to be closer than the sides’ relative positions on the table suggest.

BdJ Whilst the visiting Ross ter Braak may provide something of a temporary solution to the gap Kingma leaves in VRA’s attack, no easy solution to the misfiring middle-order presents itself. It will be interesting to see if skipper Emile van den Burg is tempted to play with the batting order or will prefer to back his batters to come good. Quick’s attack have been on the receiving end of a battering in recent weeks, and ought not to present too much of a threat to the quality in VRA’s batting card, but then the same was true last time round. Another loss to Quick would likely see VRA slip still further behind a crowded upper table and likely be the end of their title challenge, and it’s not entirely out of the question either. The man to make it happen would be Jay Bista one suspects, he missed out on his first trip to VRA after an attractive-looking 17, and Sunday may just look like a free do-over for the mumbaikar.

Rod Lyall’s tips: Sparta, VOC, Excelsior, HBS, Quick
Bertus de Jong’s tips: Sparta, VOC, Excelsior, HBS, VRA

Round 9 Preview

Bertus de Jong & Rod Lyall 15/06/18

Already we’re closing in on the half-way stage of the season, and the table has to a fair extent sorted itself into title contenders and relegation candidates. Excelsior’s implosion against Sparta last week keeps a few more teams in the hunt than at a similar stage last season, but at the other end of the table Punjab look to be running away with the relegation race even without the aid of the points penalty that may or may not be coming their way.

BdJ: Two sides now barely in contention for either the title or the wooden spoon are the mid-tablers Dosti-United and HCC, who are set to meet at Drieburg tomorrow. Neither carry much momentum into the game having both gone winless in their last three matches after promising early season starts. Dosti’s fortunes have ridden largely on the performances of Taru Kohli with the bat and Mohammad Hafeez with the ball, the former looking rather out of sorts against VRA, yet despite struggling for his usual fluency he still managed to top-score with 58. It’s a safe bet that a return to familiar surroundings will be accompanied by a familiar looking score for the league’s leading run-scorer. HCC are still missing the runs of Jonathan Vandiar, but Mark Jonkman has yet to replicate his flying form from last year either. New overseas Bryce Street has stepped admirably into the breach with the bat, whilst Hidde Overdijk and Tonny Staal have also upped their games, but this remains a weaker HCC side than in years past. A test of bounce-backability for both sides at Drieburg then, though if the home crowd get behind them I’d make Dosti marginal favourites.

RL: Dosti United and HCC have both won three games, but HCC have lost twice more than their hosts over the first eight rounds. Both have been less than impressive in recent weeks, although the Hagenaars made a surprisingly good fist of chasing ACC’s 300 total last Saturday, Bryce Street having demonstrated something of his true quality in the process. Kohli’s half-century against VRA turned out to be insufficient to get his side to a more modest target, and Dosti’s dependence on his batting is starkly apparent, especially with Mohammad Hafeez not fully fit. After an outstanding start for HCC Staal’s last three innings have produced 8, 0 and 0, and he is undoubtedly due a score. But the HCC batting generally has been fragile, and unless the bowlers are able to account for Kohli (and the dangerous Davids), a Dosti win is on the cards.

BdJ: A little further up the table fourth-placed VRA head to Hazelaarweg to take one VOC Rotterdam, currently in third. A defeat for either could mean the end of their title hopes, especially if Excelsior replicate their run from last season or Sparta’s dream return season continues. For two sides with enviable batting line-ups the two have a strange habit of producing ugly, low-scoring scraps whenever they meet, and it may just come down to who wants it more on the day. VOC’s four Dutch internationals may have their minds elsewhere with two T20s against Scotland looming, but three of the four have been in fine form both for VOC and in Orange. Max O’Dowd is coming off the back of a match-winning knock against the Irish, and last week was in the runs both in the T20s and against Punjab. Fred Klaassen looks set to defend his title of leading wicket taker, whilst skipper Pieter Seelaar has plenty of recent runs and two international wins under his belt as he prepares to meet his mentor.

Peter Borren won’t be in charge for VRA of course, having passed the reigns to Emile van den Burg, but one suspects his influence will be key in galvanising and underperforming batting line-up and a bowling unit weakened by injury. On paper VOC head into the match as clear favourites on form, but the visitors have plenty to prove.

RL: The rivalry between VOC and VRA is one of the oldest in Dutch cricket, and the two clubs have had many memorable encounters over the years. This time they have both worked their way into the top half of the table, and as m’colleague observes, a win is vital for both if they are to maintain the challenge to the sides above them. VOC could even go top if Excelsior and Sparta both lost, while VRA would jump ahead of the Bloodhounds if they were to take the points. More of VOC’s key players are performing consistently at the moment than are their guests’, and that should give the home side the edge. If Borren is fit, however, he is capable of turning a game around very quickly, and it’s hard to believe that Eric Szwarczynski’s run of poor form will continue much longer.

BdJ: Equally crucial to the shape of the top of the table will be defending champions and frontrunners Excelsior ‘20’s clash with HBS Craeyenhout at Thurlede. With a remarkable battery of big guns at the top of the order, HBS have every chance of knocking over the title-holders, who will still be reeling from the ambush Sparta sprang on them at Bermweg last week. Toby Visée and Jaron Morgan especially look in dangerous form, with a partnership of 123 in 38(!) balls against Quick in the T20 last week underscoring their hitting abilities. Wesley Barresi’s knee niggle may keep him out of the side tomorrow, but HBS remain the most intimidating batting side in the competition, and Excelsior may need more than their usual discipline with the ball to contain them, especially if the pitch cooperates. Excelsior are of course top of the table for good reason, and the double failure of James Hilditch and Lorenzo Ingram last week remains something of an aberration, yet their ability to bounce back from defeat is rather untested, having rarely been called upon, and HBS are a tough side to regain your feet against.

RL: Whatever the defeat of Excelsior last week may have told us about (a) the brittleness of their batting, (b) the incisiveness of Sparta’s attack, or (c) conditions at Sportpark Bermweg, it is difficult to imagine that they will collapse so thoroughly for a second time in succession. The HBS threat comes more from the batting than the bowling, and no doubt Excelsior’s attack is better equipped to deal with that than Quick’s (or, for that matter, Dosti’s). Nor are HBS as formidable away from Craeyenhout. Still and all, this match should be a cracker, and it’s only Excelsior’s record of managing to win even when not playing at their best that leads me to plump for the home side.

BdJ: Meanwhile Excelsior’s conquerors last week, Sparta 1888, march on to Het Loopveld where they will take on an ACC side looking to turn around a poor start to the season. The Amsterdammers’ batting finally came together against HCC last week, with overseas Richardt Frenz knotching his first Topklasse century with support from Zulfiqars Rehmat and Sikander to take them to their first 300 total, but they face a Sparta attack at the top of their game, Dost Mohammad proving a fine partner for Mudassar Bukhari, and Warren Bell right back in the swing of things after his belated entrance to the season. ACC remain reliant on their top order for runs, with resistance rare after the Zulfiqars are done. Sparta are likewise rather top-heavy in their batting, but of the two attacks it is theirs that looks more likely to find early breakthroughs.

RL: Sparta 1888, having demolished the leaders, travel to Amstelveen to take on an ACC side which finally ran into decent batting form against HCC last week. If the seam quartet of Bell, Bukhari, Muhammed and Saleem bowl as well this week as they did against Excelsior ACC will find the going tough, and Het Loopveld is traditionally a ground which favours the bowlers. That said, ACC’s own attack has scarcely been a dominant force this season, and with Michael Pollard, Bell, Bukhari and Tim de Kok the visitors have a cluster of useful batsmen. ACC need to create some momentum if they are to move away from the danger zone, but Sparta are capable of making that extremely difficult for them.

BdJ: Finally at the bottom of the table Punjab Rotterdam take on their nearest wooden spoon rivals Quick Haag in what also looks a genuine four-pointer. With Quick’s home ground under renovation, the match has been relocated to Sportpark Harga. Quick will have neither home advantage nor much confidence heading into the game, having been bested twice by Hague rivals HBS last week (the latter match being the utter demolition at the hands of Visée and Morgan in the T20). Punjab’s recent record is little better, having followed their collapse in the face of VOC by losing to VCC in the T20. They will likely be bolstered by the return of Stef Myburgh however, the Netherlands opener allowed a run out to test his recovering ankle, and will be keen to prove his fitness. It’s questionable how much Myburgh will enjoy his return to Harga however, as things have changed rather since he last played for Hermes. The new turf wicket is still very much a work in progress we hear, and with the grass still bedding in (and thus uncut) in the outfield too, batting conditions will be less than ideal. That may of course serve to neutralise the threat of Quick’s Jay Bista as much as that of Myburgh, and with the conditions liable to play a major role in an already evenly-matched encounter, this looks a toss-up to me.

RL: Four-pointers at the bottom of the table can be a lot more decisive than those at the top, and for Quick Haag and Punjab this game will determine who finishes the first round of matches in relegation position – and possibly a good deal more than that. It’s only four years since Quick were champions, but retirements and transfers have taken their toll, while Punjab, too, are missing the key players who took them to fifth place last season. Quick’s efforts to rebuild from within their own resources have had only limited success so far, although Daan Vierling’s maiden Topklasse half-century against HBS is a sign of progress. Both teams, however, need their overseas players to have a more consistent impact than they have been able to achieve until now. If Myburgh is back in the side that will indeed provide a much-needed fillip for Punjab, but it’s another hard one to call. The toss may be crucial, but I’m going with Quick by a whisker for now.

BdJ’s tips: Punjab, Sparta, HBS, VRA, Dosti.

RL’s tips: Quick, Sparta, Excelsior, VOC, Dosti.

Round 8 Preview

Rod Lyall and Bertus de Jong 08/06/18

After the disruption caused by rescheduling and bad weather last weekend, the Topklasse programme returns to relative normality this week with five matches set to take place on Saturday, three of them in the form of local derbies.

RL: Top of the bill must be Sparta 1888’s clash with Excelsior ‘20 at Sportpark Bermweg. The advent of Warren Bell had an immediate impact in the Capelle side’s match against Quick Haag last Sunday, and he adds greater all-round depth to a team which has at times been a real threat to the established Topklasse order. Whether they can extend that challenge by inflicting Excelsior’s first defeat of the season is another question, and their key players will all need to fire if they are to have a realistic chance against the defending champions, who spent last Saturday gazing at a soggy Thurlede. Excelsior’s attack is steady at worst, and at times a good deal more menacing than that, and with proven matchwinners in Lorenzo Ingram and James Hilditch they will certainly start as favourites to extend their advantage at the top.

BdJ: Bell’s fashionably late entrance does indeed lend this Sparta side a more balanced look, and the menace of Bukhari on home turf shouldn’t be underestimated. The hosts will need a big innings from someone to put the defending champions under any sort of pressure, but in Bell, Pollard and indeed Bukhari they have players who can deliver just that. They remain clear underdogs against a disciplined and determined Exclesior however, and though Berweg itself has proven something of a leveller thus far, a home win would certainly surprise.

RL: After another slow start, VRA Amsterdam looked comfortable against HCC last Saturday, and will take on a Dosti United side which has, by contrast, begun to falter after winning three on the trot. The postponement of their game against Punjab has given Mohammad Hafeez another week to recover from his thigh strain, and Taruwar Kohli and Anees Davids may, for different reasons, relish the conditions in the Amsterdamse Bos. But it is doubtful whether Dosti have the depth in batting and bowling to counter VRA’s undoubted firepower with both bat and ball, and unless the two overseas players have another red-letter day it seems likely that the home side’s recovery will continue.

BdJ: Overseas pros have habitually chosen the Bos as the setting to go big in the past, perhaps revelling in the chance to play on one of the country’s better turf wickets, which in no small part accounts for VRA’s surprisingly poor home record in recent years. With Viv Kingma still on the sidelines VRA’s attack will have a job dealing with Dosti’s overseas Kohli and Davids, but even another big innings from the league’s leading runscorer may not be enough given the depth of VRA’s batting line up.

RL: This Rotterdam derby may not have the antiquity of some of the others in Dutch cricket, but having been twice dismissed for under 100 by their newly-promoted rivals VOC will be very keen to turn the table on their return to Het Zomercomplex. This season’s Punjab is certainly not as formidable as last year’s, while the Hazelaarweg squad has been very considerably strengthened, and with Scott Edwards and Corey Rutgers reinforcing Max O’Dowd, Dirk van Baren and Pieter Seelaar in the batting and Fred Klaassen and Pierce Fletcher adding a cutting edge to the seam attack, VOC should be closer to Excelsior than they in fact are. So this match offers them a double opportunity to emphasize their credentials, and it will be a major achievement if Punjab succeed in taking the points.

BdJ: For a side featuring four current internationals and Corey Rutgers VOC have rather underperformed so far this season, but it would indeed be a major surprise to see Punjab take points off them tomorrow. Though Ahsan Malik is unlikely to play owing to a finger injury, it’s fair to say that VOC will miss him less than Punjab miss Stef Myburgh, whose persisting ankle trouble will keep him out of the Dutch squad for the coming Tri-Series and tomorrow’s match. Though Punjab’s less-celebrated players have at times shown themselves capable of remarkable performances (young Assad Saleemin proving one of our better “players to watch” picks), it will take a more cohesive and indeed aggressive showing than we’ve seen in recent weeks to upset their Rotterdam rivals.

RL: A history is one thing encounters between neighbours HBS Den Haag and Quick Haag do not lack, and this game at Craeyenhout should be absorbing, Quick’s disappointing form so far this season notwithstanding. The home side missed an opportunity to follow up on their comprehensive win over Dosti at Hazelaarweg last Saturday, when the ground was judged too wet for their match to start, while Quick, playing on Sunday, were on the wrong end of a six-wicket victory by Sparta. There is little that suggests that Quick’s attack will be able to tame HBS’s imposing top order, which of course includes former Quick opener Wesley Barresi, and it may be up to the batsmen to buckle down and produce a more convincing effort than they have generally managed so far this season.

BdJ: HBS’ intimidating top order has not proved immune to collapse thus far, most notably against HCC, but it’s difficult to see them having as much trouble against a Quick attack that is in large part still finding its feet in the Topklasse. Though Stokkers and van Gigch produced a vintage performance against ACC, it should be noted it was far from chanceless, and HBS have not been as forgiving in the field as ACC were. Even Quick’s two overseas, Bista and Davey, have struggled for consistency since arriving in the Netherlands, and one suspects the visitors will need both to fire, and then some, if they are to take points back from Craeyenhout.

RL: Two wins ahead of ACC in the table, HCC have nevertheless lost their last two games, against Excelsior and then against VRA last week. Totals of 120 and 86 in those matches underline the fragility of their batting, and Tonny Staal will need more support if the Hagenaars are to rise above their current lower-mid-table position. But their opponents at De Diepput on Saturday had an even more wretched May, and opening-day win against HBS their only success so far. We grow tired of saying that the side is too dependent on its Zulfiqars, but – despite signs of progress by young Shirase Rasool and the undoubted promise of Aryan Kumar – that remains the case. In a normal season ACC would be starting to worry about the prospect of relegation, but this is far from being a normal season. Nevertheless, it would take a considerable reversal of fortune, and a larger contribution from the top oder, for ACC to take the points back to Amstelveen.

BdJ: Winless since their opening match against HBS, ACC will be desperate to turn things around at de Diepput come Saturday, and though their dependency on the Zulfiqars has indeed been mentioned, it also bears repeating that there are probably worse families to be counting on. With the tri-series looming both Saqib and Sikander will be keen to make their case for another senior cap or two, and one might hope a little sibling rivalry might inspire something from Asad or the oft-underestimated Rehmat. On form they nonetheless remain underdogs, and on the other side Hidde Overdijk and Tonny Staal will doubtless be keen to remind the selectors that there are young dutch prospects to be found outside of Amstelveen. Probably the toughest of the round’s games to call, so this is where I’ll part ways with the good professor and back ACC to double their points tally at de Diepput.

RL’s tips are: Excelsior, VRA, VOC, HBS, HCC.
BdJ’s tips are: Sparta, VRA, VOC, HBS, ACC.

Round 7 preview

Bertus de Jong & Rod Lyall 01/06/18

After a hectic start to the season the Topklasse is settling back to a more languid one-round-a-week schedule, but after the opening exchanges the table is already starting to take shape.

BdJ: Solidly in the middle of the pack are VRA Amsterdam who have bounced back from another poor start to win three of their last four games and move into fifth place. The Amstelveen side take on HCC at the Bos on Saturday, who are also on six points from six games. The Amsterdammers’ intimidating top order have yet to really fire on all cylinders, but they showed against Punjab last week they have enough depth to recover from early setbacks to post big scores. The sidelining of Viv Kingma has drawn some of the sting from their new ball attack though, and with his new-ball partner Quirijn Gunning struggling for rhythm a pre-season strength is beginning to look like a weakness.

Their opponents have looked no more consistent with the bat however, though Bryce Street has settled in well he is still no replacement for Jonathan Vandiar, and while Tonny Staal has grown into his role at number three the rest of the line-up remains brittle. The bowling attack similarly has relied on stand-out individual performances, most notably Ali Ahmed’s 8-36 against HBS, but none of them have performed consistently or as a unit. With neither team having really settled into the season yet one feels this one could go either way.

RL: In Peter Borren VRA have a seasoned matchwinner, whose six centuries in the top flight are five more than the entire HCC squad. Add to him Eric Szwarczynski, another former international, who has yet to produce his form of recent seasons, the explosive left-hander Ben Cooper, openers Daan ter Braak and 15-year-old Vikram Singh, and skipper Emile van den Burg, and you have a top six which ought to be the terror of every attack in the competition. Yet their performances hitherto have been inconsistent at best, while HCC’s bowling has been reasonably effective. It’s the Hagenaars’ batting, Staal apart, which gives rise to greater doubt, and with VRA’s bowlers performing more consistently than the batsmen, the home side start as clear favourites in my opinion.

BdJ: Meanwhile VOC Rotterdam host HBS Craeyenhout for what looks to me to be the headline act this round. HBS’ much-hyped top order arsenal finally laid down the barrage we’d been waiting for against the hapless Dosti last week, whilst VOC’s new-ball pair of Fred Klaassen and Pierce Fletcher laid waste to Sparta at Bermweg, setting up what promises to be an enthralling duel at Hazelaarweg. Inevitably the encounter will be something of a grudge match with former HBS-ers Fletcher and Corey Rutgers taking the field against their old club for the first time, though it remains to be seen whether the occasion will inspire the latter to break fifty runs for the first time this season.

Though it has been HBS’ batting and VOC’s bowling that has made headlines thus far in the season, it is VOC’s batting that may prove decisive. With a line-up packed with somewhat underperforming talent, VOC boast three Dutch internationals in addition to Rutgers, who averaged almost 50 last season, but only Scott Edwards is among the top 20 run-scorers this season. On paper this batting quality gives them a clear advantage come Saturday, but then games aren’t decided on paper.

RL: No question that this is the match of the round. It’s true that it was the HBS top six who pulverised Dosti last Saturday while it was the VOC attack – or the new-ball pairing plus two deliveries from Pieter Seelaar – which disposed of Sparta in short order. But the Craeyenhout side’s bowlers also played their part, and they are capable of providing a stern test for VOC’s yet-to-gel batting line-up. Whether the HBS batsmen will be as formidable on the Hazelaarweg turf as they were at home is an open question; but they managed to reach 200 in the Amsterdamse Bos a fortnight ago. Both sides have explosive batsmen, and the side which keeps its discipline under fire may well prove to be the winner. A tight call, but home advantage may be decisive.

BdJ: An equally intriguing match-up, albeit for rather different reasons, will be playing out at Nieuw Hanenburg where Quick Haag will take on Sparta 1888. Quick had been little short of abject thus far, barring an opening win against an undercooked VRA and a couple of productive trips to the crease from new overseas Jay Bista, whilst Sparta had surprised many with an impressive return to the top division.

Last week saw a remarkable reversal in the fortunes of both sides, when an outstanding partnership between Lesley Stokkers and Geert Mol ensured Quick took two points off an admittedly unimpressive ACC side at het Loopveld, while Sparta fell apart entirely against VOC. Which of the two results was an aberration and which a return to type is not immediately clear, though Saturday promises to give some indication.

The return of Quick skipper Jeroen Brand from footballing commitments is something of a boon for the hosts, and with all-rounder Imran Khan also back they will be approaching full strength. They still lack the firepower with the new ball that blew Sparta away last week however, and the Capelle club have already shown what they are capable of at this level.

RL: Sparta’s form has been pretty inconsistent so far, in part because of their dependence on a few key players. Quick’s consistency has largely been of the wrong kind, and they continue to miss the experience of Wesley Barresi and Henk-Jan Mol. But the momentum is with the Nieuw Hanenburg team after that escape against ACC, while Sparta will need to bounce back from that humiliating defeat by VOC. That will be a real test of character, and it is hard to assess how effectively Martijn Snoep will be able to rally his troops. Jay Bista is too good a player to struggle for long, and with Jeroen Brand back in the side Quick may continue to recover from their very poor start to the season.

BdJ: Likewise looking to put last week behind them will be Dosti United and Punjab Rotterdam, who were both on the receiving end of 300+ scores last week against HBS and VRA respectively. Of the two only Dosti showed any real fight in the chase, skipper Vinoo Tewarie building aggressive partnerships with Taruwar Kohli and Anees Davids before the scoreboard pressure brought the inevitable collapse, whilst Punjab were content to block their way out of the game early, batting out their overs to finish 93 short.

Had Kohli managed to replicate his remarkable form this season one feels Dosti might even have had a shot at the 357 target, though the fact that they conceded it in the first place underscores the vulnerability of their bowling, Hafeez aside. Punjab’s problems look to run deeper however, with the gap left by Minhas and Shahzad beginning to tell. Stef Myburgh’s absence does not help matters of course, as the injured Netherlands opener’s quick runs at the top of the order figured large in Punjab’s pre-season plans. Finding someone to fill that role, and someone to remove Kohli for a less than ruinous score, will be two necessary conditions for a Punjab win one feels.

RL: A big worry for Dosti will be the fitness of Mohammad Hafeez, who had to bowl off a couple of paces last week and who was evidently in pain from his thigh strain when batting. His contribution in both roles is crucial to the side, and while the Amsterdammers are much more effective at Sportpark Drieburg than they are away from home – and especially bowling first in the unique conditions at Craeyenhout – they will be much weakened if he is unable to play a full part against Punjab. But the Rotterdam side is going through a very tough time on and off the field, and it will take a huge effort from them if they are to prevail over a Dosti side which has the trump cards of Kohli and Davids.

BdJ: The round’s final match will be a table-spanning encounter between bottom-placed ACC and defending champions Excelsior ‘20, who are again undefeated thus far. The Amsterdammers’ woeful performance against Quick last week gives little cause to expect an upset, underscoring not only their reliance on the Zulfiqar clan but also their ability to go to pieces in the field. Though Dewald Botha’s display with the ball was encouraging, removing the veteran Bob van Gigch and the dangerous Bista in succession, ACC let an understrength Quick off the hook with a series of drops and blunders, of which Mol and Stokkers took clinical advantage.

They will not be able to afford such mishaps against Excelsior. Though the title-holders are not immune to dropping a few themselves, as the luckless James Hilditch knows all-too-well, it has been a combination of discipline and refusal to roll over as much as the runs provided by Hilditch and Lorenzo Ingram that has kept the Schiedammers’ winning record intact so far. With skipper Tom Heggelman bowling as well as ever and young Gijs Kroesen looking to have benefited markedly from a season in Australia, there are few weaknesses in the Excelsior attack. Though the threat posed by the Zulfiqar brothers should not be dismissed and ACC’s supporting cast is not as weak as scorecards may suggest, anything but an Excelsior victory would be the surprise of the round.

RL: Unbeaten in five games, Excelsior continue to overcome all challengers, and they have seen off stronger sides than the current ACC outfit already this season. With only Sikander of the four Zulfiqar brothers producing any consistency with the bat so far, and an attack which is short on experience and less than incisive, ACC will start as clear underdogs against a Thurlede side which has the knack of winning even when playing below its best. If winning is a habit, then Excelsior have it in spades, while ACC have lost five on the trot and last week saw a potential winning position turn into another defeat. Anything can happen in cricket, but it would be a bold tipster who predicted a defeat for Excelsior here.

BdJ’s Tips: VRA, VOC, Sparta, Dosti, Excelsior

RL’s Tips: VRA, VOC, Quick, Dosti, Excelsior