Preview – Page 13

Round 13 Preview

Rod Lyall and Bertus de Jong 11/07/19

This week’s round features what may prove to be the most decisive match of the entire Topklasse campaign, with leaders Excelsior ’20 facing the side they displaced last Sunday, ACC. At the other end of the table, VRA Amsterdam and Quick Haag take on tough challenges against the remaining teams from the top four, respectively HBS Craeyenhout and HCC.

RL: While the chance of these sides finishing level at the end of the season have been greatly diminished by last week’s tie, the encounter between Excelsior and ACC at Het Loopveld is of vital importance to both teams. The Schiedammers won their earlier clash at Thurlede, and a repeat performance here would lift them three points clear of their rivals, while ACC would leapfrog back to the top of the table if they evened the score. How badly the Amsterdammers’ confidence has been dented by their dramatic collapse against Voorburg, and how effectively they can throw it off, are obviously key factors, while Excelsior’s failure to overhaul Sparta’s relatively modest total – however much the one point from the tie may have been a consolation prize – will cause them some concern as well. Both attacks, though, have been performing well, with Tom Heggelman and Rens van Troost taking wickets for the visitors and Brady Barends and Saqib Zulfiqar doing the damage for ACC. Form suggests a low-scoring game, but a big innings from one of the top order for either side would likely settle the matter in his team’s favour.

BdJ: The combination of (no) results thus far has indeed effectively taken net run rate out of the equation at both ends of the table, but without question Sunday’s clash at het Loopveld is a true four-pointer. A three point lead would put Excelsior in full control of the table, likely needing only three wins from five to reclaim the title. Whilst their two Jamaican pros hit the ground running early in the season, it has taken a while for the rest of the side to hit their stride. Yet of late they have looked a more complete side, with Etman and Verhagen finding some form with the bat too. A longish tail remains their chief weakness, though it’s one that they share with their rivals for the top spot. Jean Marais’ promotion to the openers slot has paid off on occasion, notably against VRA, but leaves them looking more top-heavy than most. Early wickets, as they say, will be key.

RL: Having been unable to take advantage of the leaders’ travails, HCC will be keen to avoid any further slip-up when they take on relegation-threatened Quick Haag at De Diepput. Given that Quick’s bowling strength is mostly in the seam department the fact that VRA’s spinners took three wickets apiece against HCC may be less relevant than otherwise, and the other side of that coin is that Quick conceded 338 against VOC. As always, Jay Bista is the potential trump card, but with Adam Wiffen and Bryce Street in their line-up and Boris Gorlee playing his best Topklasse innings to date last week, HCC seem well-placed to match his influence and to counter the threat posed by his compatriot Prathamesh Dake. Quick will need all their support acts to be at their best if they are to overcome the all-round strength of HCC, who will certainly start as firm favourites.

BdJ: The quick-fire century in a losing cause is becoming something of a trademark for Jay Bista, much to his own irritation, one suspects. It’s not hard to imagine another come Sunday, as a big Bista score has generally proved necessary but not sufficient for a Quick victory. As much as quantity of runs, Quick are unduly dependent on the Mumbaiker to drive the scoring. Whilst Doc Mol has provided regular support and others have chipped in on occasion, Bista has had to score twice as fast of any of his partners to keep the scoreboard ticking at a moderate rate. Quick’s attack will have to substantially up their game if they are to hold HCC to a modest total, or risk again leaving Bista with too much to do.

RL: Suddenly the match between HBS Craeyenhout and VRA Amsterdam has become a mouth-watering prospect between what should be two of the more entertaining teams in the competition. HBS have, of course, been running up big totals and pressuring opponents into defeat all season, but the resurgence of VRA with Peter Borren back at the helm has enlivened things enormously, and not just the battle to avoid relegation. Emile van den Burg celebrated his release with his first century for four years a couple of weeks ago, but it was Borren and Eric Szwarczynski who put their side in a winning position against HCC. With Vikram Singh, still a work in progress, and Ben Cooper, VRA have a top five to match the home side’s, and capable of totals even their vulnerable attack can defend. That said, HBS have the superior record and a better-balanced side, and know they need to keep winning to keep pace with the top three.

BdJ: For all the inconsistency of VRA’s underperforming top order, it is the bowling that has really let them down this season. On that front there is cause for optimism however, with Gunning and Graber beginning to find some rhythm and Ben Cooper’s continued improvement bolstering the spin section. HBS remain favourites come Sunday though. Even if VRA are perhaps unfortunate to be playing them two weeks before they lose Toby Visée to the GT20, his role remains wildcard rather than linchpin with the rest of the top four all in the top six of the batting averages. Improving or no, it’s difficult to see the VRA attack containing them.

RL: A coldly dispassionate eye might suggest that Sparta 1888 have outperformed their strength on paper, at least on occasions, by as much as Dosti United have underperformed theirs. How else to account for the fact that a side which boasts the talents of Taruwar Kohli, Anees Davids, Abhinav Bali, Kuldeep Diwan and Amitoze Singh, not to mention former Dutch internationals Vinoo Tewarie and Rahil Ahmed, has suffered the same number of defeats as the much more modestly-equipped Capelle team? But Sparta amply demonstrated their fighting qualities in achieving that tie with Excelsior last Sunday, while for Dosti Kohli again found himself in a largely lone battle in pursuit of an imposing target. None of which will prevent Dosti starting as favourites when the sides meet at Sportpark Drieburg this week, although those odds could be narrowed somewhat should the home team be bowling first – Dosti are much more effective batting first, and Sparta have the knack of finding someone to step up as required. Last week it was Andrew Fletcher, who seems at last to have adjusted to Dutch conditions.

BdJ: Fair to say that Dosti have the more impressive roster of the two, with talents previously kept in the second team by the old rules now making their presence felt in the Topklasse, but Kohli remains the only consistent performer for the Amsterdammers and even he is having a quiet season by his admittedly high standards. Sparta, meanwhile, have had to carry their underperforming pros for the first half of the season, and if Fletcher, like Tarr, has belatedly found some form their line-up looks rather stronger than their place on the table would suggest. And as to former Dutch internationals, it must be said that Mudassar Bukhari is currently enjoying a rather more productive retirement than Ahmed or Tewarie.

RL: The contrast between the victories of VOC Rotterdam and Voorburg last Sunday could scarcely be starker: VOC won the highest-scoring game of the day after seeing off a stern Jay Bista challenge, while Voorburg were dismissed for 122 – fewer than VOC’s Max O’Dowd made on his own – and still won by 47 runs. So the clash between these two mid-table sides at Hazelaarweg this week presents an intriguing prospect: a batting side whose big guns are scoring prolifically against what is perhaps the most potent attack in the competition, and one whose top and middle order has been consistently disappointing against bowling which has tended to lack impact. The key for Voorburg will be to get rid of O’Dowd early and to limit the impact of Pieter Seelaar and Scott Edwards, and by the same token, VOC will be looking to cut through a surprisingly fragile Voorburg top five. It’s the first of these two which will likely determine the destination of the points.

BdJ: At the start of the season, few would have predicted that the absence of Umar Baker would have such a dramatic effect on the title-holders’ fortunes. Yet with a spin-friendly home ground and O’Dowd experimenting unsuccessfully with leg-spin for half a season the loss of ten overs of solid spin has been telling. VOC didn’t lose a single game at home in 2018, this season they’ve lost four already. If the batting is reliant on their three Dutch internationals, it’s not clear who the bowling should depend on, with VOC using an average of eight different bowlers in each of their past five games. VCC’s top order has indeed underperformed all season, but then they may look at a trip to Hazelaarweg as a chance to play themselves back into form.

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

Round 11 Preview

Rod Lyall & Bertus de Jong 27/06/19

As the Topklasse returns to what passes for normal this Sunday, the luck of the draw pits each of the current top five at home against one of the lower teams; this should make prediction easy, but of course it doesn’t. What it does do is create opportunities for the teams in the wrong half of the table to bridge the gap to the current leaders somewhat.

RL: In what has the potential to be the most absorbing clash of the day ACC will take on Quick Haag at Het Loopveld. Having managed to survive the absence of almost half their team last week in beating strugglers VRA, the Amsterdammers can add a maiden Topklasse century for Jean Marais and a first significant innings from young Jamieson Mulready to their list of milestones for the season. With new ball spearhead Brady Barends one of the undoubted successes of the season they have moved from surprise packet to deserved title challengers, while the addition of Jay Bista and Prathamesh Dake to Quick’s line-up has not (yet) made the side as competitive as many at Nieuw Hanenburg will have hoped. Nevertheless Quick can be expected to put together two or three winning performances in the latter part of the season, and by doing so they could have a real effect on the championship as well as keeping themselves clear of relegation.

BdJ: Two judicious acquisitions and regular contributions from an increasingly impressive cast of junior players has seen ACC to the top of the table, and it’s beginning to look like they have the side to go the distance. Witch Excelsior and HCC close on their heels though the Amsterdammers need to keep winning to stay ahead of the pack. Doc Mol aside, Quick have not really been at their best this season, and even the qualities of Bista and Dake would not have been enough to keep them out of relegation danger so far were it not for the haplessness of VRA. As it stands, they will likely only need three or four more wins to be assured of safety this time round, and upsetting the current leaders would be a fine way to start.

RL: Another game in the banana skin category sees Excelsior ‘20 take on Voorburg at Thurlede. Tom Heggelman’s side has also gone on winning, fortified no doubt by the experience of two titles with pretty much the same squad in 2016 and 2017, and with Brenton Parchment proving a fine successor to James Hilditch they, too, have emerged as one of the most difficult sides to beat. Voorburg’s performances have been much more variable, but their demolition of HBS a few weeks ago proved that they can be a force to be reckoned with. Brandon Glover returns after a successful introduction to the Dutch side, and together with his national team colleague Viv Kingma he will present a serious challenge to the Excelsior top order. With Tom de Grooth adding more solidity at the top of Voorburg’s batting, this too is likely to be a keenly-fought battle.

BdJ: A tough on to call, this. With Excelsior’s sole home defeat so far this season coming courtesy Max Hoornweg’s spectacular return of 7-36, it’s fair to say it will take something special to take two points home from Thurlede. The return of VCC’s pace pairing of Glover and Kingma certainly gives them something of an x-factor, though the slow-bowling contribution of Clayton Floyd to Voorburg’s hopes should not be underestimated. The batting has been the somewhat surprising weakness for Voorburg so far, with an under-performing Matt Smit the only VCC bat to have reached 200 runs at better than 30. Against and Excelsior side that has managed to win consistently even without really recapturing the collective dominance of two years ago, Voorburg start as underdogs on form at least.

RL: Currently third, one win behind the leaders, HCC will welcome Dosti United to De Diepput. Welcome may not be exactly the right word, since the Amsterdam side will be buoyed up by their 217-run win over VOC last Sunday, and their powerful batting line-up will relish the short square boundaries at the HCC ground. Abhinav Bali’s maiden Topklasse century takes some of the pressure off Taruwar Kohli, but it was the Dosti bowling which was particularly impressive against VOC. With Bryce Street in great form with both bat and ball, however, at the centre of a well-organised and balanced HCC outfit, and this is again a match which, despite the current standings, could well go either way.

BdJ: With one less completed game, HCC are in fact marginally less than one win from the top spot having, like ACC and Excelsior, lost only twice thus far. They have every chance of adding to that tally on Sunday however when they take on a Dosti side that indeed looks in good nick. Perhaps not too much can be read into their beating up on a depleted VOC last weak, the Rotterdammers resorting to nine different bowlers to share the overs around, but the bowling does indeed look well settled, with the Hoseinbaks-Hans spin axis providing a variety of slow bowling options and Anees Davids also in the wickets. HCC will nonetheless be a considerable step-up in class of opposition however, even if the batting card remains rather top-heavy.

RL: Having started their campaign in rampant mood, HBS Craeyenhout have faltered in recent weeks, and their game against Sparta 1888 on Sunday is now a must-win event for them. They were, of course, handicapped by the absence of Tobias Visée and Wesley Barresi in losing to HCC last Sunday, and their powerful batting line-up will be back at full strength for this crucial encounter. For Sparta, dropping Andrew Fletcher down the order produced his first significant innings of the season, but they will need him to make the most of the batsman-friendly conditions at Craeyenhout if they are to trouble HBS. Sparta are, it must be said, something of a bits-and-pieces side, but all their bowlers have performed well on occasion, and with former internationals Mudassar Bukhari and Atse Buurman always capable of producing important innings, they will be hoping to pick up a win which would move them further clear of the relegation zone.

BdJ: HBS will have to get used to being without their captain, one suspects, an upcoming stint in Canada at the GT20 will see him miss two further games this season, and the Vancouver Knights likely won’t be the last franchise to come calling. They’ll be glad to have him back Sunday, and Sparta will doubtless be ruing the Netherlands’ comparatively light international schedule having failed to take advantage of a weakened VCC last week. Fletcher’s drop to number five seems to have worked for him, but not necessarily for his team who are now an opener short, and even contributions from both overseas wasn’t enough last week. With HBS batting back at full strength and Westdijik still bowling well Sparta will have their work cut out at Craeyenhout.

RL: Just at the head of the chasing pack on net run rate, VOC Rotterdam meet relegation candidates VRA Amsterdam at Hazelaarweg. Here, too, the return of the sides’ Dutch internationals will come as a relief, especially for VOC, who suffered that thumping defeat at Dosti last week. These teams have not yet met this season, their first-round match having been rescheduled for 20 July, but this is a traditional rivalry which always has an additional charge. VOC’s attack has been strengthened by the return of Bobby Hanif, but for VRA the inability of their bowlers to dismiss opposing sides remains a serious concern. Leon Turmaine is their leading wicket-taker with 11, but in all they have only taken 40 wickets in eight matches, and they have lost their last two by seven wickets. If O’Dowd, Edwards, Seelaar and Co. fire here, VOC could achieve a big total on their own account.

BdJ:With two games to play against VOC and only three losses adrift, besting the Rotterdammers twice may represent VRA’s best shot at avoiding relegation. But though Dosti exposed the reliance of the VOC batting on their three Dutch internationals, all three are now back and in fine form, indeed O’Dowd has probably never looked better. VRA’s pace attack has at times bowled better than their meagre returns suggest, and the batting remains stronger on paper than in practice, but the Amsterdammers will need to find another gear if they are to escape an increasingly inevitable-looking relegation.

Rod Lyall’s tips: ACC, Voorburg, Dosti, HBS, VOC.
Bertus de Jong’s tips: ACC, VCC, HCC, HBS, VOC.

Round 10 preview

Bertus de Jong & Rod Lyall 22/06/19

With the season half-done, the traditional opening fixture reversal is upon us. Also upon us, as some have noted with indignation, are the first international fixtures of the Summer, the Dutch national team making a good start to their four-match ODI/T20I series against Zimbabwe with outstanding wins at Deventer on Wednesday and Saturday. Such elevated international goings-on are usually rather above our pay grade here at TK of course, except that the scheduling of the first T20I on Sunday afternoon means the 13 players called up for Oranje will not be available this round. Such clashes are something of a rarity in Dutch cricket, where the national team’s sparse schedule has in the past made them easy to avoid, though they are likely to become more common in future as the international fixture list grows from “barely there” to “comparatively light.”

Whether Sunday’s availability issues merit the dread term competitievervalsing perhaps depends on your (sense of) perspective, it may equally be said that where you stand depends on where you sit. If, for example, you’re sat at Drieburg or de Diepput, one imagines it’s comparatively easy to be sanguine about it, less so at at Craeyenhout or Hazelaarweg, with some sides being significantly hit and others not at all.

BdJ: Without question the most affected are VOC Rotterdam who travel to Drieburg to take on Dosti-United. VOC will make the trip to Amsterdam under the leadership of Jelte Schoonheim, who will be standing in for regular skipper Pieter Seelaar. Also on national duty are Max O’Dowd and Scott Edwards, leaving VOC without their captain, keeper and two lead run-scorers. Dosti meanwhile are entirely unscathed by the decimation perpetrated upon the Topklasse by the national selection committee, and even with Taruwar Kohli currently looking comparatively out of form should fancy their chances of having the best of the mid-table encounter. They managed to sneak a one-run win in the season opener against a full-strength VOC despite Kohli contributing just 3 runs, and have at least shown they can win on occasion without him, if not with any consistency.

RL: If we try to think about these things positively, it’s an opportunity for players who usually have a secondary role to step up and prove their worth to the team. In VOC’s case, the attack will, of course, be weakened by the absence of Seelaar, but it’s the batting which will be especially tested. That said, the Dosti attack is hardly fearsome, and if Schoonheim’s depleted side can bat the fifty overs it could be an interesting contest. For Dosti, though, this looks like a great opportunity to harvest two much-needed points.

BdJ: Also passed over by the scouring hand of Campbell are Quick Haag and Excelsior ‘20 who will both be undiminished when they meet at Nieuw Hanenburg on Sunday. Excelsior won their rain-abbreviated opening encounter by four wickets with 14 balls to spare, the increasingly impressive David Woutersen getting them to the 147-run target with 31 from 33 balls from number 6, but then Quick were without overseas Dake and Bista. Bista’s presence will be Excelsior’s biggest worry, coming off the back of a titanic 194 against a much vaunted VCC attack last week. Though Excelsior will doubtless be relieved that their own pace spearhead, Sohail Bhatti, has once again been inexplicably overlooked by the national selectors, they will nonetheless be hoping the persistent rumours of Bista’s return to Mumbai prove better founded than they did last week.

RL: Although Bista has been justifiably attracting most of the attention, Prathamesh Dake’s addition to the attack has also been a key factor in Quick’s recent performances. Nor should we underestimate the contribution made by evergreen allrounder Geert Maarten Mol. If they, with or without Bista, can again cut through Excelsior’s top order then we could be in for an absorbing battle; otherwise Quick’s somewhat brittle batting may struggle to match the visitors’ run-scoring capabilities. And it seems likely that Lorenzo Ingram and Branton Parchment will relish the artificial Nieuw Hanenburg outfield.

BdJ: Also passing unreduced through the winnowing fan of national duty are Sparta 1888 who will be spared having to face either of Voorburg CC’s first pick opening bowlers, with Viv Kingma and Brandon Glover both called up. Perhaps then a chance for Sparta’s chronically underperforming Andrew Fletcher to make fresh start with the bat for the second half of the season. Sparta have muddled through without him thus far, but only VRA’s horror season has kept either of these sides out of serious relegation danger so far. With five teams on six points as it stands though, two points today would go a long way to calming nerves.

RL: Sparta have indeed crafted some surprising wins through the contributions not only of the invaluable Mudassar Bukhari, but also of Max Hoornweg and Joost Martijn Snoep. The Bermweg, too, is never an easy place to visit, and the Spartans will be hoping that they can get the jump on a Voorburg side which was distinctly a better outfit – even without Kingma – than they on the season’s opening day. It was the batting which gave Voorburg the edge that day, and the batting is essentially unaffected by international duty. If they perform to their potential, which is admittedly a fairly big if on recent form, Voorburg might well prove too strong again, even without their new-ball pairing.

BdJ: Meanwhile at de Diepput HCC will be happy not to have to bowl at Wesley Barresi this time round, after his unbeaten, 93-ball, 126 sunk them in their opening match at Craeyenhout. Also missing from HBS roster will be skipper Tobias Visée, also on national duty on Sunday and now likely to miss two more matches in early August having been picked up by the Vancouver Knights in the Canada Global T20 league. Conversely, Adam Wiffen’s bad luck at missing out on selection is his side’s good fortune, especially should he repeats his century-hitting efforts from the two sides’ last encounter. That said, HBS have a degree of depth in their batting, Sharn Gomes especially looking in good nick, and though they may be low on fireworks without Barresi and Visée they will be no pushovers.

RL: The absence of Visée and Barresi would be significant for any side, and with Ferdi Vink still out of the attack as well this will be a stern test for HBS. Their title hopes have taken a blow or two in recent weeks, while HCC have produced a series of solid performances when the weather has permitted. With two home games rained off in the past two weeks they may be a little rusty, but they are a well-balanced side who would be equipped to trouble even a full-strength HBS. Hidde Overdijk has been in great form with the ball, and with Tonny Staal and Bryce Street making runs, you have to think that the home side may have the edge here.

BdJ: Also skipperless will be table-toppers ACC when they make the short trip down the Kalfjeslaan to take on runaway wooden spoon favourites VRA. Whilst losing captain and lead wicket-taker Saqib Zulfiqar is a blow for ACC, VRA will probably miss Ben Cooper at least as much. The VRA batting has been shaky all season and taking Cooper out of it leaves a hole they don’t have the bench strength to fill, and these days deprives them of their second spinner too. That Cooper’s admittedly perfectly serviceable off-spin is so regularly called upon by skipper Peter Borren is itself a testament to the paucity of VRA’s bowling stocks, whilst Borren’s own return to the captaincy suggests that the threat of relegation is perhaps now being taken seriously at the Bos.

RL: If a serious relegation-avoiding campaign is to get under way at VRA, there could be no more satisfying spot to begin it than the traditional Amsterdam derby. It’s been a long time since these clubs went into the fixture with ACC top of the table and VRA bottom, and it must be acknowledged that both positions are a fair reflection of the sides’ efforts so far. ACC, like HCC, have been the surprise-packets of the season until now, and logic says that they will take another step towards their title goal on Sunday. But this is the Topklasse, and if anyone can craft a win from nowhere it’s Peter Borren.

Bertus de Jong’s picks: Dosti, Excelsior, VCC, HCC, ACC.

Rod Lyall’s picks: Dosti, Quick, VCC, HCC, VRA.

Bista blasts Voorburg; ACC back on top

Rod Lyall 17/06/19

On a dank, damp, unseasonable June day Jay Bista announced his return to the Topklasse with a vengeance on Saturday, lighting up Nieuw Hanenburg with a magnificent 194 for Quick Haag against Voorburg.

It was the highest individual score since Ben Cooper’s 202 for VRA against Hermes-DVS six seasons ago, and it came off just 147 deliveries. Bista reached his hundred at exactly a run a ball, but his next fifty took just 28 balls and the remaining 44 only 19; in all he hit 19 fours and eight sixes.

It was a virtuoso effort which contributed almost two-thirds of Quick’s total of 315 for four, Bista’s only real support coming from the dependable Geert Maarten Mol, who made 59 in a third-wicket partnership of 175.

All the Voorburg bowlers came in for good deal of punishment; Brandon Glover was the most successful, but his two wickets came at a cost of 88 runs, while Clayton Floyd and Stef Mulder managed to keep the scoring down to four-and-a-half an over.

It was always going to be an uphill battle when Voorburg replied, and when Matt Smit and Noah Croes went cheaply, removed by Prathamesh Dake and Pieter Groenewald respectively, the incline became even steeper.

But Tom de Grooth was now joined by Nic Smit in a third-wicket partnership of 63, Smit making 40 of them, and after his departure De Grooth went on to post his ninth top-flight century.

He was the eighth to go, having made 107 from 118 deliveries with 14 fours, but even this could not match Bista’s solo effort, and the innings ended in the 44th over on 252, giving Quick a comfortable 63-run victory.

Dake was again the main wicket-taker for Quick with three for 43, and there were two wickets apiece for Groenewald, Mol and Jeroen Brand.

ACC consolidated their position at the top of the table with a 25-run win over Dosti United in a match at Het Loopveld reduced to 36 overs after overnight rain.

Put in to bat, ACC reached 185 for four, with Jean Marais leading the way with a 62-ball 61.

He departed with the total on 107, but then Sikander Zulfiqar and Brady Barends pushed on with an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 78, of which Zulfiqar made 46 and Barends 40.

Without Kuldeep Diwan and Anees Davids, Dosti made a disastrous start to their chase, and at 29 for four the match appeared to be effectively over.

Devanshu Arya struck first, getting Shahdab Ghori caught behind by Marais and then claiming the all-important wicket of Taruwar Kohli, caught by Shreyas Potdar for four, and it was left to Amitoze Singh to try to reconstruct the innings.

He made 30 before falling to the Saqib-Sikander Zulfiqar combination, and he received some support from Waheed Masood, who hit two sixes in a 23-run cameo.

It was Mahesh Hans, though, who brought the side within striking distance of ACC’s total, posting a maiden Topklasse half-century and finishing on 54 not out from 47 deliveries with three fours and three sixes.

But it wasn’t enough, and with Arya taking another to finish with three for 9 and Saqib Zulfiqar claiming three for 30, the innings closed on 160 for nine.

The rain put paid to the other two matches scheduled for Saturday, a waterlogged Diepput unfit for the match between HCC and Sparta 1888 and conditions in the Amsterdamse Bos too wet even for the VRA–Excelsior ‘20 to be transferred to VRA’s second ground.

The postponement of the match between HBS and VOC Rotterdam until Sunday meant that it was largely played in warm sunshine, and it featured two innings with remarkably similar patterns before ending in a four-wicket victory for the defending champions.

Two wickets for Pierce Fletcher, one for Ashiqullah Said and a run-out meant that HBS, after electing to bat, were soon in desperate trouble at 39 for four, but they were rescued by a fifth-wicket stand of 105 between Wesley Barresi and Sharn Gomes, who had dropped down to bat at six.

Barresi was eventually bowled by Jelte Schoonheim after making 51, but Gomes continued in company with the lower order, recording his first century of the season before becoming one of three victims for Peter Seelaar in the final over of the innings. His 109 came from 110 balls with eleven fours and a six, while Seelaar finished with somewhat fortuitous figures of three for 35.

As VOC had done, HBS proceeded to rip through the opposition’s top order, Berend Westdijk producing an outstanding seven-over opening spell to reduce VOC to 40 for four.

But the Rotterdammers were in turn rescued by an excellent fifth-wicket partnership, this time between opener Max O’Dowd and wicketkeeper Scott Edwards.

They capped Barresi and Gomes’s effort by putting on 146, the stand only ended by the return of Westdijk, who proceeded to trap Edwards in front for 81, made from 76 balls with 13 fours and a six.

Schoonheim now joined O’Dowd and contributed a typically free-hitting 27 which took VOC to the brink of victory and which incidentally deprived his partner of what would have been a thoroughly-deserved century.

It was a valuable effort for the side, however, and although O’Dowd was left on 96 not out when he hit the winning boundary, it was the win – with more than eight overs to spare – which was important for VOC as they strive to recover from a poor start to their title defence.

O’Dowd faced 113 balls and hit nine fours and a six, while Westdijk finished with five for 39, his best figures of the season and his third five-wicket haul in total.

Round 9 Preview

Rod Lyall & Bertus de Jong 13/06/19

And so we reach the half-way point in the competition, ending the first round as we began it, with a split weekend: four matches are scheduled for Saturday, but the game between HBS and VOC will be played on Sunday.

RL: After two wins at the weekend, one by the skin of their teeth and the other very comfortably indeed, Excelsior ‘20 will be full of confidence for their visit to the Amsterdamse Bos to take on VRA on Saturday. It’s a rare occasion that neither Lorenzo Ingram nor Branton Parchment gets a bat, but the batting of Tim Etman and Roel Verhagen will have given Tom Heggelman’s side a boost, while Niels Etman filled in admirably in the absence of Sohail Bhatti on Monday. For the hosts the attack’s toothlessness continues to be a source of concern, and although Vikram Singh, Eric Szwarczynski, Ben Cooper and Peter Borren have all made runs at times they don’t often get much support, and the top order as a whole is not coming together to produce totals which their limited bowling can defend. Injuries are, of course, not helping the cause, but VRA will need to raise their game considerably if they are to get clear of the relegation zone.

BdJ: Etman and Verhagen coming into this game with runs under their belts will compound the worries of a VRA side that has indeed struggled to take wickets all season, and with the fitness of Gunning and Gul in question the Amsterdammers attack looks about the weakest in the league as it stands. The Schiedammers’ status as favourites ahead of thie game owes as much to some judicious acdditions to the roster over the winter as their results so far, with the acquisitions of Umar Baker and Branton Parchment both paying dividends. Conversely VRA were in retrospect perhaps unduly sanguine in declining to engage in a serious search to replace Daan ter Braak and Viv Kingma. Of the new faces that have rocked up in the Bos, largely on their own initiative, only Brandon Graber seems to have found his feet at Topklasse level. As the half-way point of the season looms one suspects VRA may be beginning to sense the peril of their situation, but with the competition’s new frontrunners headed their way with the wind at their backs a turnaround is a tough ask.

RL: Dosti United again have no ground available for the last round before the competition switches to Sundays – the extended football season affects them worse than any other Topklasse club – so they will again have to play on their opponents’ ground. This time it means the short trip to Het Loopveld to face ACC, who lost by the narrowest of margins to HBS on Monday. Saqib and Sikander Zulfiqar are both in good form for the visitors-become-hosts, and with Brady Barends, currently the competition’s leading wicket-taker, adding incisiveness to the attack ACC have thoroughly deserved their position among the leaders. Dosti, by contrast, have failed to gel, and their defeat by Excelsior on Monday confirmed once again how vital Taruwar Kohli’s wicket is to their chances of making a decent total. The battle between him and Barends could be one of the more interesting head-to-head contests of the season.

BdJ: As much as their two new overseas, it is the seeming confidence of ACC’s core of young players that has seen them hanging out near the top of the table all season. Though both Jean Marais and Barends have been excellent for ACC thus far, the continued improvement of the three remaining Zulfiqars and occasionally outstanding contributions from such youngsters as Shirase Rasool, Aryan Kumar and last week Jamie Mulready has given ACC the look of genuine title contenders for the first time in years. Dosti meanwhile have struggled when Diwan was absent or Kohli has failed, though skipper Vinoo Tewarie has on occasion shown admirable application and obduracy in the midst of collapse, it is a situation he has found himself rather too often.

RL: Having seen off VOC in convincing fashion HCC will look forward to entertaining Sparta 1888 at De Diepput, and they will be hoping that their ground doesn’t live up to its name again this week. Even without Ali Ahmed Qasim the HCC attack has a menacing look about it, Jan Willem Damhuis slotting in effectively against VOC, and with Bharat Itagi, Tonny Staal and Bryce Street all making runs even when Adam Wiffen doesn’t the Lions seem likely to maintain their pursuit of the leaders for a while yet. Sparta are a less predictable side, but their win against Quick, in which Garnett Tarr’s century was a highlight, has lightened any lurking fears of relegation, at least for the moment, as has their defeat of tailenders VRA. You have to fancy HCC to pick up the points here, but Sparta have shown they are capable of springing surprises.

BdJ: Given the forecast it should be said that here and elsewhere rain is the most likely winner on Saturday, but the hosts are indeed a solid second. HCC have looked a solid side in spite of occasional changes in the line-up, Damhuis the latest after Itagi and Walhain to successfully step up to the first team, and bench strength has generally been crucial to successful Topklasse campaigns. A win over Sparta will keep them well in touch with the leaders as the table begins to bifurcate, but Sparta have every chance of derailing them. The Capellenaars have yet to play at their collective best, with exceptional individual performances generally accounting for the points they have on the board. Should a few come along at once two points will be within their reach, weather permitting.

RL: Even with the arrival of their Mumbaikers (compensated in part by the departure of Rupert Young), Quick Haag are another up-and-down side, too dependent on a few players. Jay Bista’s batting is as talismanic for them as Kohli’s is for Dosti, and they will be tested this week by a Voorburg outfit which has been boosted by the advent of Nic Smit. The Voorburg top order is likely to enjoy the new artificial outfield at Nieuw Hanenburg, though Prathamesh Dake will no doubt have other ideas. Quick’s attack, however, is not as menacing as it once was, while Voorburg’s is varied, and with Viv Kingma and Brandon Glover on song likely to be a real handful for Quick’s brittle top and middle order.

BdJ: Quick are indeed arguably still more dependent on Bista than Dosti on Kohli, relying on him not only for quantity of runs but also for tempo. Barring the veteran Doc Mol, who looks set to put in another unassumingly crucial season for his side, Quick lack for hitters as much as accumulators to support or at least take the pressure off Bista. With Jeroen Brand, once the reliable purveyor 17-ball 30s down the order currently striking at 55 and the rest of the line-up little better Bista is relied upon both to provide the bulk of the runs and to drive the scoring rate. Facing VCC’s attack that task may prove beyond even his considerable talents.

RL: VOC Rotterdam’s incipient recovery received a setback on Monday when they were pretty comprehensively beaten by HCC, and they really need to take something away from Craeyenhout where they take on HBS this week. All the champions’ problems were clearly illustrated in that defeat by HCC: the batting, apart from the three internationals, contributed little, and the attack struggled to dismiss a side which is steadily growing in confidence. HBS, by contrast, are strong in both major departments: the batting, balanced between the aggression of Visée and Barresi and the quieter skills of Elkin and Gomes, consistently produces the highest total of the round, while the bowlers, both the seamers and the spinners, also deliver on a weekly basis. This being the Topklasse one can’t rule out a stellar performance from the whole VOC outfit, but there can be little question that HBS will start as clear favourites.

BdJ: Generally I’d try to find at least one point of disagreement on the prognostications for the sake of making a contest of it, but I find myself in complete accord with the good professor this round. As with last years’ runners-up VRA, the defending champions are feeling the loss of key players in Fred Klaassen and Umar Baker, with their replacements failing to fill their shoes. It’s beginning to look as if after contesting the championship last season, VRA and VOC may be back at the other end of the table again by the end of this summer in a 2017-style relegation battle. HBS conversely look a stronger side than they did last season, when they came a creditable third. The big-hitting top order remains Crows’ key strength, and with Elkin playing foil to the more belligerent elements it looks more balanced than the 2018 version, but the bowling attack has also been strengthened by the addition of Zac Gibson as well as the continued development of Julian de Mey and (whisper it) Wesley Barresi as a genuine slow bowling option.

Rod Lyall’s tips: Excelsior, ACC, HCC, Voorburg, HBS.
Bertus de Jong’s tips: Excelsior, ACC, HCC, Voorburg, HBS.

Round 8 Preview

Bertus de Jong 09/06/19

Capping off a frenetic fortnight for the Topklasse, the 8th round of Topklasse matches kick off on Monday – the fourth round in ten days. Despite two of yesterday’s matches falling victim to the elements, the table is nonetheless taking on a recognisable shape, with the field beginning to sort itself into title contenders and relegation candidates.

Of the former, front-runners ACC are set to take on nearest rivals HBS at het Loopveld in what looks likely to be the round’s headliner, weather permitting. ACC’s game against HCC at de Diepput was called off early in sodden conditions, so they have been two rounds now without a win. After a five match winning streak the Amsterdammers were handed their first defeat by Excelsior the week before, and HBS suffered similarly at the hands of the Schiedammers yesterday losing and abbreviated 30-over encounter in the final over. The Crows’ top order did a decent job for them, with the top four all looking in decent nick, but the bowling unit struggled in the face of Excelsior’s Jamaican combination, unable to defend 195. Wesley Barresi’s off-spin has come a long way since he passed on the gloves, and Julian de Mey has improved markedly, but the HBS spin attack remains more serviceable that intimidating. ACC lack an equivalent to the Ingram-Parchment partnership however, despite the strides made by Shirase Rasool and the acquisition of Jean Marias. It has been a joint effort with the bat from ACC that has got them this far, but they will nonetheless be looking to Brady Barends, currently the league’s leading wicket-taker, to spike HBS’ top-order guns early if they are not to come up short.

Keeping pace with the top two, and the only side to have beaten both, Excelsior ‘20 welcome 6th-placed Dosti-United to Thurlede tomorrow hoping to rack up their sixth win. Dosti’s match against Voorburg at Westvliet was abandoned yesterday as high winds kept blowing the sightscreens over, and conditions were consequently judged impossible for play. In the two sides most recent encounter, at Thurlede last season, Dosti skittle the hosts for just 81 after Wahid Masood pinned Ingram LBW for a six-ball duck. Now, as then, Excelsior have looked alarmingly reliant on the Jamaican all-rounder together with his newly-arrived compatriot. It is perhaps a little reductionist to luck at this game as Kohli and Diwan vs Ingram and Parchment, and the result may come down to which of the two sides offer their overseas the greatest support, but solid showings from the pros will likely be at least a necessary, if not necessarily sufficient condition for victory.

Meanwhile mid-table 4th-placed HCC head over to Hazeleaarweg to take on VOC, who completed a 126-run trouncing of Sparta at the same ground yesterday, bouncing back from 53-4 to post 204 thanks to Jelte Schoonheim’s counter-attacking 66, and then ran through Sparta for just 78. The Rotterdammers will be heartened by the performance of Pierce Fletcher, Ashiqullah Said and Rami Upadhyaya, each of whom picked up three wickets in the rout. VOC’s bowling remains their weaker suit however as they rebuild after the loss of Klassen and Baker. With Wiffen, Itagi and Street all in the runs for HCC, and Hidde Overdijk in fine form with the ball both in HCC’s yellow and in Orange, the Hagenaars have reason to be optimistic as they take on the defending champions.

As we head down-table, both Sparta 1888 and their opponents Quick Haag have had just a day to recover from their respective defeats at the hands of VOC and VRA on Saturday. Quick had at least looked in decent form against last year’s runners-up, and might have taken the points had Jay Bista managed to make another century. As it happened he fell for 75, and collapse ensued. Though arguably the best bat in the league, Bista is too often put under pressure by the slow scoring of the rest of the Quick line-up, and cannot be expected to both anchor the innings and drive the scoring. He has nonetheless proved of more use to his side than Sparta’s overseas, Andrew Fletcher especially looking like the season might be half-over by the time he acclimatises to Dutch conditions. Though Sparta’s local boys have stepped up on occasion and Garnett Tarr has settled in rather better than his senior colleague, they cannot continue to carry a misfiring pro with any success. Conversely, should Fletcher find his feet Sparta would suddenly look a competitive outfit. Dost Mohammad’s four wicket on return to the team was the only real positive Sparta could take from yesterday’s shambles, and if he can line up alongside Max Hoornweg and Mudassar Bukhari Sparta’s attack takes on an intimidating character. Whether they can contain or remove Bista, however, is a different question.

The day’s final encounter sees incumbent wooden spooners VRA head down to Westvliet to take on newly-promoted VCC who have rather failed to live up to their pre-season hype. With yesterday’s game blown out, their win over HBS last week remains only their second victory of the season. The arrival of a second Smit has appreciably strengthened the batting however, and against VRA’s under-performing attack they may not need to worry too much about their brittle lower-middle order. Probably more of a concern for VCC is VRA’s batting card, even if Peter Borren is the only VRA bat to find any consistent form the Amsterdammer’s order is comparatively deep and dangerous. Though with Kingma and (county trials permitting) Brandon Graber opening the bowling early wickets are always on the cards, that may not be enough to restrict VRA. That said, VRA occupy the bottom spot for good reason, having lacked consistency with the bat and penetration with the ball all season. Newcomers Tom Long and Matt Lake have yet to convince at Topklasse level, and with Haseeb Gul and Quirijn Gunning both likely out injured, the VRA bowling especially looks rather thin.

Bertus de Jong’s picks: Sparta, VCC, Dosti, HBS, HCC

Round 7 Preview

Rod Lyall & Bertus de Jong 06/06/19

Once again this week we have two rounds of matches in three days, with the normal Saturday fixtures followed by another set on Monday’s Pentecost holiday. The table may look a lot more settled by Monday evening – or, on the other hand, it may not.

RL: Back at the top of the table by virtue of a better net run rate, ACC travel to De Diepput to take on HCC. The Lions disappointed last week when the batting folded against Excelsior, but they had a significant plus point in the Topklasse debut of Raafiek Isaacs, who claimed four wickets, a contribution all the more valuable because of the absence of Ali Ahmed Qasim. ACC’s victory over VOC owed much to a superb innings from Sikander Zulfiqar, as well as to the opening onslaught of Brady Barends with the new ball. ACC have shown considerable consistency in the first month of the season, and if the top order of the brothers Saqib and Rehmat Zulfiqar and Shirase Rasool have been less productive in the past couple of weeks, others have done enough to keep them winning. HCC’s efforts have been much more fluctuating but they’re only one game behind, and if they can withstand Barends and Aryan Kumar early on they have the ability to give ACC a real run for their money.

BdJ: HCC have indeed blown rather hot and cold so far this season, and with a rather top-heavy batting line up could be particularly vulnerable to ACC’s new ball pair. Conversely the quality of the HCC top four is such that ACC will likely struggle if they fail to make early inroads. ACC’s top order will have their own worries too, facing the abovementioned Isaacs as well as an in-form Hidde Overdijk, who has already racked up 14 wickets with the new ball for HCC this season, as well as another six (and counting) for Netherlands A against Guernsey during the week. It may well come down to which of the sides weather the new ball with the fewest casualties.

RL: After losing to Voorburg last Saturday HBS Craeyenhout will be anxious to get back into a winning stride against Excelsior ‘20. By all accounts Voorburg’s win was testimony to the old-fashioned virtues of line and length, and Excelsior’s attack – with the exception of Brenton Parchment and Lorenzo Ingram – has not so far shown the same level of discipline. That said, the Schiedammers did well to cut through HCC’s batting last week, and if they can reproduce that sort of form they could give even HBS’s powerful top order some difficult moments. Ingram’s also in great form with the bat, though he could do with greater support from the rest of the batsmen. Roel Verhagen is struggling after coming back from injury, and HBS have the bowling – even if Ferdi Vink is unable to play – to cause Excelsior’s rather shaky line-up plenty of problems.

BdJ: Excelsior’s Ingram dependency seems to have gotten worse in the past two seasons. Of the promising young side that exceeded expectations to claim the title two seasons running just a couple of years ago, only Tim Etman seems to have even stayed still much less kicked on. Even with HBS on the back foot after last week’s defeat, Ingram will need more than a couple of Excelsior’s now fairly experienced home-grown core to step up and offer support if they are to keep the Crows at bay.

RL: The two sides which have been most greatly influenced by the rules change regarding overseas players, Dosti United and Voorburg, meet at Westvliet. Nominally a home game for Dosti, the game will be played at Voorburg’s ground because the Amsterdammers’ isn’t yet available on Saturdays owing to the extended football season. Dosti again lost chasing against Quick last week, and it may be that they are more comfortable setting a target than in pursuit of one – if so, this may be an important toss to win. Voorburg’s reversal of their fortunes against HBS was created by their impressive attack, but there are signs too that the arrival of Nic Smit has given more solidity to the batting order. A consistent run of good form could put either of these teams into the mix at the end of the season, and there will be few games in this competition where more talent will be on show.

BdJ: If VCC have proved vulnerable to collapse after Smit is out, it makes sense that they’d look a steadier outfit with two Smits rather than one. Conversely, given that Dosti are unlikely to be able call upon the services of the other Kohli any time soon, they will have to make do with the one they have. Taruwar Kohli remains their most reliable source of runs, but one suspects a solid score from him will be necessary but not sufficient for victory at Westvliet on Saturday. Taking a longer view, Dosti’s less celbrated batsmen will need to start stringing regular scores together if they are to mount a serious challenge at the top of the table, though with Kuldeep Diwan in fine form their already solid spin section now looks the strongest in the league, they cannot be expected to regularly hold their oppponents under 200. Voorburg’s own attack, spearheaded by Kingma and Glover, have looked capable of defending low scores on occasion, but not as low as the ones the batsmen have been posting. Though these two sides both boast enviable overseas contingents, it may nonetheless come down to who offers their pros the best support.

RL: Both VOC Rotterdam and Sparta 1888, who meet at Hazelaarweg in what used once to be the Rotterdam derby, experienced roller-coaster rides on Saturday: VOC fought their way back into their match against ACC only to be denied by Sikander Zulfiqar, while their visitors withstood a late rally by Peter Borren to secure the narrowest of victories against VRA. The defending champions are more dependent in their batting on internationals Max O’Dowd and Pieter Seelaar than they would like, and although Ashiqullah Said and Pierce Fletcher removed the top of ACC’s batting they were unable to press home the advantage. For Sparta, Mudassar Bukhari has played a crucial role recently with both bat and ball, but it was skipper Joost Martijn Snoep’s five-for which clinched the win against VRA. Where others, VOC not excepted, may be less than the sum of their parts just now, Sparta may be a little more. In a competition as tight as the Topklasse, that can be very important indeed.

BdJ: It’s remarkable how well Sparta’s season has gone despite the comparatively limited impact that their overseas have had so far, Bukhari, Max Hoornweg and now skipper Snoep’s performances ensuring they’ve been able to hang with the lower mid-table till now. Hazelaarweg is not the fortress it was last season, with VOC short ten, arguably twenty overs of reliable spin compared to last year. VOC’s three Dutch internationals were the only three to reach triple figures against ACC, and Max O’Dowd is the only VOC bat averaging over 30 so far. At first glance last year’s champions at home against last year’s 7th place finisher ought to see VOC start clear favourites, but I’d say the form book is rather more ambiguous for this encounter.

RL: It was predictable – and predicted – that the arrival of Jay Bista and Prathamesh Dake would make a big difference to Quick Haag’s fortunes, but last Saturday’s victory over Dosti, defending a relatively modest total, was a fine team effort. Their next engagement is in the Amsterdamse Bos, where they face a VRA Amsterdam side which is still looking for a first win. There have been some epic matches between these sides over the years, and both have veterans of many of them: Geert Maarten Mol is still a key figure for Quick, as Borren is for VRA. The Amsterdammers have missed Eric Szwarczynski from their batting line-up in recent games, and although Ben Cooper’s century in a losing cause against Dosti last Thursday was a reminder of what he is capable of, VRA need more consistency from a batting order which has to compensate for an attack which is decidedly lacking in firepower.

BdJ: Game in hand or no, the Amsterdammers’ none-from-five record this season has gone rather beyond a slow start, and VRA are beginning to look like a side that’s flatlining. Borren aside, the batting has been flakey all season and the bowling broadly insipid. The absence of the unassuming but dependable Dan ter Braak at the top of the order seems to have unbalanced the batting more than anyone expected, whilst the decline with the ball is less explicable. The front-line bowlig attack is largely unchanged from last season barring the addition of Brandon Graber, but Quirijn Gunning and Leon Turmaine have both struggled for rhythm, and the top 20 wicket-takers for the season current features not a single VRA player. Having to do without Bista and Dake for their first few games seems to have galvanised Quick, and the Mumbaikers’ arrival makes them solid favourites in a match one might even have backed them to win in their absence.

Rod Lyall’s tips: ACC, HBS, Dosti, VOC, Quick.
Bertus de Jong’s tips: HCC, HBS, VCC, Sparta, Quick

Round 6 preview

Bertus de Jong & Rod Lyall 29/05/19

Hard on the heels of the Ascension Day round tomorrow, all ten teams will be back in action on Saturday for the second set of games in the of the four-round fortnight. With only a single day to recover after Thursday’s games, one would expect the momentum carried forward from the Ascension round results to perhaps weigh more heavily for Round 6, but at time of writing those results are not yet decided.

BdJ: Should things go against them at Dosti on Thursday, VRA will still be winless after 4 matches, and almost out of contention already when they head down to Bermweg to take on Sparta 1888. Sparta’s own position may be little better, with just a single win from the four matches they’ve played so far and a tough assignment against second-placed ACC on Thursday. Both sides will thus be looking for a win as much to get out of relegation danger as to keep their title hopes alive. On paper VRA have by a distance the better record in the competition, and won the last encounter between the two sides by ten wickets after bowling Sparta out for 138 at Amstelveen last season. Sparta had the best of their last encounter at Bermweg, however, Mudassar Bukhari bagging a five-fer as VRA were bundled out for 148. With neither side really playing to their ability so far this season, one could easily envisage either result this time round.

RL: This is indeed what looks like being one of many four-pointers in this season’s competition, albeit at the wrong end of the table for both sides. Sparta are, of course, missing Dost Muhammad and Faisal Iqbal from the team that played in those games last year, but that is compensated to a considerable degree by the emergence of Max Hoornweg, who has taken eleven wickets in his last two games. On the other side of the equation, Vikram Singh’s century last week will have given him great confidence, even if batsmen tend to find the Bermweg a ground where runs are hard to come by. Sparta’s attack looks better placed to take full advantage of those conditions, although if Quirijn Gunning returns to his best form he could cause the home side’s batsmen plenty of problems too.

BdJ: Over at Nieuw Hanenburg Quick Haag will welcome Dosti-United in a mid-ish-table clash, depending on Thursday’s results of course. With Bista and Dake into their second match by then and Rupert Young having been persuaded to stay on a while longer Quick suddenly look an altogether more imposing outfit, at least on paper. Dosti are likewise a stronger outfit than last season however, Kuldeep Diwan especially looking a judicious addition to the side and the relaxation of overseas limits has allowed Singh to come up to the firsts full-time. With the bat at least one would think Taru Kohli at least balances out Jay Bista, and the Dosti home-grown top-order has shown themselves capable of offering more reliable support than has Quick’s.

RL: For teams like Dosti putting together a consistent series of performances is vital to their prospects of being in the title mix come August, and the four games between Ascension Day and Pentecost are a crucial test. The same applies to Quick Haag, although their first priority at the moment will no doubt be to get themselves well clear of the relegation zone. The Amsterdammers were unable to take full advantage of their previous outing on an artificial outfield, against HBS a couple of weeks ago, but Quick’s new surface should suit Kohli and their other stroke-players, not least Rahil Ahmed and Vinoo Tewarie. For the home side, a lot will depend on how quickly (no pun intended) Bista and Dake are able to settle in and start producing match-winning performances, thus taking some of the pressure off the old-established warhorses like Lesley Stokkers and Geert Maarten Mol.

BdJ: Current table-toppers HBS Craeyenhout meanwhile head to Westvliet to take on Voorburg, who have struggled rather on their return to the top flight, despite a fair bit of expectation resting on what on paper remains one of the strongest sides in the league. The batting, especially, has been a weak point for VCC, with Tom de Grooth struggling at the top of the order and Matt Smit’s wicket generally signalling a rapid collapse. Coming up against an HBS side on a roll with a top order in belligerent form, much will depend on VCC opening bowlers Glover and Kingma finding quick wickets, especially that of the destructive Toby Visée.

RL: Voorburg’s batting will be reinforced from Thursday by the arrival of another Smit, in the person of Matt’s brother Nick, and this may help to reverse what has been a surprising dip in their fortunes. On the other hand, Brandon Glover has reportedly attracted notice in England, so strengthening the batting may be balanced by a diminution in the effectiveness of the attack. The Westvliet side might now be content with a position solidly in the middle of the table, but HBS have their eyes on loftier goals, and will need to avoid potential banana-skins like this one if those goals are to be realised. They have melded into a very well-balanced unit since their return to the top flight, and after falling a little short last season they show every sign of going a step or two further this year.

BdJ: Also at the top end of the table HCC face their first test on turf as they take on Excelsior ‘20 at Thurlede. It will be interesting to see whether the in-form Tonny Staal’s time in Australia will help him shake off his reputation as a mat specialist, and if Adam Wiffen is indeed sidelined for these games then a good portion of HCC’s hopes on Saturday may hinge on Staal’s fortunes, together with those of Bryce Street and Bharat Itagi. Excelsior themselves have again looked rather dependent on Lorenzo Ingram and now newcomer Brenton Parchment this season so far, though Tim Etman and Tom Heggelman have chipped in handily with bat and ball at times. The fact that the Schiedammers are three from four despite playing below their best so far nonetheless suggests they deserve the label favourites come Saturday, especially if HCC are without Wiffen.

RL: This looks like the match of the day this Saturday, and it’s definitely another four-pointer as things stand. Excelsior skipper Tom Heggelman has plenty of options in the field, with Parchment augmenting a seam department in which Heggelman himself, Sohail Bhatti and Rens van Troost, even with the last-named struggling for control, are an effective strike force. With Umar Baker joining Ingram as a front-line spinner the attack is as good as any in the competition. The visitors’, though, also has plenty of power, even if they can’t match Excelsior’s spinners. In batting, even with the possible absence of Wiffen, the sides are evenly matched, and a fascinating battle is in prospect. Knowledge of their own turf may turn things Excelsior’s way in the end.

BdJ: In the round’s final match 2018 champions VOC Rotterdam head to Het Loopveld to take on ACC, looking understrength and undercooked. The Rotterdammers picked up their first win last week against a stuttering Voorburg, though they managed to make a meal of a modest target, losing 7 wickets chasing just 136. The addition of Belgian internationals Noman Kamawi and Ashiqullah Said has gone some way to plugging the hole left in the bowling by the loss of Fred Klaassen and Umar Baker, but they can no longer rely on regularly restricting opponents to sub-200 scores as they did last season. As such more pressure will fall on the top order, which to date has failed to really deliver. Coming up against an ACC side which, despite suffering its first reversal on Saturday, looks to be stronger than ever, VOC will need to find a new winning formula and fast.

RL: Cricket is a game of character, and both these sides have something to prove. ACC will need to bounce back quickly from last Saturday’s reversal, and by the time they toss at Het Loopveld this week we’ll know whether they’ve been able to do so (as by any measure they can be expected to) against Sparta on Thursday. VOC’s issues are on a larger scale: their personnel changes are more substantial than most other teams’, and they need to string together a series of improved performances to avoid the indignity of going from champions one season to relegation contenders the next. Even with their losses they have enough quality in their side to claim a mid-table position, but they need internationals Max O’Dowd, Scott Edwards and Pieter Seelaar to create a solid core in their batting line-up, providing their diminished attack with greater cover.

Bertus de Jong’s tips: VRA, Dosti, HBS, Excelsior, ACC
Rod Lyall’s tips: VRA, Dosti, HBS, Excelsior, ACC.

Round 4 Preview

Bertus de Jong & Rod Lyall 23/05/19

Three rounds (or thereabouts) into the 2019 Topklasse and the table has already taken on a somewhat surprising shape, with HBS Craeyenhout and the unfancied ACC unbeaten at the top, whilst last year’s champions VOC and runners-up VRA are both winless at the bottom, albeit with a game in hand over the rest of the field. Perhaps equally surprising has been the less than overwhelming impact of the expanded overseas contingent thus far, though that may change as the season progresses and the new faces acclimatise to Dutch conditions.

BdJ: Both of the two early frontrunners are both away from home for round four, and will be both playing their first matches on turf this Saturday. Table-toppers ACC will be at Thurlede to take on Excelsior ‘20, looking to extend their unbeaten run. Excelsior sank to a surprise home defeat at the hands of Sparta last week, Max Hoornweg taking 7-36 to run through the Schiedammers’ perennially brittle tail. Excelsior’s reliance on Lorenzo Ingram and now his countryman Brenton Parchment, especially with the bat, is hardly a new issue, but it remains the 2017 champions’ biggest weakness. ACC meanwhile head into the game on a high, with three convincing wins under their belt. Youngsters Aryan Kumar and especially Shirase Rasool look to have come into their own this season, though the latter’s duck in the Pro-Series match on Sunday lends further salience to the question of whether he can carry his form onto natural turf. New overseas signings Jean Marais and Brady Barents both seem to be enjoying themselves too, the former bagging four catches against VCC last week and the latter wasting no time in claiming his maiden Topklasse five-fer. If only by virtue of momentum, ACC travel to Thurlede bearing the perhaps unfamiliar label of favourites.

RL: Starting their campaign against VRA and Quick Haag seems to have given ACC a flying start, but their demolition of a below-par Voorburg last Saturday suggests that the Amsterdam side may be on course for their best season since they topped the table in 2012. Back then, an indifferent performance in the play-offs cost them the title (something they last won in 1954), but if their cohort of youngsters continue as they have started, the three remaining Zulfiqars maintain their form, and Marais and Barents contribute as expected, they will be a very tough team to beat. Excelsior’s own younger brigade took them to two successive titles a couple of years ago, but they fell away a little last season, and haven’t really fired yet in this. But Tim Etman is making runs, and it can’t be long before Ingram and/or Parchment plays a really decisive innings. The new-ball bowlers have had their share of problems with the white ball, but the attack is varied and potentially menacing, so this should be a very interesting battle indeed.

BdJ: Meanwhile at the Amsterdamse Bos the unbeaten HBS Craeyenhout take one the as-yet-winless VRA. Despite a batting card that looks solid enough in principle, the Amsterdammers have missed the unshowy but reliable Dan ter Braak at the top of the order, with the ever-promising Vikram Singh looking set to remain a future prospect for the time being, and new opening partner Matt Lake yet to find his feet in the Topklasse. Though Ben Cooper has been making runs in the Pro-Series he has yet to deliver for his club, and VRA can’t afford to be losing early wickets again if they are to contend with HBS’ hard-hitting top order.

RL: The continuing progress of spinner Julian de Mey has added another dimension to the HBS attack, while the top of the batting order is all the stronger for the arrival of Zac Elkin as an opening partner for the mercurial Tobias Visée. The return of Quirijn Gunning is a bonus for VRA, but their attack may struggle to contain the HBS top six; the batting, likewise, has so far been very dependent on the skills of veterans Peter Borren and Eric Szwarczynski. Traditionally slow starters, VRA need to gel quickly if they are not to drop behind the pack, especially with Sparta and Quick having posted their first wins last week. HBS, by contrast, have the momentum on their side, and they will be disappointed if they don’t return to Craeyenhout with the points.

BdJ: Also looking for their first win are defending champions VOC, who will face newly-promotedVCC at Westvliet. The departures of Umar Baker and especially Fred Klaassen have been sorely felt at VOC, with the Rotterdammers’ attack having managed only 11 wickets between them so far this season. On the other hand VCC’s batting order has looked surprisingly brittle so far, with the wicket of Matt Smit tending to precipitate rapid collapse. But in Vivian Kingma and Brandon Glover Voorburg have unarguably the most intimidating new-ball attack in the league, and VOC’s own batting card likewise looks rather thin, reliant on openers Max O’Dowd and Cory Rutgers and the middle-order pairing of Seelaar and Edwards. Early wickets, one imagines, will be key at Westvliet, and VCC look best-placed to find them.

RL: VOC are missing not only Klaassen and Baker, but also the reliable if unspectacular Bobby Hanif, and of course, Ahsan Malik Jamil. Their week off, as with VRA, did them no favours, and they, too, badly need a win to re-establish contact with the other teams in the lower half of the table. Somewhat surprisingly, that includes Voorburg, who began promisingly but have since succumbed to Excelsior and ACC. Their batting has shown a reluctance to graft when the wickets have started falling, but there’s too much quality in their top six for this to continue for long. Matt Smit has already demonstrated his class at this level, and Noah Croes is another potential trump card. And that attack, with Clayton Floyd as well as Glover and Kingma, not to mention Stef Mulder and Philippe Boissevain, gives skipper Tom de Grooth plenty of options.

BdJ: Across the other side of the Hague Quick Haag welcome HCC to the newlook Nieuw Hanenburg, heading into the game with some (perhaps unexpected) momentum. Despite two losses first-up, Quick have pulled together admirably in the absence of their overseas Jay Bista and Prathamesh Dake. Stand-in overseas Rupert Young has runs under his belt, while new skipper Daan Vierling and spin all-rounder Thijs van Schelven have proved an obstinate pairing down the order. The start bodes well for Quick’s prospects later in the season when the cavalry arrives, though HCC remain favourites to take home two points come Saturday. With Hidde Overdijk enjoying his new role as seam spearhead and new-ball partner Ali Ahmed also looking a handful in the Pro-Series, HCC have the edge in the bowling department, whilst Bharat Itagi is likewise relishing his promotion to regular first team opener.

RL: After losing cricket’s equivalent of a best-of-twelve-rounds bout against HBS on the season’s opening weekend, pummelled into submission by a Wesley Barresi century, HCC have disposed of Dosti and VRA, and both their batting and the attack suggest that their position in the top half of the table is well deserved. Bryce Street is another significant component of their set-up, performing well with both bat and ball, and if new skipper Tonny Staal has yet to confirm the progress he made last season, he and Boris Gorlee are home-produced batsmen who are likely to make an important contribution as the season develops. Quick’s resources appear limited by comparison, but they aren’t short of experience and it was a solid team performance which took them to their surprise win over VOC last week. As m’colleague suggests, HCC will start as favourites, but this game may be the round’s best chance of another upset.

BdJ: The round’s final match-up sees Dosti-United head down to Capelle to take on Sparta 1888, both looking to take their win tally to two. Dosti fell well short of what looked a sub-par HBS total of 220 at Craeyenhout last week, with Taruwar Kohli again going cheaply. Dosti will hope he fires at Bermweg on Saturday, though with the Dosti spinners (especially left-armer Kuldeep Diwan) impressing thus far, they will back themselves to win through with even a comparatively modest total. It was Max Hoornweg’s remarkable 7-36 that delivered Sparta their first points of the season in the end after another disappointing collective effort with the bat, which has unquestionably has looked their weakest suit thus far, though Garnett Tarr put together a promising half century against Excelsior last week his fellow overseas Andrew Fletcher has yet to make much of an impact, and Sparta have yet to pass 200 this season.

RL: Dosti fought back well in the field against HBS, only to see their batting crumble. But the overseas quartet of Kohli, Amitoze Singh, Anees Davids and Diwan, all allrounders, give skipper Vinoo Tewarie a wide range of options, and if they coalesce into a cohesive unit they will be capable of troubling any team in the competition. They are certainly likely to provide Sparta with a more challenging opponent than Excelsior were able to do, although Bermweg has proved a difficult venue for visiting batsmen in the past. Fletcher may not yet have come off with the bat, but he bowled economically last week, and Sparta’s new-ball combination of Mudassar Bukhari and Hoornweg will be keen to put Dosti under early pressure.

Bertus de Jong’s tips: ACC, HBS, HCC, VCC, Dosti
Rod Lyall’s tips: Excelsior, HBS, HCC, VCC, Dosti.

Round 3 Preview

Rod Lyall & Bertus de Jong 15/05/19

After just two rounds (or rather less, since VRA and VOC didn’t play last week), the Topklasse has already begun to take shape, with the stronger teams making their presence felt and a couple of early candidates for the looming relegation battle already looking over their shoulders. The presence of the largest overseas contingent in the history of Dutch cricket, however, is likely to have a powerful influence on the eventual outcome in what may be one of the closest competitions for many years.

RL: Having overcome Dosti in the final over last week, HCC will be full of confidence when they take on VRA Amsterdam at De Diepput. The Amsterdammers had a very unhappy start to their campaign, collapsing to 139 all out against ACC, and after a week off, need a quick reset. It took some splendid resistance from Peter Borren to get them even that far, and they will need a much better start from their top order, featuring Eric Szwarczynski, Ben Cooper and the promising Vikram Singh, if they are to trouble an HCC side in which Adam Wiffen and Bryce Street are already amongst the runs. The Hagenaars’ bowling has yet really to fire – Hidde Overdijk’s four-wicket haul against Dosti the exception – but the batting looks strong and will provide a significant test for VRA’s bowling.

BdJ: VRA will hope that they can break the habit of losing twice in their first two matches by the simple expedient of not playing in the second round, though with only a heavy loss to ACC under their belt the Amsterdammers head to de Diepput short of both momentum and match practice. They will take some comfort, however, from the return of opening bowler Quirijn Gunning, who took 6-47 against HCC last season across the two matches, and Ben Cooper also has also been in the runs, making an impressive (if far from chanceless) 135 for the Hurricanes in last week’s pro-series match. Wiffen and Street may be the two batsmen causing them the most concern, but HCC are hardly a 2-man show, with Tonny Staal and Boris Gorlee both continuing to improve, and Douwe Walhain, as VRA will well remember, still packing a punch down the order. With both sides boasting batting line-ups capable of taking wayward bowlers to task, the winners at de Diepput will likely be whichever side does a better job of keeping the big guns quiet.

RL: HBS Craeyenhout have set out their stall pretty effectively in their first two outings, beating a promising HCC side at home and then accounting for Sparta 1888 at Bermweg last Saturday. After two tight finishes in as many games, though, Dosti United Amsterdam will be looking to upset the unbeaten Crows this week. The HBS top five of Zac Elkin, Tobias Visée, Sharn Gomes, Navjit Singh and Wesley Barresi is as menacing as any in the competition, and with a five-man seam attack and two spinners they have a well-balanced bowling unit as well. Dosti’s four overseas players are capable of demolishing any opposition if they all come off at the same time, but the Amsterdam side will have been encouraged by the early batting form of Rahil Ahmed and Vinoo Tewarie as well. This promises to be a great battle.

BdJ: Another match-up where one would expect bat to dominate ball, HBS racked up a record 356-run total against Dosti in the same fixture last season on their way to a 134-run victory. This time round the Crows are without Jaron Morgan, who hit a brutal 115 off 93 in that match, but this season’s top order is no less intimidating, and there is now a sizeable Mohammad Hafeez-shaped hole in Dosti’s bowling attack. Left arm spinner Kuldeep Diwan has stepped up admirably in his place however, with the relaxation of overseas restrictions meaning the former Himachal Pradesh all-rounder is set to play a more significant role for the Amsterdam club this season. The key man for Dosti remains Taruwar Kohli, however, his string of three-figure scores underpinned their early top-table challenge last season, and another one looks a crucial ingredient to any potential upset on Saturday.

RL: The most attractive fixture of the round, however, is probably the clash between early leaders ACC and promoted side Voorburg, whose batting collapse against Excelsior last week will have concentrated their minds considerably. One of the big stories of the first two weeks has been the success of 16-year-old ACC batsman Shirase Rasool, who may have become the youngest top-flight centurion in history last week with his unbeaten 117 against Quick Haag (we’re still checking that one!). His side have been untroubled in their opening matches, but Voorburg are likely to provide a rather stiffer test. In Brandon Glover and Viv Kingma they have the sharpest pace attack of all, and Clayton Floyd’s spin will trouble opposing batsmen with greater success than he enjoyed against Excelsior. This, too, should be an absorbing contest, and the outcome may depend on whether it’s Dr Jekyll or Mr Hyde who turns up at Het Loopveld.

BdJ: A maiden fifty in round one, a maiden century in round two, by simple extrapolation one would expect that this week or next young Rasool will hit the Topklasse’s first double ton since Ben Cooper’s 202 against Hermes in 2013. Reversion to the mean is probably rather more likely of course, but the performances of Rasool and the equally young Arjan Kumar suggest that ACC’s habit of blooding youngsters early may finally pay off for them this season. Whether it will do so on Saturday specifically is rather a different question of course, and despite VCC’s collapse against Excelsior last weekend they remain among the favourites for the title this year, and Glover and Kingma are a big reason why. Kingma’s continued fitness issues have meant that he’s bowled only 5 overs in the Topklasse so far, missing the first match and bowling 2nd change against Excelsior, but he looked back in form in the Pro-Series on Sunday, taking 3-22 in 6 for the Seafarers whilst Glover bagged 3-44 for the other side. The pair will likely prove a tougher test for ACC’s top order, which will be without Sikander Zulfiqar again this week owing to a side strain. Zulfiqar’s benching also leave ACC’s attack looking rather thinner, though Brady Barends looks to have taken to Dutch conditions well.

RL: Having upset the Voorburg apple-cart last Saturday, Excelsior ’20 Schiedam return to Thurlede to take on Sparta 1888, who have been disappointing in their two games so far. With the exception of Brenton Parchment the Schiedammers’ seam attack has yet to find its rhythm (or, indeed, its radar), but with spinners Lorenzo Ingram and Umar Baker bowling as well as they did last week that is less of a problem that it might otherwise be. Ingram and Parchment are also the core of the batting, although it was Tim Etman whose resilience saw the side through to their seven-wicket victory against Voorburg. The Sparta bowlers fought back well against HBS, but the batting has so far been too dependent on old stagers Mudassar Bukhari and Atse Buurman, and they will be looking for a bigger contribution from overseas players Andrew Fletcher and Garrett Tarr.

BdJ: The performance of Parchment and Ingram for Excelsior is the principal reason the Schiedammers are two from two heading into the third round, whilst for Sparta slow starts for both their overseas goes a long way toward explaining their winless record thus far. In the circumstances Sparta’s home players have made a decent fist of picking up the slack, but without significant contributions from their pros it’s hard to see them competing this season. The batting, especially, looks fragile when Fletcher and Tarr fail. Though new signing Ali Raza remains a menace at the top of the order and Bukhari looks in fine nick coming in at six, Sparta will likely need one of Fletcher or Tarr to start earning their keep if they are to take point home from Thurlede.

RL: Defending champions VOC Rotterdam began the season among the favourites, and they were a little unfortunate to fall foul of the DLS system in their opening match against Dosti. After a week cooling their heels they return to the action at home to Quick Haag, who continue to miss their overseas players Jay Bista and Prathamesh Dake. VOC’s international trio of Max O’Dowd, Scott Edwards and Pieter Seelaar are crucial for their title hopes, but the attack looks somewhat diminished by the loss of Fred Klaassen. Pierce Fletcher, though, has a new new-ball partner in Ashiqullah Said, and they struck early against Dosti in a badly rain-affected opener. It’s much too soon to count them out of the running, and they should be too strong for a depleted Quick, notwithstanding the batting exploits of Rupert Young, whose century enlivened an otherwise feeble run chase against ACC.

BdJ: In the absence of Bista and Dake Quick will again start as underdogs on Saturday, though former skipper Tim Gruijters looks to have done his old club a fine favour by dispatching his Leeston-Southbridge CC team-mate from New Zealand as cover. Young’s defiant century was about the only positive Quick could take from their 3-figure defeat at the hands of ACC, and the bowling especially looks a worry with O’Dowd in particular looking in solid form, coming off the back of a Pro-Series 95 on Sunday. The loss of Klaassen to Kent, and to a lesser extent Baker to Excelsior, has certainly taken some of the sting from VOC’s attack this season, but against and understrength Quick they should be confident enough of avoiding a second home defeat.

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