Category: Preview

Two rounds to go, and in the Championship Pool all six terams still have at least a theoretical chance of making it into the semi-finals on 1 September. For Hermes-DVS that means winning both their remaining games and two of three teams above them losing both theirs, so the theory in question approximates that involving phrenology or a flat earth, but still, you never know. In the Relegation Pool, with three rounds to play and ACC already certain to go down, the only thing at stake is pride, which can sometimes be in short supply at this fag end of the season. You’d hope that individuals at least might have a point to prove – and those whose enthusiasm is waning could do worse than have a look at the latest Freddie Flintoff series currently airing on BBC. Words like ‘inspirational’ can be over-used, but there has never been a better illustration of sport’s, and specifically cricket’s, ability to transform lives. Anyways . . .

RL: The obvious candidates for the double-loss scenario are Voorburg, with almost half their side either engaged in national team commitments or already back in South Africa, and their options further restricted by their second team’s battle to stay up in the Hoofdklasse, where they need two more wins to be safe. Their opponents at Westvliet this Sunday are VRA Amsterdam, and they will have been encouraged neither by their visitors’ effortless demolition of HBS last week nor by their own performance against HCC. That is not to say that the defeat of their half-strength side by the rampant Lions was altogether without redeeming features, and they will be hoping that their top order can conjure up some of the stickability shown by the bowlers under pressure, and wit the bat by stand-in captain Floris de Lange. Mees van Vliet and Michael Molenaar remain key, but even without Vikram Singh and Teja Nidamanuru VRA’s batting line-up is menacing, and the pace attack, led by Ben Fletcher and Elijah Eales is capable of exploiting any sign of weakness in Voorburg’s top six.

BdJ: The national selectors’ wait-and-see call on Fletcher has left VRA’s seam attack largely intact, and while they’ve lost their new spin acquisitions for the duration of the international series, having the likes of Turmaine, Nashier and Iles to fall back on means the Amsterdammers are hardly short of slow bowling either. Voorburg are more appreciably weakened by national call-ups, and though word is they’re looking into exercising their right to reinforcement under the 3+ call-ups rule, with a southpaw spin all rounder reportedly on a plane from New Zealand as we speak, there’s no question the young side will start as underdogs on Sunday.

RL: Having both lost last Sunday, Punjab-Ghausia and HBS Craeyenhout will both be exceptionally keen to claim the points at the Zomercomplex, but the stakes are subtly different: a win here would likely guarantee Punjab a top-two finish and the double crack at a grand final spot which comes with it, while for their visitors there is still a slight chance that they could miss out on the semi-finals altogether. Given Hermes’ recent efforts, it would not be an attractive prospect to be going to Schiedam next week on a must-win mission, so Tayo Walbrugh’s side will really want to ease the pressure by taking advantage of Punjab’s occasional fragility. The absence of Lehan Botha as well as internationals Wesley Barresi and Kyle Klein gave the Crows a somewhat makeshift look against VRA, but by the same token Punjab’s collapse against Hermes suggested a greater malaise than can be explained by the loss of Musa Ahmad, or even of Ahmad Shafiq, for whom Khurram Shahzad has proved a more than adequate replacement. Like Walbrugh for HBS, Jonathan Vandiar has a talismanic quality for the Rotterdammers, but his struggles with fitness in the course of a long innings are increasingly evident, and others will need to chip in if they are to avoid a repeat of last week’s subsidence.

BdJ: HBS too are understood to be calling up reinforcements this week in the form of various Vinks and perhaps Visées, and after a near-flawless season to date Punjab do suddenly look vulnerable to a blast from the past. Nonetheless the loss of their skipper along with their most consistent performers leaves a big gap in the Crows line-up, and despite a surprise loss to Hermes one still feels it will take something special to unsettle an enviavbly settled Punjab side.

RL: Hermes-DVS showed considerable resilience in overcoming Punjab last Sunday, but they will need to summon up even greater reserves of determination when they travel to De Diepput this week to take on HCC. The Lions have begun to roar with a vengeance, and they know that wins here and against VRA next week would ensure them a top-two position for the semi-finals. They have lost only one of their last six games, and although Conor McInerney has departed from the top of their order they have a settled side which consistently produces the goods with both bat and ball. That said, Sebastiaan Braat’s outfit know that they have to keep winning, and despite the loss of Aryan Dutt and Olivier Elenbaas to the Dutch national side and Daniel Coyle to Spain’s, they have twice pulled off unlikely victories against more fancied opponents, and you can’t rule out the possibility that they will do it again.

BdJ: The newly-promoted Hermes have already achieved more than they set out to at the start of the season, and it seems as though the total absence of pressure that their unexpected situation as top-six underdogs affords them has turned them into a dangerous wildcard fixture at the back end rather than the easy beat some might have expected. The loss of Doyle-Calle to Euro-qualifier duty certainly removes some of that threat, but HCC looked rather unconvincing against a depleted Voorburg last week, and indeed were it not for Daniel Crowley’s solo showing would likely have lost to a second string VCC side. The pressure will be all on the Lions to cement a top-two finish before the rest of the field recovers their strength, while the men in sky blue will have nothing to lose.

RL: This week’s Relegation Pool match-ups are the reverse fixtures from last Saturday’s, so ACC, now certain to be playing in the Hoofdklasse in both formats next season, will be at home to VOC Rotterdam this week. The luck of the draw means that it will be a somewhat drawn-out farewell, since they will play all three of their final Topklasse matches (for now, at least) at Het Loopveld. It would be good for team morale were they to stage at least one ambush, but that seems unlikely to be against the Bloodhounds, who were clearly a class too strong for their opponents at the Hazelaarweg. VOC have little to show for their heavy investment in overseas talent this season, but no doubt the players themselves will be keen to make hay while the sun shines, assuming, of course, that it does.

BdJ: What’s the opposite of match of the day? It’s been an abject season for an ACC squad that, while weakened, still boasts enough young talent that you can fairly say they’ve under-performed drastically this summer. A 15-year run in the top flight comes to a regrettable but hardly undeserved end. VOC owe their own survival in large part due to their overseas, who have all have earned their keep this season, though for the rest of the squad it’s been a bit “get what you pay for.” The brothers Jain along with the unassumingly effective Asief Hoseinbaks are perhaps exceptions there, and a big part of the reason you’d back the Bloodhounds as favourites on Sunday with or without the overseas cohort.

RL: The rematch between Sparta 1888 and Excelsior ’20 is, if last week’s game at Thurlede is any guide, likely to be a good deal closer, and while these sides are unlikely to produce a classic, it promises to be another tight battle between teams which are pretty similar both in their strengths and their weaknesses. It’s not that long ago that Excelsior won the title three times in four seasons, but while they have had their moments this year, they have mostly been a pale shadow of their former selves. And with their second side languishing in the Tweede Klasse their medium-term prospects don’t seem a great deal brighter. Sparta don’t have the same sort of pedigree, although they have punched above their weight a few times in recent seasons; there is no doubt, however, that they have greatly missed Mudassar Bukhari and Ashan Malik this year, and they, too, will need to do some serious thinking about the way forward. In the meantime, we can look forward to another head-to-head between the two leading wicket-takers in the competition, Sydney-sider Jason Ralston and Capetonian Cameron Fraser.

BdJ: Another season where the Capelle club look set to survive thanks to some judicious acquisitions and captain-chair Martijn Snoep’s sheer force of will, still it’s hard to begrudge the Spartans another summer in the top flight even if they’ve never quite looked like they belong. Conversely it’s hard not to feel that the shock of relegation might have done Excelsior some good, even if it never looked remotely likely to happen. Ralston’s golden summer along with the efforts of the indefatigable Lorenzo Ingram have kept the Schiedammers well clear of danger even as the local core of the side has only regressed. Indeed one might almost think the multi-championship-winning side of the late 2010s was full of aging veterans rather than a promising squad full of prospects in their early 20s, who ought to be better players now than they were then. Even a coasting Excelsior side are at least paper favourites for this fixture however, certainly with Sparta having already secured their survival last week.

RL’s picks: VRA, Punjab, HCC, VOC, Sparta.
BdJ’s picks: VRA, Punjab, HCC, VOC, Excelsior.

Bertus de Jong and Rod Lyall  09/08/2024

The men’s international summer begins in earnest this week, casting something of a shadow over the back end of the Topklasse league phase. Combined with the start of the South African pre-season prompting something of an overseas exodus, the next few rounds will be a severe test of bench-strength for a number of clubs. The absence of the national team will be most keenly felt at the top of the table, and the effect inevitably somewhat uneven, making for a tricky phase of the summer for the Oranje’s chief suppliers as they jockey for position ahead of the knock-outs.

BdJ: Defending champions Voorburg will again be among the most heavily affected, losing Vivian Kingma, Ryan Klein, Noah Croes and Michael Levitt to national duty. Worse still, they will have to do without opener Gavin Kaplan for the rest of the season, the league lead-scorer having been recalled to South Africa. They will benefit from the availability of the itinerant Flip Boissevain, in the country yet surprisingly overlooked by the selectors, but it’s above all batting that they will miss on Sunday. Conversely HCC, having astutely sourced their overseas mostly from New Zealand emerge largely unscathed from the late season availability cull, losing only Conor McInerney to the Australian pre-season and young Teun Kloppenburg, who resumes his South African stint. Indeed HCC stand to benefit from the Dutch being in action, with Daniel Doram, flown back as a reserve for the ODIs (though likely to feature in the T20s) expected to turn out in yellow at the weekend. Though the Lions looked below their best for much of the early season, they look to be hitting their stride at just the right moment and now have a gift of an opportunity to push there way into the top two this weekend. Voorburg’s bench is one most clubs would envy, but that’s in part because their most promising understudies – the likes of Cedric de Lange, Michael Molenaar and Alejo Nota – are still so young. If Westvliet’s young guns do manage to pick up two points on Sunday they’ll be confident of holding on for a top two finish, but fair to say it’s a big ask.

RL: There’s not much more to say about this, except perhaps that it will be interesting to see two rising young pace bowlers – Teun Leijer for the hosts and Molenaar for Voorburg – in action on the opposing sides. The Lions have indeed once again timed their run well, and will start as favourites against a half-strength Voorburg.

BdJ: Also heavily affected by the country’s call are HBS Craeyenhout and VRA, both of whom lose their captains to national duty. VRA are already on their second skipper owing to Teja Nidamanuru’s netting mishap earlier in the season, and now will also be deprived of deputy Vikram Singh as well as the spin duo of Shariz Ahmad and Clayton Floyd. They’ve no shortage of slow-bowling cover despite also losing Jack Balbirnie to injury, with Leon Turmaine and Udit Nashier already putting in some solid first team performances and Thomas Iles waiting in the wings, but will miss the in-form stand-in skipper at the top of what’s been a rickety-looking batting order. HBS meanwhile lose captain Wesley Barresi, as well as stand-out seamer Kyle Klein to national duty, and both Matt de Villiers and Lehan Botha to obligations back home in South Africa. While the crows have occasionally been able to call on old hands Stephan and Ferdi Vink, they don’t boast anywhere near the experience on the bench that VRA can fall back on. Much will likely depend on deputy skipper Tayo Walbrugh, whose presence at the crease tends to have a stabilising effect on the order, as well as delivering some 572 runs at an average over 80 thus far.

RL:  This is a more even split, although the combined effects of national team commitments and the South African pre-season mean that HBS are hit a good deal harder than their visitors. They do have a crop of youngsters who have already gained a fair bit of first-team experience, but there’s been little sign so far that they are ready to step into a leading role against a side which, even without two key batters and a pair of front-rank spinners and despite their somewhat stop-start form, looks distinctly stronger on paper.

BdJ: The day’s final top-six match sees Hermes DVS welcome front-runners Punjab-Ghausia to the Loopuyt Oval, in what looks on paper to be an easy two points for the visitors. Hermes have already achieved their stated season goal of survival, and with their second team locked in a relegation battle there was already substantial demand on the Hermes bench, and on the evidence of last weekend they’ll likely be reluctant to divert playing resources to the first team’s unlikely attempt to break the top four. An injury to skipper Sebastiaan Braat and Dutch call-ups for Olivier Elenbaas and Aryan Dutt leaves the home side looking rather threadbare, though there’s still Daniel Doyle Calle and Ashley Ostling at the top of the order and young Sam van Giezen is expected to slot back into the seam attack alongside Ralph Elenbaas, who has outshone his brother with the ball thus far. Conversely Punjab only lose opener Musa Ahmad to Orange, and who will partner Shoaib Minhas in his absence is at this point an open question, but given the depth of the Rotterdammers’ batting it’s unlikely they’ll be sweating it unduly. They’ll nonetheless be keen to put some distance between themselves and the chasing pack ahead of a showdown with second-placed HBS next week, potentially locking down a top two finish and a double shot at the final.

RL: This should be a banker for Punjab, for whom Khurram Shahzad proved an outstanding replacement for Ahmad Shafiq last weekend. Hermes did show remarkable resolution towards the end of the first place, making sure of their spot in the championship pool, but things have not gone their way since then, and although Rinck van Dam made a promising start to his Topklasse career last week, it was a decidedly makeshift side which played those games. Punjab have earned their place at the top of the table, and with a double crack at the grand final the reward for a top-two finish, they will doubtless want to make sure there are no slip-ups on the run in.

RL:  Whatever the mathematics may say, the prospect of ACC playing in next year’s Topklasse has long gone, and defeat by VOC Rotterdam on Saturday (when the relegation pool will be in action) would settle the issue definitively were Sparta to take the points against Excelsior. The Loopveld side has looked out of its depth all season, and although they have shown rather more fight in some of their recent games, they have managed overall to be less than the sum of their parts. VOC, too, have often failed to live up to their considerably greater potential – hence the fact that they find themselves in the relegation pool – but they should have little difficulty in taking the points back to Rotterdam with them. Never has the case for an eight-team Topklasse been made more eloquently than it has at Het Loopveld this year.

BdJ: Needing three wins from three and two neutral results to fall their way, ACC’s coinflip odds of surviving the season are a shade over 3%, but given the form they’ve shown so far you’d have to say that’s pretty flattering. That said, looking back at the season you could make a case that the only substantial difference between these two sides is VOC’s better choice of overseas signings, at least in terms of batting, and indeed smarter domestic acquisitions in the bowling department. Though VOC have nothing to play for but pride in this encounter, there’s little reason to expect they’ll take the foot off the gas in any discernible way, given that the pedal’s been a long way from the metal all summer anyway.

RL:  A win here would confirm Sparta’s survival, in a match which pits the two most destructive new-ball bowlers in the competition, Sparta’s Cameron Fraser and Excelsior’s Jason Ralston, against opposing top orders which have frequently failed to fire. In Mitchell, Tim Etman, Verhagen, Ingram and Lubbers Excelsior have as good a top five on paper as anyone in the Topklasse, but they have been extremely inconsistent, and that week they had to rely on a fine partnership between Ingram and Lubbers to dig them out of trouble against ACC. Sparta lack batting with that sort of pedigree, but Riley Mudford showed signs of a return to form last weekend. Given the effectiveness of the Sparta bowling unit, Excelsior may struggle at Thurlede to post the sort to total their own bowlers can defend. Expect a low-scoring, hard-fought encounter!

BdJ: Another case where two sides’ relative standings can be explained largely by overseas signings paying off or not, Excelsior owe their assured survival almost entirely to the excellence of Ralston and Ingram with the ball all season. Sparta, conversely, have got a bit more out of their lowland contingent, the indefatigable Martijn Snoep again leading from the front with the ball, ably supported by Belgium’s Khalid Ahmadi. While Cameron Fraser’s been an excellent new-ball spearhead, the trio together haven’t been able to compensate for the Spartans shortcomings with the bat. While Excelsior’s domestic contingent have had a middling season with the bat at best, Sparta’s locals have been abject. With Mudford mostly misfiring in the longer format, Sparta simply haven’t been able to get runs on the board, and there’s little reason to think they’ll go any better coming up against the league’s leading wicket-taker.

BdJ’s picks: HCC, VRA, Punjab,VOC, Excelsior

RL’s picks:  HCC, VRA, Punjab, VOC, Sparta.

---

Rod Lyall & Bertus de Jong 18/07/2024

And so we enter the finishing straight of the first 50-over race, with the finishing positions all but decided. There’s still a lot to play for, however: there’s an outside possibility that a couple of runners might squeeze past their rivals, while this is, after all, just the preliminary event, and with points earned now carried forward into Phase Two, itself a handicap race, every advantage gained this weekend could turn out to be worth its weight in gold come the end of August. Let’s look further at the runners and riders.

Saturday

RL: Of the two sides still hoping against hope to squeeze into the top six, VOC Rotterdam have the slightly less arduous escape route. But Saturday’s assignment is nevertheless tough: a visit to De Diepput to take on HCC. Here we have a match-up between two of the more powerful batteries of overseas players, with the Lions’ Conor McInerney, Jed Wiggins and Adam Leonard facing the Bloodhounds’ Ryan Schierhout, Taylor Bettelheim, Jock McKenzie and Jason van der Meulen. That the latter are currently outside the top six and their hosts’ position within it not entirely secure is evidence both that the big guns have not quite made the overwhelming impression the clubs might have hoped, but also that their local players haven’t been able to contribute enough. On both counts this game, therefore, is something of a last-chance saloon, especially for a VOC outfit which will know that defeat here would definitively mean a place in the relegation pool for the rest of the season.

BdJ: Of the catch-up matches scheduled for Saturday this does indeed look the most likely to be decisive given that state of the table and Sunday’s fixture list. HCC lead VOC by two points as it stands but there’s little to separate them on net run rate, and while VOC will be fairly confident of picking up two points against ACC in their final match, HCC hacve a date with defending champions Voorburg on Sunday. A win for VOC would thus make them firm favourites to leapfrog HCC into the top six. The Boodhounds have relied almost entirely on McKenzie, Schierhout and Bettelheim for runs this season, with the rest of the batting card averaging in the low teens at best. Three bats is often enough to win a typical Topklasse game of course, and HCC have looked like a thoroughly typical mid-table team this season.

---

RL: For Hermes-DVS, it may be enough in this first season back in the top flight that they’re four points clear of the bottom of the table, but they too have the faintest of outside chances of making it into the top six. But their first assignment is to face Voorburg at Westvliet, and they will need to be at their absolute best to claim the points and keep that hope alive for another 24 hours. They will be assisted by the return of Olivier Elenbaas from suspension, but even that may not be enough against the defending champions, whose chances of reaching the top four at the end of August may depend in large part on their ability to pile on the points this weekend. Hermes did pretty well with both bat and ball against HBS last Sunday, and their seam attack is sharp enough to unsettle a Voorburg top order which has been highly dependent on the phenomenal form of Gavin Kaplan, with the assistance of Michael Levitt and Noah Croes. On the other hand, Ryan Klein and Michael Molenaar have been very useful in the middle order, and the defending champions’ attack remains a powerful force.

BdJ: With newly-promoted Hermes aiming for survival this season and Voorburg prioritising renewal over a repeat title win, it’s probably fair to say both have had a pretty successful summer so far. The impending departure of Kaplan coupled with the resumption of international cricket will further test VCC’s depth at the back end of the season, and picking up two points here would substantially improve their odds of making the playoffs. For Hermes two points would mean a substantial safety-buffer if not total security ahead of phase two, even if a top four finish looks fanciful from here. The return of Olivier Elenbaas won’t hurt, though the Schiedammers will be hoping he finds the sort of rhythm his less-celebrated brother has found this season, with Ralph Elebaas currently the only Hermes bowler taking regular wickets at a reasonable price. The batting likewise has looked top-heavy, though Voorburg may struggle to get through the top order with Mees van Vliet consistently expensive and Viv Kingma’s fitness still in doubt. Yet while Kingma conspicuously did not bowl during this week’s Pro-Series matches in Deventer, the astute may have noted that Lgan van Beek is in the country. Whether he rocks up for his old club come Saturday may yet swing the odds for this one.

---

RL: VRA Amsterdam, though, can slam the door in the faces of VOC and Hermes if they are able to secure a win against so-far-winless ACC at Het Loopveld. A victim of the weather on 15 June, the Amsterdam Derby can sometimes spring a surprise, but a victory for the home side here would probably be sufficient to trigger a stewards’ enquiry, even if VRA’s form has been on the patchy side. Izhaan Sayed has emerged as ACC’s one bright spark, with the bat as well as with the ball, but the side has still not passed 150 in six attempts, and you’d think that, barring a really astonishing effort with the ball, they’d need a good deal more than that against a line-up which includes Vikram Singh, Shirase Rasool, Johan Smal and Co. VRA’s combination of seam and spin, moreover, has more than enough fire-power to run through their hosts’ fragile batting, leaving Singh’s side odds-on favourites to head back across Amstelveen with the points and a settled place in the championship pool.

BdJ: It’s been a while since the Amsterdam Derby was as competitive as those in the Hague or Schiedam, but still it’s hard to recall at time where one side were as overwhelming favourites as VRA will be on Saturday. The Bos-dwellers are no mere paper-favourites either, with several of the side looking in excellent form in the Pro-Series this week, not least Singh, who notched another century for the Seafarers. Flethcher, Floyd and Shariz Ahmad all had decent mid-week returns with the ball too, while ACC were conspicuously unrepresented. As with basically every game from here this will be do or die for ACC however, and it’s been a while since VRA have had to play on a mat, but it would indeed be the upset of the weekend if the hosts were to pick up any points on Saturday.

---

Sunday

RL: Whatever the outcome of Saturday’s matches, ACC will still be at the foot of the table when they entertain VOC on Sunday. How significant the game is for the Bloodhounds, on the other hand, will depend greatly on the previous days’ results: if they beat HCC and VRA should lose, then they will have every incentive to win convincingly at ‘t Loopveld. Sheer professionalism should in any case be a sufficient motivation for the Rotterdammers to end the first phase on a high, and what we said about the match-up with VRA applies equally here: nothing about ACC’s form to date suggest that they will have effective answers to their guests’ strengths in both batting and bowling. In the latter department, it will be interesting to see how the brothers Jain and Roman Harhangi respond to bowler-friendly conditions at ‘t Loopveld.

BdJ: One might imagine ACC ambushing a potentially deflated VOC on a likely rainy Sunday should HCC put the Rotterdammers out of top-six contention the day before, and the Bloodhounds still looks a side that could fold if they lose early wickets. That said, ACC have looked deflated since day one this season, and even if they succeed in rolling VOC for a sub-150 score it’s hard to see where those runs would be coming from for the hosts.

---

RL: In what is almost certain to be a preliminary match in the relegation pool, Hermes-DVS will end Phase One by entertaining Sparta 1888 at Loopuyt Oval. Barring a sensational recovery by ACC, both sides will be safe from the drop to the Hoofdklasse, but both would welcome the additional security of a couple more points heading into the back end of the season. They seem on paper to be well-matched: the Schiedammers’ batting is perhaps a tad more solid than that of their hosts, especially given the indifferent recent form of Riley Mudford, but Cameron Fraser and Martijn Snoep have proved an effective seam pairing, and Khalid Ahmadi lurks in the wings as a potential destroyer. But Hermes have the Elenbaas brothers, Sebastiaan Braat and Niels Woermeijer, not to mention international Aryan Dutt, and a top six which is more than capable of generating big totals. These sides will have seen a lot of each of other by the end of the campaign, and this could be an extremely absorbing first round.

BdJ: Even in the absence of Bukhari and Malik, the Sparta seam section has looked like that of a team that belongs in the top flight this season. The rest of the side simply has not, however, with both the batting and slow-bowling section looking sub-par at best. Conversely Hermes’ problems seem to stem more from form than structural deficiencies in the squad, notably Aryan Dutt’s curious under-performance for his new side in the fifty-over format, Olivier Elenbaas’ lack of wickets, and the evaporation of CP Klijnhans’ form since the T20 competition. On paper Hermes really ought to be a bowling side, only Ashley Ostling and Daniel Doyle Calle’s solid seasons and Sebastiaan Braat’s apparent transformation into a batting all-rounder turning that on its head so far. Regardless of other results a certain security in survival will be at stake on Sunday, and one of the two sides will at least be able to play with the pressure off for the second phase.

---

RL: In another game where the height of the stakes will depend a good deal on Saturday’s events, VRA will welcome second-placed HBS Craeyenhout to the Amsterdamse Bos. But the battle for a top-four spot and a place in the semi-finals has already started, and whether or not VRA have made sure of their place in the championship pool, the two points from this match will be very important to both sides. The Crows were fully tested by Hermes last week, and playing on the turf in Amstelveen is a very different proposition from the all-astro environment at Craeyenhout. Skipper Wesley Barresi is, of course, no stranger to conditions in the Bos, having had several very successful seasons with VRA, and no doubt the likes of Lehan Botha, Matt de Villiers and Tayo Walbrugh will relish the chance to play there. That top order will have to weather the storm represented by Ben Fletcher, Elijah Eales and perhaps Ashir Abid, with the spin of Shariz Ahmad and Clayton Floyd to follow. This looks like one of the most attractive fixtures of the season, and it’s one that could go either way.

BdJ: Another side likely to be substantially weakened by the looming exit of South African pros and Dutch internationals, points on the board will be at a premium for HBS. Even before the late season exodus the Crows have been chopping and changing their side in exactly the manner they had planned not to, though it should be said the results have been solid enough. They have nonetheless looked reliant on precisely the players they’ll be losing, and should they lose to VRA on Sunday a semi-finals place looks a tough ask indeed. VRA meanwhile have been pegged back by the weather as much as the opposition this season, but are nonetheless in a precarious position going into the last weekend of phase one. They do at least have form in their favour, even if the side assembled by the now-sidelined Teja Nidamanuru has not looked quite the sum of its parts thus far.

---

RL: This may be a replay of the last two grand finals, but the situation will be a bit different when Voorburg take on HCC at Westvliet on Sunday. Neither side has been quite the force it was this season, and both can look forward to a real battle to convert a top-six position into a spot in the top four. The hosts, in particular, will be conscious of the demands that are likely to be made on their reserve strength during the second phase, with the consequence that points in the bank now are of double significance. Cedric de Lange’s first Topklasse fifty last week was an encouraging sign that he is finding his feet in the top flight, something that HCC’s Teun Kloppenburg has already done with a vengeance. The Lions will be hoping that Tonny Staal and Boris Gorlee really come into their own as the competition reaches its sharp end, while a more consistent presence of Hidde Overdijk would also do their chances no harm. There’s plenty of home-grown talent on view on both sides in this one, and if Voorburg may start as slight favourites, an HCC firing on all cylinders could just be too strong for the champions.

BdJ: After a strong showing from both in recent seasons, both HCC and Voorburg again look like sides in a building phase, arguably a year or two away from a new peak. Spectators will perhaps be treated to a vision of things to come on Saturday, with probably the densest concentration of as-yet uncapped future internationals anywhere in the league. It’s notable that both sides’ fortunes have mirrored the individual form of their least experienced players so far this season, though HCC especially will be hoping that their more seasoned forever-fringe-international trio can make more of an impact this weekend.

---

RL: Finally, leaders Punjab-Ghausia will be at home to an Excelsior ’20 outfit which all but made certain of a top six spot with their victory over VRA last Sunday. Despite a couple of slip-ups the new combination have thoroughly deserved their seat at the head of the table, and they will be reluctant to surrender it going into the second phase. In Shoaib Minhas and Musa Ahmad they have perhaps the most accomplished opening pair in the competition, and their attack is varied and always threatening. But Excelsior have a potential trump card with the pace of Jason Ralston, and in the absence of Jens Blankestijn in the past couple of games Gijs Kroesen has slotted back in very effectively. Whether that, together with the contributions of Derek Mitchell and Lorenzo ingram, will be enough to overcome Punjab is perhaps moot, but on a final day of the first phase on which there promise to be riches everywhere this, too, could be a great encounter to watch.

BdJ: Generally speaking in the Topklasse if you’ve got six players averaging between 25 and 125 with the bat and as many averaging under 25 with the ball, you’re probably going pretty well. In that light, it’s actually surprising Punjab are just the one point clear at the top of the table. Excelsior, with just the one bat averaging over 25, can probably count themselves lucky to have a place in the top four for now. Those figures are of course in part a reflection of their bowler-friendly home ground at Thurlede, but while runs come easier at the Zomercomplex Punjab have not been in the habit of giving them away for free. Above all Punjab’s success has been built on depth in the batting and a lack of hittable for the opposition to target. Likely needing their best score of the season against a side reliably sending down fifty good overs, fair to say Excelsior will start as underdogs when they cross the Maas on Sunday.

---

RL’s picks: Saturday: VOC, Voorburg, VRA ; Sunday: VOC, Hermes, VRA, HCC, Punjab.

BdJ’s picks: Saturday: VOC, Voorburg, VRA ; Sunday: VOC, Hermes, VRA, Voorburg, Punjab.

Rod Lyall 04/07/24

And so we reach the first of two weekends in which the stagger will unwind, and by the end of it some teams will only have two first-phase matches left to play. With eight teams at least in with a shout of a top-six place – winless ACC are firmly rooted at the foot of the table and Hermes-DVS, though not yet arithmetically out of the running, have left themselves a huge amount to do – this week’s double-headers are certain to have a huge influence on the table. Not to mention the fact that Saturday brings us the first 50-over Schiedam derby for seven years. We can only hope that the threatened rain on Saturday doesn’t put a dampener on proceedings.

---

After two lethal performances with the ball in their last two games, Excelsior ’20 go into their meeting with neighbours Hermes-DVS at the latter’s Loopuyt Oval riding high, sitting in fourth spot and facing matches against the two bottom sides this weekend. But derbies like this have a way of bringing the unexpected, and Roel Verhagen’s side will be a lot less comfortable about the recent performances of their batting than those of the attack. Jason Ralston is the competition’s leading wicket-taker by a distance, while Lorenzo Ingram’s career-best effort against Sparta last Saturday should serve as a stark warning to opposing batters. With the Elenbaas brothers and Sebastiaan Braat, though, Hermes have a useful pace attack of their own, and a top order which certainly has the potential to blunt the edge of Excelsior’s bowling.

Having dealt with the local rivalry on Saturday, Hermes will then entertain VRA Amsterdam on Sunday in the game which should have been their season’s opener. They will go into the weekend knowing that they need to secure at least two points out of four if they are to have any chance of making the top six, although in truth their first priority is no doubt to stay well clear of relegation. The Amsterdammers were unable to defend 306 last week, though to be fair the Loopuyt Oval is unlikely to replicate the extreme batter-friendly conditions which saw Voorburg top order run riot. If Elijah Eales is back in the VRA side they will have an attack which will test the Hermes batting to the maximum, while their batting line-up is also full of menace.

Excelsior also have a double-weekend, returning to Thurlede on Sunday for their postponed match against ACC. With a batting side which has failed against less imposing attacks than the Schiedammers’, ACC have every reason to face Ralston, Blankestijn, Ingram and Co. with trepidation, and it will be vital for them to find a way of neutralising that threat if they are to have any chance of rehabilitating their season. Having been bowled out cheaply elsewhere in Schiedam last week, the Amsterdammers won’t relish a return visit to take on a rampant Excelsior, but if their own spearhead, Guy Sheena, is able to put the home side’s batting under pressure they might give themselves a chance of recording their first 50-over win of the season.

---

On Saturday, ACC will have faced a tough challenge, at home to a Voorburg side which is naturally looking a lot stronger with the return of its international stars. Admittedly their bowlers conceded a motza of runs against VRA last week, but that was attributable more to the nature of the pitch and outfield rather than to any deficiency in the attack, as Michael Levitt, Gavin Kaplan and Noah Croes went on to demonstrate as they guided their team to a seven-wicket victory. The difference between that experience in the Bos and playing at Het Loopveld is approximately comparable to that between a Ron Blauw meal and a plate of bitterballen, but this may give ACC their best chance of pulling off a shock victory. Failing that, you have to think that the sheer class of a team which includes four full internationals and four youth internationals is likely to prevail. After all, ACC have yet to pass 150 in four attempts, and they are in serious need of the order of partnership in which Voorburg have been specialising.

On the other side of Amstelveen on Saturday, VRA take on a VOC Rotterdam outfit who need to come back strongly after last Sunday’s defeat by HBS if they are to maintain their claim to a spot in the championship play-offs. The Bloodhounds have taken their matches down to the wire too often for their supporters’ comfort, but perhaps even more concerning with the lack of discipline with the bat as they fell away from a winning position at Craeyenhout. They were, of course, missing the injured Jock McKenzie, and they will have been heartened by Mussayab Jamil’s display of calculated aggression in the middle order. But they will need to be at their absolute best with both bat and ball if they are to get the better of a VRA side which combines quality, fast-scoring batters with an attack which has both effective pace and plenty of spin options.

---

Having reinforced their position near the top of the table against VOC, HBS Craeyenhout are again at home on Saturday, taking on Sparta 1888. With Tayo Walbrugh back to something like his best form with the bat, Matthew de Villiers providing allround value and pacemen Kyle Klein and Benno Boddendijk taking wickets, the Crows need a couple more wins to make absolutely sure of their place in the top six, but they, like their main rivals, will also be looking to take as many points as possible into the second phase. Sparta have an outside chance of squeezing into the championship pool as well, but they will need to win at least one of their two matches this weekend to keep those hopes alive, and they will be concerned about the inability of their top order to give the side a strong platform. Riley Mudford began the T20 campaign with a bang, but he has yet to make an impact on the 50-over competition, and no-one has shown much consistency – although the return of Will Clark gave some solidity against Excelsior until Ingram came on and Sparta’s wheels fell off.

Perhaps the most intriguing encounter of Saturday’s round is that between Punjab-Ghausia and HCC at Het Zomercomplex, and not only because it involves Jonathan Vandiar facing his former teammates. Back at the top of the table after their comprehensive dismissal of ACC last week, Punjab look like a very strong combination, the more so with Saqib Zulfiqar back from international duty, but the Lions, despite the absence of a couple of key players in Tonny Staal and Hidde Overdijk, showed against Hermes something like the form which took them to grand final in each of the last two seasons. Their bowling was particularly impressive, while the return of Teun Kloppenburg has clearly heightened the hitting power of the middle order. Punjab, though, have sufficient depth in both departments to see them through pretty much any crisis, and although the HCC overseas, Conor McInerney (newly confirmed in South Australia’s State squad), Jed Wiggins and especially Adam Leonard, have had their moments, they have not yet fired all together. When they do, there will be fireworks.

Sparta will again be in Residence City on Sunday, taking on HCC at De Diepput, and here most of the big guns will be on the Lions’ side. On the other hand, we should say a word in favour of Sparta’s bowling, which has so far performed far more creditably than their batting. Seamers Khalid Ahmadi, Martin Snoep and Cameron Fraser have all been among the wickets, with spin back-up from Umar Baker and Manminder Singh, and Sparta’s chances of taking something back to Capelle with them may depend on their ability to contain HCC’s powerful but not yet consistent batting. The big question, though, is whether Sparta’s top six can produce enough runs, whether setting or chasing, to give them an edge.

---

Just my picks this week, m’colleague being otherwise engaged:

Saturday: Excelsior, Voorburg, VRA, HBS, Punjab.

Sunday: VRA, Excelsior, HCC.

Rod Lyall & Bertus de Jong 27/06/2024

---

Last week’s full round of Topklasse fixtures produced, at least for the present, a very crowded table, with seven teams clustered within two points of each other (although with varying numbers of games played), and two more just a point or two behind. Although this Saturday notionally sees round 6, some sides have only played three matches, so assessing the standings is a bit like trying to figure out who’s leading an 800 meter race before the stagger unwinds. And last week’s results didn’t help much, either, although they did confirm that ACC will have a big fight on their hands to climb out of the relegation zone.

---

RL: Unbeaten VRA Amsterdam, having demolished HCC last week, return to the Bos to take on defending champions Voorburg in what promises to be one of the most significant matches of the round. With returning internationals Teja Nidamanuru and Vikram Singh now combining with Johan Smal, the chief contributor to their decent total against HCC, the VRA batting line-up looks remarkably strong, as it will need to be against a varied Voorburg attack. Neither top order, in fact, has been as consistent as its credentials on paper might suggest, but it is the champions who have so far relied very heavily on a single big partnership to boost their total. Still and all, the emergence of Ryan Klein as a powerful No. 5 is a real bonus, as is the growing role of Michael Molenaar as an allrounder. That said, it’s VRA’s pace attack which, on present evidence, is the more menacing of the two, and after last week’s disappointment against Punjab, Voorburg will need to be at their best to get the better of their hosts.

BdJ: There’s plenty of open questions around what indeed looks a potentially key match for both sides at the Bos, not least what sort of surface they’ll be playing on given the transitional custodial situation at VRA this week. It looks an inopportune juncture for VCC’s troubled top order to play themselves into form however, with the host’s bowling attack, already looking in fine rhythm, currently honing their skills across the border in Germany. Despite the emergence of a slew of promising youngsters at Westvliet, VCC look aside that may need another season to recover from the recent winter exodus, while VRA’s new-look first team seem to be hitting their stride.

---

RL: Level on points with the leaders but having played two more games, Punjab-Ghausia are also at home this week, taking on current wooden-spooners ACC at the Zomercomplex. It’s imperative for the Amsterdammers that they don’t let the gap at the foot of the table grow any bigger, but Punjab at home are never an easy proposition, and with their home-grown crop yet to make a significant contribution ACC will need strong contributions from their overseas contingent, Van der Merwe, Sheena and Sayed, if they are to threaten Sikander Zulfiqar’s side. For them, a century by Mohsin Riaz, a near-miss by Saqib Zulfiqar on his return from World Cup duty, and fifties for Shoaib Minhas and Jonathan Vandiar demonstrate the power of their top order, only Musa Ahmad yet to get past fifty. Punjab’s attack, moreover, seems well suited to exploiting the fragility of the ACC’s top five, and it would be one of the biggest shocks of the season were the Amsterdammers to head back north with the points.

BdJ: While they may find themselves at opposite ends of the table for now, both ACC and Punjab will be looking in the same direction at this point – namely down. For ACC the looming threat of relegation will be the principle focus, while Punjab have two losses against them and can ill-afford another at home to the league’s whipping boys if they’re to mount a serious challenge this season. It would indeed be the upset of the round if not the whole summer should ACC take two points back North on Saturday. The ACC top-order looks particularly out of their depth thus far, especially in the absence of Heino Kuhn, and without Dosti castaways Rahil Ahmed and Mahesh Hans the Amsterdammers have simply looked out of place in the top flight this year.

---

RL: Wins last week propelled both Excelsior ’20 and Sparta 1888 into the middle of the table, although the Schiedammers’ destruction of HBS was probably a more notable victory in the longer term than Sparta’s over ACC. Jason Ralston is unlikely to have many better days than he did against the Crows, but Niels Etman and Jens Blankestijn provide a useful foils, and the arrival of Victor Lubbers as a genuine allrounder gives skipper Roel Verhagen plenty of options. There are, perhaps, more questions about the Schiedammers’ batting, especially in the middle order, and in Cameron Fraser, Khalid Ahmadi and Martijn Snoep Sparta have a seam attack capable of causing their hosts some problems – if they can work their way through Excelsior’s solid-looking top four. Sparta’s own batting hasn’t really fired as yet, and one senses that that might be where this battle centres. But the winner of this encounter will stake a significant claim to a spot in the top six, while the loser may well find themselves dropping back into the relegation zone. So nowhere in this week’s games will the stakes be higher than at Thurlede.

BdJ: While back-to-back wins for both sides in the last couple of weeks may have put worries about relegation to rest for the time being at least, it still looks like the mid-table ain’t big enough for the both of them and which side gets to start setting their sights higher and which needs to start thinking about survival may well be decided at Thurlede on Saturday. For all the pedigree of their top order, Excelsior have had reason to be grateful for the depth that the arrival of Lubbers lends to the batting and a wagging tail of late, with only Tim Etman alone averaging over 30 and Niels Etman outscoring many recognised bats. Verhagen himself seems to have found some form in Germany however, and while Sparta’s seam attack has looked solid they still struggle to find fifty good overs in a game. The spartan trump card remains the destructive Riley Mudford of course, but the big-hitting keeper-bat has yet to replicate his short format form in the 50-over comp, and Sparta’s fans may be beginning to wonder how deep a hole that particular ace is hiding in.

---

RL: HBS Craeyenhout, back on their own astroturf to face VOC Rotterdam, will need to put last week’s remarkable collapse behind them quickly if they are to return to winning ways. Here, too, both sides need the points to stay with the clustering pack, and both will doubtless again be looking to their overseas contingent to provide a good deal of the muscle. Walbrugh, Botha and De Villiers all had off days for the Crows against Excelsior, leaving Wesley Barresi to fight a rearguard action in company with Julian de Mey, while Schiehout, Bettelheim and even the injured McKenzie proved their worth for VOC. The balance of the sides will be influenced by whether McKenzie is able to play this week, but it’s also significant that the Rotterdammers’ local brigade – especially Jelte Schoonheim and Asief Hoseinbaks – have been able to contribute more to their campaign than the Crows’ equivalents.

BdJ: A remarkable symmetry between the Crows and the Bloodhounds this season indeed, both mired in the mid-table and reliant on their overseas for most all of their runs and a good chunk of the wickets, albeit both boasting some promising youngsters that look at most a season away from being genuine assets. It would be nice to imagine that this weeks encounter will be decided by the efforts of a Boddendijk or a Jain, and indeed it may well be. More likely it’ll be down tom which side’s overseas have the best day out, and it’s a brave man who bets against Walbrugh at Craeyenhout.

---

RL: The same remark about a quick recovery applies to HCC, who this week face a potentially tricky visit to the Loopuyt Oval to take on Hermes-DVS. Sebastiaan Braat’s side gives the impression of having settled down as a unit more than the Lions, with Ostling, Doyle, Braat himself and the returning Aryan Dutt all weighing in with the bat and an attack spearheaded by the Elenbaas brothers, Braat and Niels Woermeijer, backed up by Murid Ekrami. HCC’s season, of course, has been badly disrupted by the weather, but they will be concerned that no-one has managed more than 36 with the bat in their three matches so far – and that came from bowling allrounder Daniel Crowley. So Boris Gorlee will be keen to step up himself and to get more from the rest of his top five. The bowling has been more effective, it is true, but whether setting or chasing the Lions will need a better start than they have so far been able to achieve.

BdJ: Survival was Hermes’ stated ambition at the start of the season, and despite having picked up just the one win thus far it could be argued they’ve set their sights a little low. While the bowling looked a little light ahead of the season, the efforts of Woermeijer, the brothers Elenbaas and reinforcements from south of the border have kept them competitive even in Dutt’s absence. HCC meanwhile have looked strangely out of sorts this season, for a side that’s maintained a core unit for a half-dozen summers now the Lions nonetheless look oddly incoherent and less than the sum of their parts. On paper the visitors’ extensive top-flight experience ought to make them heavy favourites against the newly-promoted Hermes, but it doesn’t really feel that way two days out.

---

RL’s picks: VRA, Punjab, Excelsior, VOC, Hermes.

BdJ’s picks: VRA, Punjab, Sparta, HBS, Hermes.

Bertus de Jong 21/06/2024

Four weeks into the wettest season in recent memory we’re still a deal earlier in the competition than we might have hoped, with barely half the scheduled matches thus far actually having been played. The table, consequently, is a trifle messy, and the current pecking order in no small part a reflection of luck with the weather rather than performance.

Current table-toppers HBS Craeyenhout have amassed a total of five points on a 2-1 record plus the point they reluctantly took from the not-uncontroversial wash-out at de Diepput last week, where point were shared owing to HCC having already reached their two match rescheduling limit. They take on Excelsior ‘20 away at Thurlede, the Schiedammers fresh off their first win of the season having held off a spirited VOC fightback last week. That win was set up through the efforts of Jason Ralston with the new ball and Niels Etman at the back end, and as a bowling unit Excelsior look to be coming together nicely though the batting remains a worry. A full strength HBS, with Wes Barresi and Kyle Klein back from the World Cup, will be optimistic about holding on to the top spot for another week at least.

Defending champions Voorburg will likewise be welcoming reinforcements in the form of Vivian Kingma and Michael Levitt, and having gotten through the early season without their internationals with just the one loss will be bullish about their chances of defending their title. They won’t be welcoming back former skipper Sybrand Engelbrecht however, who called time on his cricketing sabbatical last week to concentrate on his career. They take on a Punjab-Ghausia side that may be a little rattled by their shock loss to Sparta last week, but still look capable of providing a stern test for the title-holders despite a disappointing 2-2- record thus far.

Meanwhile the only two unbeaten teams in the competition, HCC and VRA, will meet at de Diepput in hopes of getting a game played where others have failed. HCC are unbeaten thanks in no small part to three abandonments, but even under-strength looked in decent shape in the one game they did get in at Thurlede, young Teun Leijer again impressing with the ball. VRA meanwhile have bagged two wins already despite the absence of internationals Vikram Singh and Teja Nidamanuru, and will back themselves to make it three from three this weekend. An interesting question will be whether Singh returns to his customary opening slot or sticks with the number three role he’s been occupying for the Dutch, allowing the promising experiment of Demari Prince at the top with Shirase Rasool to run a little longer.

Over at Hazelaarweg VOC Rotterdam will welcome their second consecutive delegation from Schiedam in the form of Hermes DVS, but will be hoping for a different outcome from their valiant defeat at the hands of Excelsior. The newly-promoted Hermes already look a handful however, and with the return of Aryan Dutt from national duty could reasonably claim to be favourites. The batting card still looks a tad top-heavy, reliant on Daniel Doyle Calle in particular, but then a dependence on an in-form top order is probably preferable than looking to the lower order to dig you out of trouble, as VOC had to last week. The brothers Jain almost pulled off a remarkable recovery last week, and if the top order finds form the Bloodhounds will boast enviable depth, but another home defeat will make a top-four finish a tall order.

The round’s final fixture pits ACC against Sparta 1888 at Bermweg, and the outcome already looks like it could be crucial to an impending relegation fight. The Amsterdammers especially look destined for a fight to stay up, and with two heavy defeats already weighing down their NRR taking points off Sparta looks almost indispensable to their hopes of top-flight survival. The hosts will be firm favourites however, showing admirable resolve to fight back from 4-40 to put a score of sorts on the board against Punjab before the ever-impressive Khalid Ahmadi and last year’s Team of the Year skipper Martijn Snoep showed their worth with the ball to take two points from a rain-shortened match against Punjab. Indeed on paper the Spartans ought to be at least in contention for a top four spot this season, and a second win might just get their season back on track. Conversely a home loss to the unfancied ACC, one suspects, could send it into a tailspin.

BdJ’s picks: HBS, VCC, VRA, Hermes, Sparta

By a quirk of the schedule in this rain-disrupted competition, this Saturday’s matches pit the current top five sides against those in the lower half of the table, so most of the latter will need to produce a win if they are not to lose further ground on the pace-makers. But the forecast suggests that Messrs Duckworth, Lewis and Stern may get another workout, and we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed that at least there will be five completed matches by the end of the day.

---

RL:  HCC, admittedly, are really only in seventh spot because they’ve played just the one game, their first two fixtures having fallen victim to the weather, and they will be aiming to move up the table when they welcome HBS Craeyenhout to De Diepput. While their bowling was decidedly more impressive than their batting as they demolished Excelsior last week, there’s no doubt they have a well-balanced side, and the way in which young Teun Leijer has slotted into the attack is an encouraging sign for the rest of the season and beyond. But the Crows have shown great early form, with Tayo Walbrugh and Matt de Villiers among the runs, and this game will be a good guide to the true strength of both sides. Once again, it may be the big guns who make the difference: HCC’s trio of overseas played a relatively small part in last week’s victory, but if Conor McInerney and Jed Wiggins come off with the bat then they might just have the edge over an HBS side which battled to contain Voorburg’s batting last Saturday.

BdJ: Indeed given the disparity in games played the table’s far from a fair reflection of the real state of play, and HCC’s win percentage is still 100% from that one game. Nonetheless HBS have looked the better all-round outfit thus far despite their opening loss to Punjab. HCC can afford their local talent in Gorlee and Staal to have a lean period with the bat, or their overseas to have a fallow spell, but not both at once. HBS do look reliant on their hired muscle at the minute though, and may not be too upset at the prospect of an early Dutch exit at the World Cup if it sees Barresi and Klein back in black.

---

RL:  There will be another such test at Westvliet, where Voorburg will take on a Hermes-DVS outfit still finding their wings in the top flight. The Schiedammers were untroubled in seeing off ACC last week thanks to Ralph Elenbaas’s destructive opening spell, and we can perhaps expect the brothers Elenbaas continuing to share the new ball. But here they will come up against Gavin Kaplan and Noah Croes, both of whom have been scoring heavily, and Hermes will need to get them early if they are to have a realistic chance. They will also need their own top order to fire, with Daniel Doyle, Ashley Ostling and CP Klijnhans facing the challenge of a Voorburg attack which, even without Kingma, Ryan Klein and Van Beek, has fared reasonably well, Mees van Vliet doing the heavy lifting and Michael Molenaar slotting in effectively alongside Floris de Lange. Points against Voorburg while their stars are away are, of course, worth their weight in gold for teams on the fringes of the top six, although Hermes will equally be looking forward to the return of Aryan Dutt. 

BdJ: Voorburg will be another club with mixed feelings about the Netherlands’ likely early return from the other side of the Pond, but fair to say the bench at Westvliet has proved deeper than at some other clubs missing fewer players. The development of both Elenbaas brothers into genuine all-rounders has certainly helped in terms of team balance, but the Schiedammers still look reliant on their top three for runs at this level. While there’s every chance Klijnhans and Doyle-Calle will be able to get on top of a depleted VCC attack, taking three first-choice bowlers out of their line-up doesn’t signal free-runs-day at Westvliet the way it might elsewhere.

---

RL: Currently fifth by virtue of a victory over Sparta 1888 last week, VOC Rotterdam are at home to Excelsior ’20, who have yet to post a win and will have been disappointed by their collapse against HCC. Strikingly, it’s been Asief Hoseinbaks, Jelte Schoonheim and Arnav Jain who have been the Bloodhounds’ principal wicket-takers, and apart from Jock McKenzie their overseas brigade have so far (which is, of course, not very far) not really lived up to expectations with the bat. Here they will encounter Excelsior spearhead Jason Ralston and an attack which was competent rather than truly threatening at Thurlede last Saturday. By batting Derek Mitchell as an opener Excelsior have exposed their middle order, where the South African was so effective in partnership with Lorenzo Ingram, and having failed to capitalise on a great start against Voorburg and then fallen to bits against HCC, the Schiedammers may need a rethink before taking on VOC. But Ingram is too good a player to stay quiet for long, and Excelsior will hope that he’s able to cash in with either the bat or the ball (and preferably both) against a VOC side which is also battling to cohere as a unit.

BdJ: While it’s understandable that VOC looked to reinforce their batting after the loss of Edwards and O’Dowd to Kampong over the winter, one wonders whether they’d not have done better to pull in a bowler too for the season, with young prospects Aaditt Jain and Roman Harhangi still looking a little raw at senior level. Excelsior meanwhile look a little light on batting, with Ingram’s lack of form with the bat a particular concern in a middle order that’s lent so heavily on him in the past.

---

RL: The Amsterdam derby, perhaps second only to the Schiedam version among such traditional encounters, is always a big occasion, and it’s VRA’s turn to make the short journey to Het Loopveld this week to take on ACC. Not for the first time, their fortunes this season have been markedly different, the visitors riding high at the top of the table after their Houdini act against Punjab-Ghausia last Saturday and the home side languishing near its foot. Short as the physical distance may be, it’s a far cry from VRA’s turf square in the Bos to ACC’s mat on the other side of Amstelveen, and even without Singh and Nidamanuru stand-in skipper Johan Smal’s side is much stronger on paper than that led by Shreyas Potdar. It was the spin pairing of Clayton Floyd and Shariz Ahmad which made the difference against Punjab, but ACC’s cutting edge comes from Indian overseas Izhaan Sayed, backed up by the spon of Devanshu Arya and Co. VRA, one feels, would have to be well below their best for their hosts to be in with a chance, but stranger things have happened on a ground where runs are never easy to come by.

BdJ: It’s been a long while since ACC have been anything but underdogs when one team or other shuttles up or down the Kalfjeslaan, and despite reinforcement in the form of old Dosti hands they’ve looked out of their depth in the one format where they’ve held onto a place in the top flight. VRA’s new arrivals have rapidly adapted to mat-cricket, perhaps helped by the fact that their home square has been out of commission for much of the season for one reason or another. The short boundaries, verdant outfield and idiosyncratic surface at ‘t Loopveld may be something of a leveller, but it will likely take more than that to tip things in ACC’s favour.

---

RL: Having suffered their first defeat of the competition at the hands of VRA last Saturday, Punjab-Ghausia Rotterdam travel to the Bermweg to face Sparta 1888. If not quite a full-on derby since Sparta made the move to Capelle a/d IJssel, there’s an element of local rivalry here as well, not to mention another encounter between potential title contenders and a side whose main concern may prove to be relegation avoidance. Punjab will have been encouraged by a more substantial contribution by Jonathan Vandiar against VRA, and their top order of Musa Ahmad, Shoaib Minhas, Mohsin Riaz, Vandiar and Sikander Zulfiqar is as imposing as any in the competition. It’s doubtful whether Sparta have the bowling resources to meet this challenge, although Cameron Fraser looked sharp against VRA and Khalid Ahmadi can be much more effective than we have seen this season. The reverse applies when Sparta bat: they are too dependent on Riley Mudford if they are to post significant totals, and Punjab’s bowling unit combines skilful spin with nagging seam bowling which can frustrate even the best sides.

BdJ: Khalid Ahmadi’s best performances this summer have been in the red of Belgium rather than Sparta, but he remains a potent threat on any surface. At full strength Sparta ought to be a match for most sides on paper, but too often they’re carrying passengers in an increasingly unforgiving environment. Punjab meanwhile have an embarrassment of riches on the batting side at least, and while they may lack a genuine spearhead with the ball they’re rarely short of options. One suspects it would take a red-inker of a day for one or more of the Spartans to put Punjab under pressure at Bermweg come Saturday.

---

RL’s picks: HCC, Voorburg, VOC, VRA, Punjab.
BdJ’s picks: HBS, Voorburg, VOC, VRA, Punjab.

Bertus de Jong & Rod Lyall 06/06/2024

---

After a rain-ravaged start to the season the weekend finally promises some proper cricket weather, and (touch wood) we may just be in for a full round’s worth of Topklasse Cricket. While we do have the distraction of the national team’s World Cup date with South Africa to contend with, the elements at least look unlikely to interfere with Saturday’s action.

---

BdJ: Current front-runners Punjab-Ghausia are on the road again as they head up to the Amsterdamse Bos to take on VRA Amsterdam for their first turf assignment of the season. A nervy, rain-abridged win over HBS followed by a more convincing win at home to Hermes has seen Punjab to the top of the table early, though VRA are also unbeaten having breezed past Sparta in the only match the weather has permitted them. That game saw a welcome return to form for keeper-bat Demari Prince, who had struggled for runs in the deeply Dutch conditions this season. Prince’s promotion up the order looks a sound move in the absence of Vikram Singh, though with skipper Teja Nidamanuru also absent and deputy Johan Smal in dubious form after a long lay-off the VRA batting still looks vulnerable. Not so Punjab, who displayed their depth on that front in their opener and saw off Hermes comfortably despite a lack of returns for danger-man Jonathan Vandiar. Their concerns are chiefly on the bowling front, struggling to contain Hermes’ top order even if they ran through the middle and tail easily enough. Unlike Hermes, VRA have the hitters down the order to capitalise on a platform if Punjab let them set one, and bowling attack better equipped to trouble Punjab bats, even if there are an awful lot of them.

RL: There’s a world of difference between Punjab’s relatively contained ground at the Zomercomplex and the expanse of Amstelveen, not to mention the adjustment from astroturf to grass, but Sikander Zulfiqar’s side undoubtedly have the quality in both batting and bowling to go toe to toe with a VRA outfit which wasn’t really tested at the Bermweg last week. Mohsin Riaz batted very well indeed against Hermes, and the Amsterdammers will need to remove both him and Shoaib Minhas early if they are to get on top of the leaders. Suleiman Tariq is still taking wickets, Sajjad Kamal and Burhan Niaz is more than useful additions to the attack, and Ahmed Sharif, wicketless last Saturday, will be keen to make amends in the Bos. VRA’s own spin unit, with Shariz Ahmad, Clayton Floyd and Udit Nashier, will be a major threat on their own turf, while the pace of Elijah Eales and Ben Fletcher, backed up by Ashir Abid, while Punjab will indeed present more of a challenge than Sparta were able to do, are likely to make effective use of the new ball. Even at this early stage both these sides look like serious contenders for the top six and beyond that the championship, and this has a good claim to be this week’s Match of the Day.

---

BdJ: Level with Punjab on points at the top are defending champions Voorburg, who have found a way to win both their first two matches, albeit in less than convincing fashion. They’ll have their first mat-match at Craeyenhout coming up against HBS, who bounced back from their opening defeat to Punjab with an eventually comfortable win over ACC last week. Neither side have looked exactly convincing, though VCC’s understudies have stepped up admirably in the absence of Kingma, Klein and Engelbrecht the batting especially looks dependent on new overseas (and ex-crow) Gavin Kaplan, and of course skipper Noah Croes, who was fortunately (from a VCC perspective) spared selection for the World Cup. HBS are in a similar position however, with stand-in skipper Tayo Walbrugh’s sudden return to form the main reason they bested ACC, with a hand from fellow overseas de Villiers and Botha. Who comes away with the points might be decided by which team’s youngsters step up, but equally likely it will come down to whose big guns fire loudest.

RL: Let’s not forget that Voorburg are also without newfound Dutch star Michael Levitt, and with Musa Ahmad now opening at Punjab, the top of their order has a slightly makeshift look. It asks a lot of young Cedric de Lange as well as of the more experienced Nehaan Gigani, and they will no doubt need time to settle into their role. Facing Lehaan Botha’s pace and Matt de Villiers’ spin will be a good test, but with Kaplan and Croes to follow they know that they have players behind them who were in superb form last week. I would actually have more questions about a Voorburg attack without Kingma, Klein and Van Beek, not to mention the now-departed Nieuwoudt, which struggled to make an early impression on the Excelsior top order last week, although they did hit back somewhat later in the innings. HBS certainly need at least two of Botha, De Villiers and Walbrugh to fire with the bat, and a real concern for them is the comparative lack of experience below their top five. Man for man, even without five first-choice players Voorburg probably have greater depth, and while the Crows are dangerous opponents, especially at Craeyenhout, for my money it’s the visitors who start as marginal favourites.

---

BdJ: Working our way down the ladder we come to HCC, who sit in 5^th place by virtue of not having played at all yet, courtesy De Diepput living down to its name thus far. They head to Thurlede to take on Excelsior ‘20 who sit in 6^th after a fighting defeat to VCC last week. There were plenty of positives for the Schiedammers from that game, not least runs for Tim Etman and new opening partner Darren Mitchell, though the middle order looks a tad soft, especially should Lorenzo Ingram’s lean patch prove the start of a decline rather than a rough patch of form. Jason Ralston looks to be taking to Dutch conditions however, and Victor Lubbers’ arrival from the East strengthens the lower order and bowling both. Whether HCC’s lack of game time will affect them unduly remains to be seen, they’ll certainly be fresh, one would expect.

RL: Still something of an unknown quality in this format, the Lions nevertheless seem very likely to be serious challengers for the top six once they actually get on the park. Their three overseas players have plenty of one-day experience, while we know that skipper Boris Gorlee, Tonny Staal and Hidde Overdijk can be match-winners on their day. They will, of course, miss Clayton Floyd, Henrico Venter and Doram/Pringle from their attack, although Daniel Crowley and Patient Charumbira bowled well in the T20 Cup, adding to the incisiveness of Overdijk and Adam Leonard. But a very businesslike Excelsior away is a tough way to start, and while Roel Verhagen’s side will lament their inability to cut short the Kaplan-Croes stand and defend 254, they will have learned a good deal from the experience. Mitchell, Ralston and Ingram – the last now with 5496 Topklasse runs and 201 wickets to his credit – are as powerful a trio as HCC’s McInerney, Wiggins and Leonard, and much may depend at Thurlede too on which set of imports has the better day. Even if that’s a perception I’d love to see proved wrong!

---

BdJ: Meanwhile VOC Rotterdam welcome Sparta 1888 to Hazelaarweg, the former having not gotten on the park last week and the latter probably wishing they hadn’t. Both sides have looked (do we sense a theme emerging?) heavily dependent on their overseas for runs this season, Riley Mudford in Sparta’s case the chief threat with the bat, though the lower order showed commendable fight against VRA. Belgian international Khalid Ahmadi has been the stand-out with the ball too, especially given Ahsan Malik’s sporadic absences. VOC’s main advantage simply looks to be that they have more high-calibre overseas to call on, though the brothers Jain remain a key component in the Bloodhounds’ attack, while Asief Hoseinbaks has quietly made himself indispensible.  All told one would think VOC have a clear advantage on home turf, though Sparta have the matchwinners to spring a surprise if they can back them up.

RL: Apart from Mudford, Cameron Fraser impressed last week, more with the ball than the bat, but overall Sparta, admittedly on the evidence of just one 50-over outing, seem to be more likely to be battling relegation than pushing for a place in the top six. That’s not to say they do not have both plenty of experience and undoubted potential in their squad, but against sides with seven or eight top-level performers they are going to find the going tough. VOC are something of an enigma: again, they’ve only played one 50-over match, losing only in the final over and in controversial circumstances, but their performance in the T20 Cup was less than stellar, and with the exception of Jock McKenzie it’s been the old routiniers like Jelte Schoonheim and Hoseinbaks who have been most effective. One senses that they may be just one good performance away from clicking as a side, and should that happen soon they could still have a significant impact on the top-six battle.

---

BdJ: Finally the Topklasse’s newest turf wicket will finally see some fifty-over action when Hermes DVS welcome ACC to the Loopuyt Oval at Harga. Hermes continue to look like a top-heavy team on the batting side, but then the weight at the top in the form of Daniel Doyle Calle and CP Klijnhans will have that effect. Olivier Elenbaas’ promotion to three last week can be accounted a success, however, and if he and Sabba Braat can continue to find runs Hermes have a decent enough top five at least. Conversely the ACC batting card has looked deeper than it does dangerous, with a lower-order rally saving them some respectability against HBS but not threatening a serious score. That the ever-elegant but rarely reliable Rahil Ahmed has been their best bat this season says a fair bit about an ACC side that looks a little flimsy in the absence of Heino Kuhn.

RL: Still adjusting to the demands of Topklasse cricket, Hermes performed creditably against a stronger Punjab last Saturday, although their subsidence from 125 for one to 196 all out raises some serious questions about the durability of their batting. But as m’colleague observes, it has more quality in the top five than do this week’s opponents, greatly as Rahil Ahmed’s return to something like the form which once took him into the national team is to be welcomed. Few players have had as dramatic an entry into the Dutch competition as Izhaan Sayed, removing Lehaan Botha with his very first delivery, but Het Loopveld last week was an even less hospitable for batting than usual, and Ben van der Merwe and Guy Sheena may relish the chance to bat on the hybrid turf at the Loopuyt Oval. They’ll be facing the bowling of Elenbaas and Braat, of course, and of Abdul Jabar Jabarkhail, who suggested against Punjab that he’ll be an effective foil for Elenbaas.

---

BdJ’s picks: VRA, HBS, Excelsior, VOC, Hermes.

RL’s picks: VRA, Voorburg, Excelsior, VOC, Hermes.