Category: Preview 2024 TK

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

Bertus de Jong & Rod Lyall 06/06/2024

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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

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

Rod Lyall and Bertus de Jong 31/05/2024

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Thanks to last weekend’s appalling weather only four teams were able to get a nibble of the candy bar that is the 2024 Topklasse competition, so there are almost as many questions about how that competition is likely to develop as there were a week ago. Especially since the two games that were played went down to the final ball, and could essentially have gone either way. So much remains enigmatic as we cross out fingers that this Saturday at least will see a full round completed.

RJL: Having squeezed out a victory over HBS last week, Punjab-Ghausia will take on promoted side Hermes-DVS at the Zomercomplex. Almost the whole of the Rotterdammers’ top and middle order got a start against HBS, none of them going on to make a really decisive contribution, but it was the bowlers, and especially seamers Sajjad Kamal and Sikander Zulfiqar and spinner Shoaib Minhas, who made the crucial difference. But there will be days when Punjab’s batting line-up lives up to its potential, and on their own patch against a somewhat untested Hermes attack could just prove to be one of those days. On the other hand, their bowlers will need early wickets against their visitors’ powerful top order, for whom openers Chris Klijnhans and Daniel Doyle have been in outstanding form. Captain Sebastiaan Braat, too, is likely to play a significant with with bat and/or ball, and Hermes will be keen to establish that they are worth their place back in the top flight. A hard-fought contest is in prospect here.

BdJ: The Hermes top order have already shown what they can do on a mat with short boundaries, so the Zomercomplex is unlikely to phase them, but equally we’ve already seen Hermes crumble if they lose early wickets. In the fifty over format the Hermes top three will have to be more circumspect, even on a diminuitive ground. One or other of Hermes openers will likely have to play a hand like Wlabrugh did last week, and even then it may not be enough against Punjab’s enviably deep batting card.

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RJL: Defending champions Voorburg will also be at home, entertaining Excelsior ‘20 at Westvliet. They owed their narrow, and not altogether uncontroversial, victory over VOC last Saturday in large measure to their South African overseas Gavin Kaplan, whose 65-ball 84 gave them a total they could defend, even with a mostly second-string pace attack. The absence of their internationals puts great onus on him and on skipper Noah Croes, and they will be facing an Excelsior side with both Lorenzo Ingram and Derek Mitchell in the middle order, and with openers Tim Etman and Roel Verhagen in great form. The Schiedammers’ bowling unit, too, is varied, with both overseas Jason Ralston and home-grown Niels Etman taking plenty of wickets in the T20 Cup. Ingram’s spin is also a potent force, and the acquisition of allrounder Victor Lubbers has given the side an additional dimension. Without any demands from international commitments, Excelsior will go into this game as marginal favourites, but it’s an opportunity for Voorburg’s back-up players to establish their credentials in the side.

BdJ: Fair to say that Croes’ non-selection for the World Cup, while doubtless a disappointment to him presonally, has been a tremendous boon to VCC’s chances of defending their title. It whould be said that the Voorburg cadre of understudies have generally given a fine account of themselves so far this season, perhaps most notably legspinning match secretary Floris de Lange, but there’s no denyng they’re undertrength and Excelsior are among the best-placed clubs to take advantage.

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RJL: Having had the worse of their opening game by the narrowest of margins, VOC Rotterdam will want to get back on a winning track when they take on HCC at De Diepput. Jock McKenzie’s 74 not out took them to the brink of victory against Voorburg, and his allround contribution, along with the batting of his fellow-overseas Ryan Schierhout, Taylor Bettelheim and Jason van der Meulen will doubtless be vital if the Bloodhounds are going to prevail in what promises to be an epic struggle for a place in the top six. Here they will be matched up with HCC’s Conor McInerney, Jed Wiggins and Adam Leonard, but in batters Tonny Staal and Boris Gorlee and allrounder Hidde Overdijk the Lions have three former internationals who may also have a significant part to play. On the visitors’ side, brothers Arnav and Aaditt Jain, skipper Tim de Kok, veteran allrounder (and also a former international) Jelte Schoonheim, and spinner Asief Hoseinbaks will be augmenting the quartet of overseas players.

BdJ: Should be noted that the newly-minted Flamingo van der Meulen is an overseas no longer, understood to be both Dutch-eligible and under consideration for the upcoming Emerging Pro-Series fixtures next week. Absent from that list we hear is Boris Gorlee, who we hear is rather under the weather at the minute and thus unlikely to feature on Saturday either. Whether that’s enough to swing the balance in VOC’s favour is still open to question, hoe advantage perhaps the key consideration at this point in the season.

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RJL: Despite having missed out on the points last Saturday, HBS Craeyenhout will have taken enormous comfort from the return to form of Tayo Walbrugh, whose unbeaten 126 saw him playing with as much assurance as ever. They will also have been cheered by Lehan Botha’s bowling on Saturday and batting on Sunday, confirming between them that he may well emerge as one of the season’s most influential players. The Crows’ visit to Het Loopveld this week will be a severe test for ACC, still to get their first taste of top-flight cricket for the year. Shreyas Potdar’s side have been cutting their teeth so far in the Hoofdklasse T20, and although Rahil Ahmed and new overseas Guy Sheena were pretty successful there, Sheena and his fellow-newcomers Ben van der Merwe and Izhaan Sayed will find the demands of the Topklasse a definite step up. Last year, though, ACC twice sprang a surprise on HBS, reducing them to 148 for six before their opening game of the season was abandoned and then beating them by 36 runs when the match was replayed. It would, however, be no less of a surprise were history to repeat itself.

BdJ: I’ll confess to not having seen much of ACC during the short-format season, though judging by scorecards they do look somewhat dependent on a mercurial top three for runs. Sahil Kothari seems to have left his batting behind in Schiedam on return to his old club, while Mahesh Hans’ transformation to all-rounder seems to have stalled. Compounding those concerns come Saturday will be the form of Julian de Mey with the ball, the HBS left arm spinner looking more threatening than ever. Even without skipper Barresi and key all-rounder Kyle Klein, HBS look a solid top-flight outfit, while ACC look to have a ways to go it they’re to be able to say the same.

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RJL: VRA Amsterdam’s spinners excelled in the miserable conditions at Westvliet last Sunday, and will no doubt be hoping to have a similar impact this week, when they visit the Bermweg to take on Sparta 1888. Having acquired Clayton Floyd and Shariz Ahmad over the winter and brought in Australian pace bowler Elijah Eales, the Amsterdammers have some claim to having the most effective attack in the competition, while even without Vikram Singh and Teja Nidamanuru their batting also looks strong. Sparta’s wicketkeeper-batter Riley Mudford, though, was one of the successes of the T20 Cup, and if the rest of the side – the perennial Ahsan Malik apart – haven’t quite fired yet, skipper Martijn Snoep will be looking to them to step up in the longer format. They undoubtedly have plenty of potential on paper, but they will need to bet at their best if they are to make a serious challenge for a spot in the top six.

BdJ: Floyd and Ahmed both looked in fine form this week against (an admittedly amateurish) MCC side at the Bos, and Ben Fetcher also looked to be enjoying the chance to finally get a bowl on VRA’s notional home ground again. The Bermweg wicket may be a different proposition however, while the VRA batting looked brittle even before the departure of Nidamanuru and Singh. Though Floyd and Eales may be able to hit them out of hole, VRA’s top order looks ripe for a collapse on Saturday.

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RJL’s picks: Punjab, Excelsior, HCC, HBS, VRA.

BdJ’s picks: Punjab, Excelsior, VOC, HBS, Sparta.

Rod Lyall & Bertus de Jong 24/05/2024

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Unusually, this year’s 50-over Topklasse gets under way as the T20 Cup reaches its conclusion, and the sides already have a full round robin in the shorter format under their belts. How they adapt to the demands of the one-day game will be one of the imponderables in the coming couple of weeks, as will the absence for several early rounds of national team players, which affects some clubs (most of all defending champions Voorburg) much more than others. The structure of the competition is essentially unchanged, so the initial battle will be to make sure of a place in the top six, who will contest the championship in the second and final phases.

RJL: Voorburg’s first challenge will be at the Hazelaarweg, where they will face a radically restructured VOC Rotterdam. The change is to a significant degree the result of the departure of Max O’Dowd and Scott Edwards to Kampong, but the Bloodhounds have compensated by recruiting four new overseas players, Taylor Bettelheim, Jock McKenzie, Jason van der Meulen and Ryan Schierhout. They didn’t really hit their straps during the T20 Cup, but they are likely to make a greater impact during the 50-over competition. Voorburg, however, also lost some key players over the winter, and go into the season’s second phase without several more, due to national team commitments. That said, they did top the T20 round robin, and their reserve strength is greater than that of many of their rivals. It was an encouraging sign for the champions that Ryan Klein was able to bowl a couple of tentative overs last weekend, since his contribution with the ball could be very important as the season develops. All this makes it a difficult game to call, but it would not be a massive surprise if VOC inflicted an opening day defeat on the defending champions.

BdJ: While Ryan Klein will still be in this weekend and is expected to feature on T20 finals day before flying out to join the national team, word is he won’t be playing 50-overs on Saturday. Though Noah Croes himself missed out on selection, he will be without the services of Engelbrecht, Kingma and Levitt too. VOC’s new side has had some time to settle now, and they will be at full strength facing what is essentially a second string Voorburg. Undoubtedly an opportunity for the Bloodhounds to put one over on the title-holders, though there will perhaps be less pressure on Voorburg’s understudies for whom every early season win will be a bonus.

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RJL: Last year’s defeated grand finalists, HCC, will be at home to Sparta 1888. The Lions, too, have reinforced their squad significantly, and batter Conor McInerney and seamer Adam Leonard both did enough during the T20 competition to indicate that they will have key roles to play in the longer format. Jed Wiggins has been slower to settle into the side, but again, he may be better suited to the 50-over game. But with former internationals Tonny Staal, Boris Gorlee and Hidde Overdijk likely to make significant contributions and Daniel Crowley and Patient Charumbira both bowling well, HCC seem certain to be a force again this season. They may well be too strong for a Sparta side which struggled in the T20 Cup, despite the presence of another swathe of overseas players, wicketkeeper-batter Riley Mudford the most impressive of them so far. Ahsan Malik and Khalid Ahmadi remain their potential trump cards with the ball, but it’s a real question whether the bowling unit has the collective firepower to bowl sides out, and they may face a tough season ahead.

BdJ:Sparta are hardly alone in their reliance on overseas players for runs this season,but their dependence on Mudford specifically for match-winning knocks has been particularly pronounced. Whether the prospect of having 50-overs to bat curbs his natural aggression is an open question, but Sparta will likely need him to bat time. Khalid Ahmadi and Ahsan Malik have been excellent in the short format, but the rest of the attack will indeed need to back them up better if Sparta are to keep sides under pressure. HCC bat a fair way down now with the addition of the three overseas, while also providing the lion’s share of the wickets in the T20 season. meanwhile the homegrown trio of Staal, Overdijk and Gorlee looks set to become a quartet with the emergence of Teun Leijer as a force with the ball. Though the Lions have yet to really fire on all cylinders this season, they’ll start as heavy favourites in their first match.

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RJL: After a blistering start to their T20 Cup campaign Hermes-DVS Schiedam fell away somewhat, and they face a tough return to the Topklasse itself when they take on VRA Amsterdam at the Loopuyt Oval on Saturday. They will, moreover, be missing Aryan Dutt, although this is balanced by the absence of VRA opener Vikram Singh and captain Teja Nidamanuru. The Hermes top order boasts CP Klijnhans and Ashley Ostling as well as Spanish international Daniel Doyle, who has two centuries to his credit already, and with Olivier Elenbaas and skipper Sebastiaan Braat spearheading the attack the Schiedammers have the nucleus of a useful side. Whether the supporting cast are capable of taking them into the top six one might legitimately doubt, although Hermes’ first task will be to stay well clear of relegation. Even without Singh and Nidamanuru VRA have a pretty formidable outfit, and the fact that most of last year’s team are playing in the seconds is testimony to the Amsterdammers’ strength in depth. The acquisition of international spinners Clayton Floyd and Shariz Ahmad along with Australian overseas Elijah Eales makes them genuine championship contenders, and they will want to establish their credentials from the word Go.

BdJ: While stand-in skipper Johan Smal is expected to return this weekend, Nidamanuru’s deputy has been sidelined with a hip injury for the entire season so far. He’ll be taking over command of a side that was struggling for cohesion even before the departure of his two predecessors as captain, and one that has been reliant on Singh especially delivering with bat and ball. While Hermes remain a top-heavy batting side, if the top order were to fire the sky blues could very well put one over on a makeshift VRA outfit.

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RJL: ACC’s season began in the Hoofdklasse T20 Cup, but a much better performance in last year’s 50-over competition, where they finished in the top six, kept them in the top flight for the longer format. With three overseas players – South Africans Guy Sheena and Ben van der Merwe and Indian Izhaan Sayed – they will be aiming to do at least as well this time round, but they face a tricky initial assignment with a visit to Thurlede to take on Excelsior ‘20. The Schiedammers narrowly missed out on a spot at the T20 finals day, but with experienced South African Derek Mitchell forming a solid middle-order partnership with the evergreen Lorenzo Ingram, openers Tim Etman and skipper Roel Verhagen in good form, and Stan van Troost emerging as a useful number three, they will be looking for a much-improved performance than last year’s, when they found themselves in the relegation pool in the latter part of the season.

BdJ: While ACC managed a surprisingly strong finish in last year’s competition, it’s worth noting most of their runs last season came from either Heino Khun or Thomas Hobson, neither of whom will be turning out for them in 2024. Old Dosti hands Rahil Ahmed and Mahesh Hans have been were similarly instrumental in keeping them afloat in the top division, but even with some overseas reinforcement they’ll be starting as underdogs in most every game they play this season and tomorrow is no exception.

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RJL: Perhaps the most intriguing match of the round will be at Craeyenhout, where a Barresiless HBS will entertain newly hyphenated Punjab-Ghausia. With Jonathan Vandiar having returned from HCC and Musa Ahmad transferring from Voorburg the Punjab top order may be less Zulfiqar-dependent than in recent seasons, although both Saqib and Sikander, the latter having taken over the captaincy from Suleiman Tariq, but their trump cards may well be opener Shoaib Minhas and left-arm spinner Ahmad Shafiq. The Belgium-based pair of Fawad Shinwari and Burhan Niaz, too, seem likely to make useful contributions, while Sajjad Kamal and Samiullah Salarazai complete a new-look pace attack. For HBS, allrounders Lehan Botha and Matthew de Villiers join fellow-South African Tayo Walbrugh in a strong squad, while Kyle Klein’s pace bowling has brought him to the brink of the national squad. Expect a high-scoring tussle, with the Crows’ home advantage perhaps enough to give them the edge.

BdJ: Neither Kyle Klein nor Saqib Zulfiqar will feature tomorrow of course, as their plane to the States leaves mid afternoon. Despite the latter’s solid season thus far, one nonetheless feels HBS will feel the loss of their internationals more keenly. Walbrugh himself has been in middling form with the bat, and while the two new South Africans seem to have adapted to conditions well, the Crows don’t have the bench strength to easily cover for Klein’s all-round contribution.

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RL’s picks: VOC, HCC, VRA, Excelsior, HBS.

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

Rod Lyall 24/05/2025

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The start of the 50-over competition brings top-flight cricket back to Het Loopveld, the first month of the season having seen ACC playing in the Hoofdklasse T20 Cup following their relegation in that format at the end of last year.

They sprang something of a surprise in the longer form last year, winning as many games as they lost and finishing fifth, thanks in large part to Heino Kuhn’s 594 runs and the all-round efforts of Thomas Hobson.

Neither will be in the squad this year, but the Amsterdammers have recruited three new overseas players: leg-spinning allrounder Guy Sheena; wicketkeeper-batter Ben van der Merwe, both from South Africa; and pace bowler and former Indian under-19 player Izhaan Sayed.

All three have had significant roles in the side’s reaching the semi-finals of their T20 Cup, but they will find life tougher in a 50-over competition which is, for better or worse, brimming with imported talent.

But ACC will have been encouraged by the early-season batting form of Rahil Ahmed, their leading run-scorer in the T20 competition, who took some time to settle after his transfer from Dosti last year but who could form a valuable opening partnership with Van der Merwe.

The batting will also depend on Shreyas Potdar, who has taken over the captaincy from Anis Raza, the latter still a crucial figure in the middle order.

The attack has been strengthened by the return of Sahil Kothari, and with Sayed spearheading a seam unit which also includes Joseph Reddy, Aryan Kumar and perhaps Waqar Ahmad, backed up by the spin of Devanshu Arya, Raza, Mahesh Hans and Sheena, ACC look well qualified to hold their own against many of the more favoured teams.

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Not the least of these is VOC Rotterdam, who failed to fire in the T20 Cup but who have the potential to be a real force in the longer format.

With four new overseas in opener Ryan Schierhout, middle-order batters Taylor Bettelheim and Jason van der Merwe and allrounder Jock McKenzie the Bloodhounds should be on the scent of a successful 50-over campaign despite the loss of international stars Scott Edwards and Max O’Dowd, and like ACC they are unlikely to be troubled by the international call-ups which will affect some of their rivals.

They have also been boosted by the arrival of teenage pace bowler Aaditt Jain, who joins his elder brother Arnav in the attack.

But they will also be looking to wicketkeeper-opener Francois Fourie to continue the batting form he displayed in the shorter format, not to mention the allround contribution of veteran Jelte Schoonheim and the batting of skipper Tim de Kok in the middle order.

VOC’s dependence on O’Dowd and Edwards for runs has limited their effectiveness as a team over the past few seasons, and however successful their quartet of overseas players may prove to be, they will need the rest of the squad to front up as well.

Bertus de Jong 23/05/24

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Defending champions Voorburg CC are among the clubs most heavily affected by the national team’s absence, if not quite as heavily might have. Former skipper Sybrand Engelbrecht will be Stateside, as will prolific opener Michael Levitt pace spearhead Vivian Kingma, and with Fred Klaassen ruled out late Ryan Klein has also been called up as travelling reserve, though he’s not expected to fly out until after the first round of Topklasse fixtures. The trio’s unavailability will further fathom the depth of the Voorburg bench, already tested by the depatures of brothers Musa and Shariz Ahmad, the retirement of Karl Nieuwoudt, and Flip Boissevain’s move to New Zealand.

New skipper Noah Croes, who only narrowly missed out on national selection himself, will likely find himself captaining a rather callow team for the first half of the season, though many of VCC’s youngsters show great promise and some have already stepped up during the T20 season. Nehaan Gigani and Floris de Lange have impressed since stepped into the senior side spinners section, while Mees van Vliet has proved an effective foil for Kingma. The batting is more of a concern, with youngsters Cedric de Lange and Michael Molenaar short of form, as is captain Croes himself.

Yet if Voorburg can weather the early season absences without slipping too far down the table, their chances of defending their title look decent. If the young understudies can grow into their roles Voorburg may well finish the season with an appreciably stronger squad then they started.

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Meanwhile the selecors had left Punjab-Ghausia unscathed, only for Daniel Doram’s late injury to rob them for the services of Saqib Zulfiqar for the duration of the Dutch World Cup campaign. Though Saqib’s batting and legspin will be missed, Punjab remain a stronger side than they’ve shown in the short format thus far this season.

The return of Jonathan Vandiar bolsters a top order already strengthen ed by the arrival of Musa Ahmad from Voorburg, with three of four Zulfiqars and Shoaib Minhas also in the line-up it’s fair to say Punjab retain a fairly stacked batting card.

Mohammad Shafiq’s left arm spin has also proved very effoective in the short format, while Sajjad Kamal’s arrival (also from Voorburg) ruounds out a solid seam attack also featuring Sikander Zulfiqar, Samiullah Salarazai and newcomer Burhan Niaz, who switched from VOC, as well as the wiley former skipper Sulaiman Tariq.

All told there’s few obvious weaknesses in the Punjab side and despite the late loss of Saqib Zulfiqar to national duty they look set to challenge for a top-table position, especially if they can take advantage of thit rivals’ more substantial availability issues.

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Bertus de Jong 21/05/2024

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VRA Amsterdam have looked in better shape on the field than off it of late, but even so the leadership vacuum left by Peter Borren continues to be felt to an extent. New captain Teja Nidamanuru has had some time to settle in, but both he and his immediate predecessor in the role, Netherlands opener Vikram Singh, will be on international duty for the next few weeks, while Nidamanuru’s current deputy, Johan Smal, has been out injured all season.

Whether the club’s new-look first team can hold together under the circumstances will be a key question, though they do have the personnel to cover on paper. Singh leaves a big hole both with bat and ball, but VRA have the depth to, if not replace him, at least recreate him in the aggregate. There’s discarded depth still in the seconds, with the experience of Jack Balbirnie, Leon Turmaine and Luke Scully to call on if required, while young prospects Adam Constant and Ibaad Zaidi may well see call-ups to the ones.

Nonetheless Shirase Rasool will need to shoulder more responsibility with the bat at the top, while the spin all-rounders in the middle order will also need to reliably contribute with the bat. Left arm spinners Clayton Floyd and Udit Nashier have both shown some promise in that regard, as has Shariz Ahmad, whose missing the cut for the World Cup only strengthens VRA’s squad for the early season.

Of the new arrivals Elijah Eales has had the most immediate impact in the short format, while left arm seamer Ben Fletcher has also looked a handy acquisition. But VRA will likely to be lmore relaint on both for the first part of the season at least. Nidamanuru was keen to stress ahead of the summer that this season’s success would be measured more by team cohesion and ethos than by silverware, but if VRA are in the top half of the table by the time the internationals return, they might start thinking “why not both?”

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Similarly HBS Craeyenhout will also be missing their skipper for their first few games, with the veteran Wesley Barresi called up for national duty along with key all-rounder Kyle Klein, who heads across the Atlantic as travelling reserve for the national side. The pair have been the stand-outs for the Crows in thw shorter format, and for a side already in something of a transitional phase their absence will doubtless be keenly felt for the first few rounds.

Tayo Walbrugh will take over the captaincy, while new signings Matt de Villiers and Lehan Botha also look capable of taking up some of the slack both with bat and ball. Reece Mason has also looked capalbe of accumulating steady runs, while left-arm spinner Julian de Mey seems to have recaptured some of his old wicket-taking guile.

In the absence of old hands such as Toby Visee and Ferdi Vink, however, HBS’ youngsters will likely have to play a substantial role too, at least to bridge the gap until Barresi and Klein return. Lucas del Bianco has shown great promise both with bat and gloves, while Elmar Boendermaker and Azam Khan may also feature more regularly.

Echoing Nidamanuru’s sentiments, Barresi told Tkcricket at the start of the summer that he’d be looking for commitment and consistency of performance over silverware as a benchmark, and set comparatively modest goals. In the T20 format a return to finals day would count as a successful season, and that much the Crows have already achieved. In the 50-over format a top four finish is the notional target, though Barresi was reluctant to set one at all.

“I’m not the sort of captain who wants to look at things and say we have to win the league do this or that, but looking at the balance of the team we have I see we can do a lot better than last year – and just enjoy our cricket!”