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Bertus de Jong 21/07/23

As we enter the final furlong of the 2023 season there’s still plenty of jockeying for position to be done at the top of the table, while the lower four scrabble for safety. A potentially decisive double weekend looms, with all six sides in the Championship pool still in contention for a berth in the finals, and indeed the inside track of a top two finish. At the other end nobody’s quite safe yet either, though that could all look different by Monday morning.

Frontrunners Voorburg are all but assured of a place in the final four, and three points clear of their nearest rivals could seal a double shot at the grand final this weekend. Unbeaten since May, they take on a depleted VOC Rotterdam in their first fixture at Westvliet on Saturday. Mees van Vleit and the wrist-spin pair Shariz Ahmad and Flip Boissevain secured them the win over HCC last week, and with Viv Kingma likely returning to action the Voorburgers will be close to full strength for the weekend. Not so their opponents, who have lost Max O’Dowd to the GT20 and will be without last week’s centurion Francoise Fourie for the weekend too. Scott Edwards is expected to play on Saturday at least, but despite their short-format success of late the Bloodhounds look a long shot to derail the Voorburg procession. Likewise Voorburg will start as favourites on Sunday against round 12 opponents ACC, again at Westvliet. The Amsterdammers bested VOC last week thanks to half centuries from Ali Raza and the returning Heino Kuhn, while Potdar has again been in the runs for the Dutch under 23s, which often presages Topklasse scores. Nonetheless the smart money is on VCC going two from two at the weekend and sealing their place in the preliminary final.

Second-place Sparta 1888 likewise have a date with the Bloodhounds this weekend, though first they will travel to de Diepput to take on HCC. Both teams suffered setbacks at the start of League 2, though HCC failed to knock VCC of course last week they did look dominant in phases despite the limited contribution of a still-recuperating Jonathan Vandiar. Sparta meanwhile look outclassed by Punjab, and missing all three of their first choice seam attack rather bereft of firepower with the ball. Though in overseas Clark, Tarr and Ferguson, along with the astutely-acquired Joost Kroesen the Spartans have a solid batting card, even a depleted VOC may fancy their chances of knocking off any runs they can post at the weekend if Sparta can’t retrieve or replace their pace attack.

Third-placed Punjab Rotterdam meanwhile look to be hitting their stride at just the right time, with Saqib Zulfiqar returning from national duty brimming with confidence, while his two brothers Asad and Rehmat have shaken off a poor first phase to find form of their own in his absence. Sikander meanwhile has performed solidly all season, and with all four Zulfiqars firing Punjab just don’t lose. Add to that Mubashar Hussain looking in decent rhythm with the new ball and Shoaib Minhas still making rapid runs and it’s easy to see the Rotterdammers staging another come-from-behind run to the title. Certainly they’ll start as favourites in their fixtures against ACC and HCC this weekend.

Down in the relegation scrap VRA are the closest team to clawing their way to safety, and though the two points they took home from Schiedam last week will have calmed some nerves in Amstelveen the manner of getting them will not. A scratchy win over Excelsior is still a win though, and VRA probably only need one more to be safe. They have every chance of getting one when they head to Deventer take on a Salland side as short of wins this season as they are Germans this weekend, which is to say at the very least three less than they’d like. With Ganesan, Barathi and Naqash all on national duty here in Edinburgh Salland look still more dependent on their misfiring overseas and long-suffering skipper Victor Lubbers. Even without the now injured Aadit Jain and the reportedly bedridden Teja Nidamanu who seems to have left his health with his hair in Zimbabwe, the Amsterdammers ought to be confident in taking two points back from the orient. They’ll likely have a tougher task awaiting them at Craeyenhout the next day when they take on HBS, though it’s not yet clear to us here whether Toby Visée, Navjit Singh and Ferdi Vink will be turning out for the Crows on Saturday or Sunday, if either.

From the perspective of HBS’ survival the bigger game of the two will be Saturday’s game against Excelsior ‘20, currently two wins adrift of the Crows level with Salland at the bottom of the table. Besting Excelsior would put more distance between HBS and the relegation slot, though for the Schiedammers the real four-pointer is their game against Salland on Sunday – the Easterlings being their closest rivals at the bottom of the pile as it stands. Excelsior’s continued reliance on the indefatigable Lorenzo Ingram for wickets and runs is becoming ever more glaring, though so long as he continues to delivery there’s enough occasional contributors about to likely ensure their survival for another year. A bad day against Salland on Sunday though, and the Thurlede faithful may start to get nervous…

(in Rod’s absence we’ve pressed a mystery predictor into service this week, we can assure you his or her expertise is at least equal to our own -ed)

Round 11

BB’s picks: Sparta, Punjab, VCC, Excelsior, VRA

BdJ’s picks: HCC, Punjab, VCC, HBS, VRA

Round 12

BB’s picks: VOC, VCC, Punjab, Excelsior, HBS

BdJ’s picks: VOC, VCC, Punjab, Salland, VRA

Rod Lyall 17/07/23

A maiden Topklasse century by opener Francois Fourie was insufficient to earn VOC Rotterdam the points at the Hazelaarweg on Sunday, as Heino Kuhn’s ACC side dismissed their hosts for 210 and went on to win by five wickets.

The defeat was a blow to VOC’s hopes of reaching the semi-finals, but with four rounds of the second phase still to be played and little separating five of the top six sides, there is still plenty of time for the Rotterdammers to turn things around.

Matters looked even worse for VOC at one stage, when after Fourie and Arnav Jain had given the side a solid start with an opening stand of 52 Anis Raza (three for 54) and Devanshu Arya (three for 34) ran through the middle order, reducing them to 106 for seven.

With Fourie holding things together, though, the last three wickets almost doubled the score, and when the opener was ninth man out for a 102-ball 103 Max Hoornweg and Pierce Fletcher added another precious 21 runs.

Then the home side hit back, and at 45 for four ACC were in trouble in their turn.

They were rescued by Kuhn and Raza, who added exactly 100 for the fifth wicket, and after Kuhn had been dismissed for 55 Raza (57 not out) and Fergus Wegener (39 not out) knocked off the 69 that were still required.

At Westvliet runaway leaders Voorburg reinforced their position with a 23-run victory over HCC, but they had to work hard to see off the Lion’s robust challenge.

They could thank opener Nehaan Gigani (76) and captain Sybrand Engelbrecht (49) for their total of 231, Hidde Overdijk taking three for 42, but although Patient Charumbira, promoted to open, and Tonny Staal gave them a good start and Teun Kloppenburg made 59, HCC were eventually dismissed for 208.

Mees van Vliet claimed three for 35 for Voorburg and Shariz Ahmad three for 50, with Philippe Boissevain taking three for 15.

Punjab Rotterdam improved their chances of gaining a semi-final spot with a comprehensive win against Sparta 1888 at the Zomercomplex, dismissing their visitors for 157 and taking only 27.4 overs to complete an eight-wicket victory.

Saqib Zulfiqar celebrated his return from international duty with four for 34, and then made an unbeaten 31 to secure the points, assisting his brother Asad, who was also not out on 62.

In the relegation battle VRA Amsterdam and HBS Craeyenhout took significant steps towards survival with low-scoring wins against Excelsior ‘20 and Salland respectively.

At Thurlede Aryan Duty, another returnee from Zimbabwe, took four for 24 as VRA bowled Excelsior out for 175, almost everyone in the Schiedammers’ line-up getting a start but Roel Verhagen’s 28 the highest score.

But VRA also struggled despite Zamaan Khan’s 48, and at 147 for eight it looked as if Excelsior might again defend a modest total.l

They were denied, however, by Udit Nashier and Eduard Visser, who guided their side to a two-wicket victory.

Events followed a similar course at Craeyenhout, where HBS dismissed Salland for 172, Victor Lubbers top-scoring with 51.

Ferdi Vink claimed three for 37, Nic Adendorff three for 32 and Julian de Mey three for 23.

HBS then took just 32 overs to reach their target, Tobias Visée making 36 and Tim Drummond 44, with Kyle Klein and De Mey together at the end as the home side won by three wickets.

Rod Lyall 16/07/2023

A devastating innings from Max O’Dowd propelled VOC Rotterdam to their third consecutive T20 Cup win and their fourth in five seasons at the VRA ground on Saturday in a final which was reduced to eight overs a side after a band of rain had passed over the Amsterdamse Bos.

Defeated finalists Excelsior ’20 Schiedam contributed to their own defeat, first by not adapting their batting order to the changed circumstances and then by dropping O’Dowd three times as he plundered 50 from just 20 deliveries, but there was no question that Tim de Kok’s side deserved their title.

They had done well to restrict Excelsior to 76 for five after Roel Verhagen had won the toss and elected to bat, Verhagen himself top-scoring with a 20-ball 27, and they had secured a vital breakthrough when Jelte Schoonheim bowled danger-man Lorenzo Ingram for just 3.

Excelsior needed to remove O’Dowd early, but instead he quickly took the game away from them, and after he finally fell to a fine catch by Rens van Troost off the bowling of Umar Baker it was left to Lane Berry and Scott Edwards to knock off the 19 runs that were still required.

Earlier, a fine half-century by opener Francois Fourie had been instrumental in keeping VOC’s hopes of a third successive Cup win alive with a six-wicket victory over table-toppers HCC.

Put in to bat, HCC had begun very cautiously, only 21 runs coming in the powerplay for the wicket of Ratha Alphonse, caught by Edwards off the bowling of Pierce Fletcher.

They were rescued, however, by Tonny Staal and Boris Gorlee who added 78 for the second wicket in just 8.2 overs before Staal, having made a 41-ball 53, walked across his stumps as he tried to turn Asief Hoseinbaks to leg, and was bowled.

Hidde Overdijk then went after Hoseinbaks, twice hitting him for a six and a four from successive deliveries before the slow left-armer had his revenge, as Overdijk was beaten outside off and smartly stumped by keeper Fourie; he had contributed 26 from just ten deliveries.

Gorlee soon followed, caught in the legside deep by O’Dowd off Arnav Jain’s bowling for a 30-ball 35, and although HCC were able to add a further 18 runs the feature of the latter stages was a hat-trick for Ramdas Upadhyaya off the last three balls of the innings.

He finished with four for 21, and despite that second-wicket stand by Staal and Gorlee VOC could feel reasonably content at having held their opponents to 154 for eight.

By contrast with HCC’s start, 56 came from VOC’s powerplay, O’Dowd creating initial momentum with a 9-ball cameo of 16, and although Lane Berry fell to a magnificent running catch by Staal on the midwicket boundary and Burhan Niaz flat-batted a lifting delivery from Daniel Crowley to deep cover, even the dismissal of Fourie with 41 still required did not impede the Rotterdammers’ progress, Scott Edwards and Tim de Kok knocking off the remaining runs to complete the win with nine balls to spare.

In the other semi-final Excelsior dismissed Punjab Rotterdam for 89 as they successfully defended a relatively modest 122 for six, neutralising Punjab’s powerful batting line-up with some extremely accurate bowling.

The foundation of their innings was Ingram’s unbeaten 61, made from 45 deliveries and the highest individual score of the day, smaller contributions coming from Rens Heinsbroek (16) and Tom Heggelman (15 not out).

Punjab’s attack did well to limit the damage, Muhammad Shafiq taking two for 17 from his four overs and Sulaiman Tariq two for 18, while Saqib Zulfiqar’s four overs cost just 14 runs.

But Punjab’s reply never really got going, Jens Blankestijn removing Shoaib Minhas for just 8 and Verhagen collecting three for 11 with his gentle off-spin as every big shot seemed to find a fielder.

Heggelman was especially parsimonious, his three overs yielding just nine runs and the wicket of Yasir Usman, while Niels Etman took two for six in 13 deliveries.

Rod Lyall & Bertus de Jong 15/07/23

No sooner are we done with the T20 Cup than we plunge into the second phase of the 50-over Topklasse, with a full round of fixtures scheduled for Sunday in both the Championship and the Relegation pools.

Having made it into the top six, the teams in the Championship pool will now be doing battle for a place in the semi-finals (a.k.a. the first Qualifying Final and the Elimination Final), due to be played on 19 August, and the situation could scarcely be tighter: behind Voorburg, four points clear of Sparta 1888 in second place, there are four sides currently level on points, two of which will ultimately fall by the wayside. Brace yourselves for lots of four-pointers!

RL: The first of these will be at the Hazelaarweg, where VOC Rotterdam will take on ACC. The hosts have the most favourable net run rate at present while the Amsterdammers have the worst, and VOC will also welcome back Max O’Dowd and Scott Edwards from international duty. Their influence, though, great as it could be, may be less significant than the return of Heino Kuhn for ACC, since his influence was sorely missed during a T20 campaign which saw the side relegated. That said, Tim de Kok’s outfit is man-for-man more experienced and more dependable than that of ACC, who punched above their weight in the first phase and may struggle to squeeze into the top four. But Shreyas Potdar is more suited to the longer format, Thomas Hobson will be looking to reproduce his form of last season, and Rahil Ahmed and Mahesh Hans have had the opportinuty during the T20 Cup to mesh more effectively into their new side. Nevertheless, it is VOC who will start as favourites, both here and in the wider struggle for a top-four place (and perhaps even the double chance of reaching the grand final which comes with a spot in the top two).

BdJ: It’s probably worth noting that the disparity in net run rate between the two sides is in large part down to the utter drubbing that VOC administered to their opponents in the first phase, when Edwards and O’Dowd took VOC to 321 before ACC collapsed to 61 all out. Though Kuhn’s return will add some stability to the batting and it’s hard to imagine him falling for single figures again, VOC’s batting has only strengthened as the lower order has had a hit-out in the internationals’ absence. They will certainly have to do without O’Dowd, however, who leaves for Canada tomorrow for the GT20. Edwards is also in doubt, with the Dutch skipper carrying a hmastring niggle.

RL: Beginning the second phase with a two-point insulation from the chasing pack, Sparta 1888 will travel to the Zomercomplex to play Punjab Rotterdam. The Spartans will reportedly be without new-ball bowler Ahsan Malik for the rest of the season, and he leaves a big gap even although Mudassar Bukhari seems to have recovered from his injury worries, bowling a couple of impressive spells in the T20 Cup campaign. A couple of defeats could see Sparta’s position in the top four under threat, and Punjab at the Zomercomplex is perhaps not the ideal place to start. But the top order of the three overseas Sam Ferguson, Garnett Tarr and Will Clark has consolidated during the T20 competition, and Punjab’s bowlers will be looking to make early inroads in order to put the rest of the batting under pressure. Punjab’s own batting can be a fearsome proposition on their own ground, and with international Saqib Zulfiqar slotting back in they will surely start as favourites here.

BdJ: Though Sparta closed out a fairly comfortable victory at Bermeg in phase one (when the departing Malik notably took four wickets), the sides’ recent form does indeed suggest Punjab will be heavily favoured come Saturday. Rehmat and Asad Zulfiqar, both of whom had a quiet first phase, seem to have hit themselves into a degree of form during the T20s. With four Zulfiqars looking in good touch and Shoaib Minhas also in the runs, Punjab look close to recapturing their championship-winning form of 2021.

RL: Like the first phase, the second will start with a match between HCC and Voorburg, although this time at De Diepput. Whether it also involves reduced overs and a DLS result will depend on the state of the gound after Saturday’s predicted rain, while the composition of Voorburg’s side following the return of the national squad will also be a source of interest. The Voorburgers’ performances in the T20 Cup underlined how heavily they rely on their international contingent, Musa Ahmad’s heroic efforts notwithstanding, and although they have a four-point cushion at the top which almost guarantees them a semi-final slot, they will want to make sure that the side is back to being a well-oiled machine before the play-offs start. HCC took a little time to get going back in April/May, but with Jonathan Vandiar at home in the 50-over format, Ratha Alphonse reliable at the top of the order, and a varied attack, the Lions have everything they need for a sussessful defence of their title. And here they may have one of the best opportunities to upset the leaders.

BdJ: It’s certainly a tough assignement first up for the current frontrunners, though the return of league lead wicket-taker Shariz Ahmad along with Croes, Kingma and Levitt makes this a very different side than the one that underwhelmed in the T20. HCC also welcome back Clayton Floyd of course, while fellow left-arm spinner Daniel Doram has been a stand-out in the short format in recent weeks. The internationals will of course have to re-adjust to the very Dutchest of conditions at what is likely to be a soggy Diepput, while Boris Gorlee and Tonny Staal have had the chance to play themselves into a degree of form and Overdijk’s excellent season has carried over into the T20s. All told one might almost make HCC favourites here, though close call in my book.

By contrast with the Championship Pool, where sides play each other once, the four teams fighting to avoid relegation will take each other on both at home and away, meaning that there are twelve points up for grabs.

RL: Three defeats on the trot cost VRA Amsterdam a place in the T20 finals day and did nothing to dispel their reputation as a Jekyll-and-Hyde outfit, and they will be keen to show their civilised face when they take on Excelsior ‘20 at Thurlede. They will presumably be strengthened by the return of Vikram Singh, Aryan Dutt and Teja Nidamanuru, all of whom distinguished themselves in Zimbabwe, while in their absence Johan Smal grew in stature with the bat and young Aaditt Jain reinforced his claim to a regular place in the side. On paper VRA are much too good a team to find themselves battling to stave off relegation, but they will need to string together a series of more consistent performances to ensure their safety. Excelsior, on the other hand, demonstrated that they still have the fighting qualities which took them to three titles in four seasons between 2016 and 2019, and they are unlikely to prove an easy mark for the home side, even if VRA turn out to have too many guns.

BdJ: VRA? More like dis-RA amirite? (ha ha ha). While the Amsterdam sides’ youngsters have all improved markedly as individual players in recent years, the team itself seems to have gone backwards. While they are at least at the top of the bottom half of the table, they went through the back end of their T20 campaign just one win away from finals day, and the thought seemed to do little to concentrate minds. Conversely Excelsior are coming off the back of a successful few weeks in the short format, restoring a degree of confidence after a late slide in phase one. The Schiedammers remain reliant on the veteran Lorenzo Ingram, but Roel Vehagen has found some form of late and they remain a disciplined side that gives little away, especially at home. VRA still have several players that could entirely take the game away from the hosts of course, but a win for the Amsterdammers would be against the run of the summer.

RL: Having got out of jail in the final stages of the T20 Cup round robin, both HBS Craeyenhout and Salland, who meet in Den Haag on Sunday know that they now have to do it again in the longer format. Centuries from Tayo Walbrugh and Wesley Barresi (and a third-wicket stand of 222) were enough to ensure a comfortable victory for the Crows when these sides met back in May, and with Nic Adendorff having consolidated his place in the side and the prospect of Ferdi and/or Stephan Vink bolstering their young attack, in which Elmar Boendermaker gains in confidence with every outing, they undoubtedly have the potential to put an early end to fears of relegation. As always, Salland’s prospects are conditional on how many of their German contingent are available, and with Germany involved in the European T20 Qualifier in Scotland from 20-28 July, that will be a real worry for skipper Victor Lubbers, and will put additional pressure on overseas players Finn Raxworthy and Fraser Bartholomew.

BdJ: The state of Salland’s net run rate puts them under extra pressure ahead of the second phase, and the prospect of three crucial rounds coinciding with international duty for the German contingent will test what has looked to be a pretty bare bench so far this season. HBS remain in something of a transitional phase, but Vink’s return for the T20s did much to shore up an otherwise callow bowling attack. Adendorff’s late acclimatisation to Dutch conditions and the addition of Drummond combined with Reece Mason’s form has also meant HBS are less reliant on Walbrugh and Barresi for runs, which is just as well given that the latter is also in doubt for tomorrow. Both teams were candid at the start of the season, saying that their first target was top-flight survival, and Saturday’s game could well prove decisive in that respect.

RL’s picks: VOC, Punjab, HCC; VRA, HBS.
BdJ’s picks: VOC, Punjab, VCC, Excelsior, HBS.

Rod Lyall 12/07/2023

The weather forecast for Saturday will doubtless be a source of anxiety for groundsmen and KNCB administrators alike, with rain currently predicted to disrupt what should be one of the most festive days in the Dutch cricket calendar.

Leaders HCC will go into the day with the knowledge that if a match is rained off the higher-ranked team after the round-robin phase will be deemed the winner, but it will be up to the umpires (and the ground staff) to do everything they can to ensure that matters are settled on the field on Saturday rather than by reference to the league table.

Spice will be added to the day by the return of the competing sides’ international representatives, who missed all but the opening round because of their ultimately successful campaign in Zimbabwe, and that could mean that Cup holders VOC Rotterdam will be strengthened by the presence of Max O’Dowd and Scott Edwards for their semi-final clash with HCC, who could likewise have Clayton Floyd back in their side.

O’Dowd in particular has the potential to decide a match almost before it has begun, but VOC have made it to the finals day because others have stepped up when it mattered, not least the spin combination of Arnav Jain and Asief Hoseinbaks, while Jelte Schoonheim continues to chip in usefully with both bat and ball.

Overseas player Lane Berry has had a quiet tournament so far by comparison with his achievements in the 50-over competition, but the absence of O’Dowd and Edwards led to the emergence of Peter Recordon, who is averaging 41 with the bat at a strike rate of almost 120; it will be interesting to see whether the Rotterdammers find room for him in their side.

HCC have thoroughly deserved their place at the top of the table, not least because of the contribution of tall left-arm spinner Daniel Doram, whose ten wickets have come at an average of 11.7 and who, more remarkably, has an economy rate of 4.03, way ahead of any other bowler in the competition.

VOC’s batters will need to find a way of dealing with him as well as with Floyd, not to mention the pace (and middle-order batting) of T20 captain Hidde Overdijk and HCC’s other seamers, Daniel Crowley, Henrico Venter and Patient Charumbira.

It promises to be a very interesting encounter indeed, not least because these teams’ round-robin match was rained off.

The second semi-final will pit Punjab Rotterdam against somewhat surprising qualifiers Excelsior ‘20.

On paper Punjab are by far the stronger outfit, Shoaib Minhas one of the leading run-scorers in the competition at a rate of almost 160 and with Saqib Zulfiqar potentially rejoining his brothers in the line-up.

They also have the spin of Muhammad Shafiq, the leading wicket-taker with 14 at 14.93, and with skipper Sulaiman Tariq fifth on that list and Mubashar Hussain one of only 13 bowlers who have taken ten or more wickets, Punjab are serious contenders for the Cup.

But Excelsior continue to be a team that is more than the sum of its parts, particularly adept at defending modest totals, and while they might be hard-pressed to contain Punjab’s fire-power with the bat, the spin attack of Umar Baker and Lorenzo Ingram has performed consistently well, backed up by the gentle off-spin of captain Roel Verhagen.

Verhagen is also the team’s leading run-scorer, ahead of Ingram, and with overseas player Michael Hart making a more consistent contribution and Stan van Troost, having taken over wicketkeeping duties from Verhagen, also contributing with the bat, Excelsior do have the potential to spring another surprise.

My picks: VOC, Punjab, the weather.

Rod Lyall 10/07/2023

Double victories for Excelsior ‘20 and VOC Rotterdam on Saturday ensured that both sides reached the finals day of the T20 Cup on 15 July, although they had to wait until Sunday, and the match between HCC and Punjab, to learn exactly where on the table they would finish.

VOC began their weekend at the Hazelaarweg with a 26-run victory over Punjab, who were dismissed for 119 as they chased a total of 145 for nine, Asief Hoseinbaks taking three for 24 and Jelte Schoonheim three for 18.

Schoonheim’s 19-ball 26 had earlier been a significant contribution to his side’s score, along with top-scorer Burhan Niaz’s 36, while Sikander Zulfiqar’s 38-ball 50 received insufficient support from the rest of the side.

Schoonheim claimed two more wickets when VOC took on VRA Amsterdam in their second game, crucially breaking a third-wicket partnership of 113 between Tyler van Luin and Johan Smal, the latter caught by Tim de Kok for 48.

Van Luin stayed to the end, making an undefeated 80 in VRA’s total of 161 for five.

Francois Fourie and Peter Recordon gave VOC’s reply a great start with an opening stand of 83, and after they had both been dismissed and Lane Berry had joined them in the dug-out, Niaz and Arnav Jain knocked off the remaining runs to give VOC the win with five deliveries to spare.

Whether these two victories would be sufficient to propel the Cup holders into the semi-finals still hinged on the outcome VRA’s match against HCC, since a win for the Amsterdammers would bring them level with VOC and with a superior net run rate.

But after restricting HCC to 145 for seven, Teun Kloppenburg top-scoring with 40, VRA suffered an early collapse, Shirase Rasool, Luke Scully and Van Luin all falling by the time seven runs were on the board, and although Smal again battled hard with a 30-ball 51, at 81 for six it looked as if VRA’s challenge was over.

Mitch Lees fought a rearguard action with a defiant 38, supported by Leon Turmaine, but 16 were needed from Daniel Crowley’s final over, and with both Lees and Turmaine run out only one run was added to the score, and HCC won by 14 runs.

At Thurlede, meanwhile, Excelsior’s matches would not only determine whether they would take part in the finals day, but also who would be relegated to next year’s Hoofdklasse T20 Cup.

On Friday evening HBS Craeyenhout had lost by 42 runs to Sparta 1888, which meant that they could still be overtaken by ACC, Excelsior’s first opponents, and also that they could drop below both Salland and ACC if they suffered too heavy a defeat at the hands of Excelsior in the second match at Thurlede.

Sparta’s total of 203 for five was built of the contributions of their three overseas players, Garnett Tarr making 49, Sam Ferguson 47 and Will Clark 55, and although Tayo Walbrugh made a gallant 86 for HBS it could get them no closer than 161 for seven in reply.

So everything depended on ACC and HBS’s results against Excelsior, and ACC’s hopes were raised by a disciplined performance in the field, which restricted the Schiedammers to 107 for nine; Devanshu Arya’s four overs conceded only 14 runs, and Mahesh Hans claimed two for 4 in two overs, including the wicket of top-scorer Stan van Troost (21).

But two wickets for Jens Blankestijn and a run-out soon reduced ACC to 7 for three, and although Thomas Hobson (23) and Anis Raza (32) battled hard, Arya and Ammar Zaidi were left needing 16 from Niels Etman’s final over.

Ten came from the first four deliveries, including a six by Zaidi, but then he was run out off the fifth, and Excelsior squeezed home by 4 runs.

ACC’s survival now depended upon HBS’s effort against Excelsior, and when the home side posted a substantial 155 for two, Roel Verhagen making an unbeaten 69, and HBS slipped to 14 for three inside four overs, there seemed a possibility that they would fail to reach the 66 they needed to stay ahead of the Amsterdammers on NRR.

At this point Walbrugh and Nic Adendorff appeared to abandon the chase, contenting themselves with reaching that intermediate target, and they needed only another 13 when Adendorff was run out attempting an unnecessary second run.

Ferdi Vink, however, helped Walbrugh achieve safety for his side, and the innings closed on 79 for five, enough to keep HBS up and send ACC down.

Net run rate was also significant when HCC played host to Punjab on Sunday in the final round robin match: having contained the Lions to 120 for nine, Punjab needed to reach their target in 16 overs to better their hosts’ NRR and move into top slot.

They began promisingly, Shoaib Minhas making a 29-ball 41 not out despite the loss of two early wickets, but rain intervened after 8.2 overs with Punjab on 54 for two.

They were ahead by 8 runs on DLS and therefore took the points, but the difference was insufficient to take them ahead of their rivals on NRR.

Next Saturday’s first semi-final will therefore pit HCC against fourth-placed VOC, while Punjab will take on Excelsior in the second.

Rod Lyall 07/07/2023

We’re in for a tense and potentially exciting weekend of cricket as the Topklasse T20 Cup reaches the end of the round robin phase, with seven of the ten clubs battling either for a spot on the finals day or to avoid relegation.

The battle begins on Friday evening, when HBS Craeyenhout will be at home to Sparta 1888 in the first of three games which will decide who will be playing their T20 cricket in the Hoofdklasse next season.

Sparta are safe, but with two games to play HBS will want to get clear of the relegation zone as quickly as possible, and they will achieve that if they win this one on their own astroturf.

Nic Adendorff has emerged as a key allrounder in the Crows’ line-up, and with him and Reece Mason in the top order they have some insurance against the rare occurrence of Tayo Walbrugh going cheaply.

Their main problems, however, have been in the bowling, which looks a lot more solid when Ferdi and/or Stephan Vink and/or Navjit Singh are in the side to bolster the youthful talents of Elmar Boendermaker and Yoran Visée.

With only pride to play for Sparta will be something of an unknown quantity in this game, but their hard-fought victory over VRA last Saturday, built on a fine spell from Mudassar Bukhari, suggests that they may want to end on a high, and that can only be good for the competition.

The relegation issue, however, will mostly be dependent on the match between Excelsior ‘20 and ACC at Thurlede on Saturday, where defeat for ACC would definitively seal their fate and ensure a reprieve for Salland, whose victory over the Amsterdammers last Sunday has given them a crucial edge.

Excelsior are still in with an outside chance of making the semi-finals provided they win both their remaining matches, so Roel Verhagen’s men have every incentive to make sure of the points against ACC, and then against HBS when they take them on in the second leg of a double-header.

Fielding a somewhat scratch side on Sunday, ACC were never really in the contest, and they will need to call on all their resources if they are to have a realistic chance in this do-or-go-down battle.

Should Excelsior win they will move ahead of Voorburg on net run rate, and having completed their programme Voorburg will only be able to watch anxiously as events unfold at Thurlede and elsewhere.

Even victories over both ACC and HBS, however, would not guarantee Excelsior a place in the top four, since they have VOC Rotterdam breathing down their necks, also with two games to play.

But whereas Excelsior face two of the lower-placed teams, VOC have to take on Punjab Rotterdam and <b<VRA Amsterdam, both of whom are currently above them on the table and need at least one more win to make sure of a finals day spot.

Punjab have been one of the most consistent sides in this competition, and they might already have been secure in the top four had their match against Sparta last Saturday not been rained off.

Shoaib Minhas has been a tower of strength at the top of the batting order, and with a trio of Zulfiqars in the middle order and the guile of Mohammad Shafiq with the ball, they have fully deserved their place near the top of the table.

Cup holders VOC, on the other hand, have blown hot and cold, although their campaign has not been helped by the loss of two matches to the weather.

Lane Berry remains key with the bat, but he has not been able to reproduce in the T20 format his form in the 50-over game, and they will need significant contributions from him – and from the rest of the top order – if they are to pull off the two wins they need to give themselves any chance of reaching the finals day.

For VRA, who need to bounce back quickly from that defeat at Sparta last week, the VOC encounter is the first leg of a Hazelaarweg double-header, the second a nominally home game against leaders HCC.

With a very favourable net run rate, a win against either VOC or HCC should be enough to see VRA into the semi-finals, but the leading sides are also jostling for a favourable draw on the finals day; not only does the team at the top of the table meet the fourth-placed side – not, perhaps, a huge advantage given the vagaries of T20 cricket – but playing in the first semi-final gives the winners more recovery time before the final.

There will be every incentive, then, for both sides to gain a crucial advantage over their rivals, and the same will apply to the weekend’s final match, between HCC and Punjab at De Diepput on Sunday.

These two sides have thoroughly deserved their places at the top of the table, and in Daniel Doram, whose economy rate in this competition is a remarkable 3.78 an over, they have a potential match-winner who will test the hitting power of Punjab’s batters.

A brace of wins for either HCC or Punjab would guarantee them the top spot going into the finals day, so this match will have something of the final avant la lettre about it.

It’s hard to imagine a better climax to what has been a fascinating new competition set-up.

My picks for the weekend: HBS; Punjab, Excelsior, VOC, HBS, HCC; Punjab.

Rod Lyall 03/07/2023

The relegation battle in the T20 Cup heated up considerably in Deventer on Sunday, when Salland gave themselves a real chance of staying up by beating ACC by 60 runs and changing places with them at the foot of the table.

ACC will now need to beat Excelsior ’20 in next weekend’s final round in order to avoid relegation, and with the Schiedammers fighting for a place on the finals day that will be no straightforward task.

The day had begun less promisingly for Salland, who lost a low-scoring game against HBS Craeyenhout by 13 runs after restricting their opponents to 109 for seven.

Reinder Lubbers struck an early blow for the home side by getting danger man Tayo Walbrugh caught at slip off the fourth ball of the match, and went on to complete an outstanding spell with figures of 4 – 2 – 7 – 3.

Manjinder Singh hit a lusty 10-ball 25 before becoming the second of his victims, but it was Nic Adendorff’s steady 47 which gave HBS a total they had some prospect of defending in the bowler-friendly conditions.

Julian de Mey maintained great pressure on Salland’s batters with a spell which gave him figures as remarkable as Lubbers’s, 4 – 1 – 5 – 2; and at 43 for five the home side were in serious jeopardy.

They were rescued by a stand of 50 between skipper Victor Lubbers and his elder brother Reinder, but once that had been broken by an outstanding piece of fielding by De Mey to run out Victor as they attempted a third run, the ask became too great for the remaining batters, and the innings closed on 96 for nine.

It soon appeared that the ground staff might have dropped in an entirely different pitch during the break as Salland, after winning the toss, ran up their highest total of the competition, their 174 for five built on a second-wicket stand of 100 between Talha Ahmed Khan (37) and Ganesan (62).

Sahir Naqash then contributed a 21-ball 43, inclduing four fours and two sixes, to ensure that ACC faced a very significant target.

They began briskly enough, reaching 76 for one in the ninth over, but once Akhil Gopinath had removed Shreyas Potdar, stumped by Rahil Ahmed, and Elam Bharathi had bowled Thomas Hobson for a fine 27-ball 46, the innings started to sag.

Gopinath claimed three more wickets to finish with four for 29, and there were two apiece for Reinder Lubbers and Bharathi as ACC were dismissed for a disappointing 114.

It was the Amsterdammers’ second defeat of the weekend, as they had also lost by 26 runs to Voorburg at Westvliet on Saturday.

There they were chasing a much more modest target, Voorburg having reached 125 for eight, Nehaan Gigani having top-scored with 32, but three wickets for Floris de Lange (at a cost of 20 runs) and a hat-trick by Mees van Vliet, who finished with four for 24, restricted them to just 99 all out.

Rain played havoc with Saturday morning’s programme, with the matches between HCC and VOC Rotterdam and Sparta 1888 and Punjab Rotterdam abandoned without a ball being bowled, and only eight overs per side being possible at Westvliet, where Voorburg beat HBS by 13 runs.

Voorburg’s 95 for four was dominated by Musa Ahmad’s 27-ball 64, which brought his tally for the tournament to 348, and although Walbrugh made 39 from 22 deliveries before he was caught behind off Van Vliet and Tim Drummond contributed an unbeaten 29, the Crows were unable to score at the nine and a half an over they needed.

Improving conditions in the afternoon meant that Sparta were able to take on VRA Amsterdam, who missed an opportunity to go clear at the top of the table when they lost a see-sawing encounter by two wickets off the final ball of the match.

The leaders had been put on the back foot early by a vintage spell from Mudassar Bukhari, who displayed all his guile in an opening spell of three for 21, and they were only able to recover from 53 for six to 122 all out thanks to valuable contributions from Udit Nashier (29) and Aaditt Jain (17); Prithvi Balwantsingh kept up the pressure for Sparta with three for 29.

Bukhari, Sam Ferguson, Garnett Tarr and Will Clark all got a start at the top of Sparta’s order and Khalid Ahmadi made 18 from just eight deliveries, but VRA kept taking wickets, and Eduard Visser’s final over began with 11 still needed and seven wickets down.

Balwantsingh fell to the first ball, but Tom Hoornweg struck the second to the boundary, and a string of singles left four required off the last and skipper Joost-Martijn Snoep on strike.

His lofted drive to long off eluded the fielder, and Sparta had secured the two points they needed to put an end to any fears that they might become entangled in the relegation tussle.

Rod Lyall 29/06/2023

Just fourteen matches remain to be played now in the round robin phase of this year’s T20 Cup, with half of them taking place this weekend. Perhaps the only thing we know for certain is that the outcomes at top and (possibly) bottom won’t be finally resolved this week, but by Sunday evening at least the remaining issues will have been clarified.

The most significant match of the weekend is probably VOC Rotterdam’s’s clash with HCC at De Diepput on Saturday: currently just outside the semi-final places but with a game in hand over rivals Excelsior ‘20 (who don’t have a game this weekend), Cup-holders VOC really need to take the points here to give themselves a crucial advantage going into the final weekend.

An HCC win, on the other hand, would virtually guarantee HCC a slot on the finals day, with at least a four-point margin over those battling for the fourth semi-final place.

Personnel changes have made little difference to the Lions’ performances so far, and even the absence of Hidde Overdijk did not prevent their victory over ACC last week, while VOC dropped vital points when they ended up short in their run chase against Excelsior.

That said, even without Scott Edwards and Max O’Dowd the Bloodhounds have plenty of batting, and this game could be an absorbing encounter; it may be that it will be HCC’s attack which is the decisive factor, with Daniel Doram a key factor.

Missing half their first-choice side, Voorburg have had a pretty tough time over the past couple of weeks, although they did pull off a notable surprise by ending Punjab’s unbeaten run last Saturday before losing to Salland.

Saturday sees them taking on HBS Craeyenhout and ACC in a Westvliet double-header which completes their round-robin programme, and two wins would consolidate their mid-table position without, however, giving them a real possibility of reaching the finals day.

Musa Ahmad has virtually carried the side with his bat and to some degree with the ball, and his century against Punjab was a remarkable single-handed effort.

HBS shocked HCC in their last outing, but they, too, are very dependent on one individual in Tayo Walbrugh; man-for-man, though, they have more experience than their hosts, especially if, after their week off, they are again able to call on the likes of Ferdi and/or Stephan Vink, Tobias Visée and Navjit Singh,

With relegation still a possibility after Salland’s win against Voorburg, they have every incentive to put out a strengthened side against a Voorburg outfit which does look pretty vulnerable.

ACC’s position is a little healthier, but if they do not secure at least one more win in their last three games and other results go against them, even they could slip into the relegation zone.

They looked more solid last week with Chris Knoll in the side to support Thomas Hobson, but their bowling remains a source of concern and although Anis Raza has been giving sterling service with both bat and ball they will need early wickets against Voorburg if they are to have a decent chance of taking the points back north.

Of the clubs in the lower reaches of the table Sparta 1888 have the toughest day on Saturday, as they face first Punjab and then VRA at the Bermweg.

Although they have the cushion of the point they gained from their rained-off match against VOC, the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket means that they too will need to pick up at least one win from their last three games before they can breathe a little more easily, and given the strength of both Punjab and VRA it’s looking as if it may come down to their final match-up with HBS on 9 July.

Even the batting power of Ferguson, Tarr and Clark has not been enough to earn the Spartans more than a single victory so far, and with the Zulfiqars, Shoaib Minhas and Mohammad Shafiq among their first opponents and Johan Smal leading a talented VRA outfit, they will have to be at their very best if they are to cause an upset here.

For Punjab and VRA, of course, as for HCC, a victory on Saturday would make them virtually certain of a spot on the finals day, and that should be incentive enough.

Influential as some of these games may be in deciding who plays in next season’s Hoofdklasse T20 Cup, the real relegation battles will take place on Sunday, when HBS and ACC will travel to Deventer to take on Salland.

This is the last-chance saloon for Victor Lubbers’s side, whose programme will be completed by this double-header: two defeats would leave them irredeemably at the foot of the table, while even one win, especially against HBS, would keep a tiny window of hope open for them.

Should they win both the pressure on their rivals would then be enormous, even more so if they had lost to Voorburg on Saturday.

Those stakes should ensure that Salland put out a three-line whip for their German contingent, but even the efforts of Venkat Ganesan and Talha Ahmed Khan, backed up by the ‘official’ overseas players Finn Raxworthy and Fraser Bartholomew, have mostly been insufficient to earn them the points, and they will need to fire on all cylinders if they are to pull off a Great Escape on Sunday.

My picks: HCC; HBS, Voorburg; Punjab, VRA; HBS, ACC.