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Rod Lyall 20/08/23

If anyone had expected that the finals of this year’s Topklasse would produce tense matches filled with exciting performances they would have been disappointed by Saturday’s programme, which produced few fireworks and more than a few damp squibs.

Without leading professionals Shoaib Minhas, Mohsin Riaz and Garnett Tarr, Punjab Rotterdam and Sparta 1888 proved poor opponents for championship favourites Voorburg and title-holders HCC respectively, although Sparta did fight their way back from a seemingly impossible position and battled hard against heavy odds before losing a low-scoring match by four wickets.

Punjab’s best moments were in the opening hour at Westvliet when, after Sybrand Engelbrecht had won the toss and elected to bat, Muhammad Shafiq grabbed the wickets of Nehaan Gigani, Michael Levitt and Noah Croes to reduced Voorburg to 46 for three.

But then Musa Ahmad and Engelbrecht himself took charge, putting together a fourth-wicket stand of 201 which batted Punjab out of the game.

Both made centuries: Musa’s 102 came from 134 deliveries and included eight fours, while Engelbrecht needed only 109 balls for his 115, hitting 13 fours and a six.

Mubashar Hussain claimed the wickets of internationals Shariz Ahmad and Ryan Klein, but still Voorburg were able to reach an imposing 303 for seven, and when Karl Nieuwoudt, Viv Kingma and Klein combined to leave Punjab on 35 for three, there was no-one to turn the innings around in the way Musa and Engelbrecht had for Voorburg.

Saqib and Sikander Zulfiqar put up some resistance, but once they had gone the innings continued to decline, Mees van Vliet running through the middle order as he claimed three for 14 and Shariz finishing things off, bringing his season’s tally to 45 wickets with two for 4.

With skipper Sulaiman Tariq unable to bat, Punjab were all out for 89, and they have just 18 hours to gear themselves up for a last-ditch attempt to reach next Saturday’s grand final when they play HCC on Sunday.

The defending champions demonstrated that they would not surrender their title easily with a commanding performance by the bowlers at Sportpark Bermweg, where Sparta found themselves on 13 for four after six and a half overs, Daniel Crowley taking three for 12 in a devastating six-over opening spell.

He was backed up by spinners Clayton Floyd and Daniel Doram, the latter bowling two exemplary spells to finish with the remarkable figures of 10 – 6 – 4 – 1.

Sparta were 32 for six at one stage, but skipper Joost Martijn Snoep led a partial recovery, facing 105 deliveries in making 16, while Faizan Bashir (24), Prithvi Balwantsingh (10) and Sawan Sardha (21) managing to get the total up to 114.

Hidde Overdijk contributed a hostile ten-over spell, but the bulk of the wickets went to Floyd (three for 39) and to Crowley, who returned to finish off the innings and ended with four for 16.

Snoep then removed Jonathan Vandiar before he had scored, but Tonny Staal (33) and Ratha Alphonse (31) put on 61 for the second wicket, and although Sardha struck twice to dismiss Boris Gorlee and Teun Kloppenburg, first Floyd and then Patient Charumbira were able to steer their side home with almost twenty overs to spare.

Any remaining doubts about who would be relegated from the 50-over Topklasse were finally resolved at Het Schootsveld, where Salland’s 108-run defeat by HBS Craeyenhout.

A second-wicket stand of 139 between Kyle Klein (77) and Tayo Walbrugh (84) gave HBS a solid base, and although Akhil Gopinath struck back to remove both of them and finish with four for 41, the Crows were still able to reach 217 for six.

Walbrugh’s knock, the ninth time he had gone past fifty in the 50-over competition this season, took his aggregate to 990, and he will need just 10 runs in his side’s final match against VRA on Sunday to become the first player since Vandiar in 2017 to make 1000 runs in a Topklasse season.

Salland needed not only to win to keep their faint hopes of survival alive, but to do so quickly enough to eat away at their substantial net run rate deficit to rivals Excelsior, and Venkat Ganesan and Sahir Naqash set about the chase with some initial success.

Both were removed, however, by Nic Adendorff, and that was effectively the end of Salland’s hopes.

Elam Bharathi and Gopinath put up some resistance towards the end, but by then any realistic chance of victory had disappeared, and with an injured Finn Raxworthy unable to bat the innings closed on 109.

While Salland were slipping to defeat and relegation in Deventer Excelsior ‘20 were on the wrong end of a lack-lustre affair in the Amsterdamse Bos, where they battled their way to 169 for nine against VRA.

Michael Hart and Stan van Troost contributed 28 and 35 respectively, but it was former skipper Tom Heggelman, playing what is reportedly his penultimate game for the side, whose 56 negotiated them to at least a half-defendable total.

Leon Turmain took three for 28 for the home side, and Aryan Dutt two for 17.

Excelsior have in the past made something of a specialty of defending low totals, and with Jens Blankestijn confirming his promise with three for 23 they whittled away at VRA’s powerful but inconsistent batting line-up.

Johan Smal, however, held things together with 50 and Udit Nashier made 26, and in the end it was Turmaine and Eduard Visser who guided the Amsterdammers to a three-wicket victory with almost ten overs to spare.

Rod Lyall 13/08/23

The battle for semi-final places extended into Sunday’s final round of matches in the Championship pool, but even victory over HCC was insufficient to carry ACC into the final four as the defending champions had the advantage of the single point they had gained from their tie with Sparta 1888 back in July.

The other side to miss out was VOC, who lost to Rotterdam rivals Punjab by seven wickets at the Hazelaarweg.

After winning the toss VOC were stunned by the loss to two wickets within the first four balls of the match, Muhammad Shafiq removing both Francois Fourie and Lane Berry without scoring, but a third-wicket stand of 135 between Max O’Dowd (79) and Scott Edwards (65) put their side back on top for a time.

Once Sulaiman Tariq had dismissed them both, however, the innings subsided, and with Sikander Zulfiqar claiming three for 29 the last six wickets fell for the addition of just 10 runs as the side was all out for 175.

Punjab were in trouble in their turn, Asief Hoseinbaks reducing them to 48 for three and taking three for 29 in an unbroken ten-over spell, but that brought Saqib and Sikander Zulfiqar together, and they saw their side home with a stand of 129 to complete a seven-wicket victory with 70 balls to spare.

The win, together with results elsewhere, carried Punjab back into second spot and earned them a double chance of reaching the grand final – they will now play leaders Voorburg at Westvliet in the first semi-final.

HCC missed their chance to go second when they lost to ACC by 75 runs at Het Loopveld.

The basis of ACC’s total of 247 for seven, their second-highest of the season, was a fourth-wicket partnership of 141 between Thomas Hobson and Heino Kuhn, which rescued them from a perilous 48 for three.

Hobson was eventually dismissed for 79, but Kuhn remained unbeaten on 104, managing the tail and ensuring that momentum was maintained in the closing overs despite two run-outs.

HCC got off to a solid start when they replied, Tonny Staal making 57 before he was caught by Hobson off his own bowling, but with Mahesh Hans cutting through the top and middle order to claim three for 31 and two more run-outs, their challenge faltered, and they were all out for 172.

At Westvliet leaders Voorburg flirted with defeat by Sparta 1888, but were seen home by a dogged ninth-wicket stand of 42 between Philippe Boissevain and Mess van Vliet after Joost Martijn Snoep and Joost Kroesen appeared to have put the Spartans into a winning position.

They were defending a relatively modest 162, which was dominated by Garnett Tarr’s 93; he received too little support, however, and with Shariz Ahmad taking five for 32, his fourth five-wicket haul of the campaign, and bringing his season’s tally to 43 at an average of 11, Voorburg should have had a relatively easy chase.

But Snoep struck three times to reduce them to 47 for three, and when brothers Musa and Shariz Ahmad appeared to swung the game their side’s way Kroesen chimed in, removing first Musa for 53 and then Shariz for 42.

At 121 for eight Sparta were now on top, but Boissevain and Van Vliet, with plenty of overs in hand, were content to pick off the runs in ones and twos, their partnership not including a single boundary but moving swiftly enough to reach their target with seven and a half overs to spare.

Snoep finished with three for 38 and Kroesen with the day’s most popular figures, three for 29.

Despite this defeat Sparta stayed ahead of HCC on NRR, and will therefore enjoy home advantage in next Saturday’s second semi-final.

In the Relegation pool, HBS removed any lingering fears of the drop into the Hoofdklasse with a 140-run victory over Excelsior ‘20, who could still – at least in theory – be overtaken by bottom side Salland.

HBS set the highest total of the day, 270 for eight, thanks to another century by Tayo Walbrugh, his fifth of the season.

He shared in useful partnerships with Wesley Barresi (33) and then with Kyle Klein, and after he fell to Roel Verhagen for 104 Klein took over the baton, making an unbeaten 70 as the Crows piled on the runs.

Excelsior were soon in trouble, and although Stan van Troost made 36 and his brother Rens 31, they never looked likely to mount a serious challenge, Nic Adendorff claiming five for 51, including the vital wicket of Lorenzo Ingram, and they were eventually dismissed for 140.

The Schiedammers will now need to win one of their two remaining games next weekend, away to VRA on Saturday and at home to Salland on Sunday, or at the very least they will have to ensure that they do not lose heavily enough to eat away their very considerable net run rate advantage over their rivals.

Rod Lyall 12/08/23

Another blistering century from Vikram Singh was enough almost to put paid to Salland’s last remaining hope of remaining in next season’s Topklasse in the Amsterdamse Bos on Saturday, as VRA chased down their visitors’ 224 for eight in 23.3 overs.

Despite a reduction to 32 overs a side after heavy rain overnight and during the morning caused a delayed start, Salland set their highest total in their two years in the top flight, Piyaranga Ottachchige equalling his highest score of the season with 82, made from 80 deliveries, and skipper Victor Lubbers contributing 41.

But any thought that the Amsterdammers’ 455 in 47 overs at Craeyenhout a fortnight ago might have been a fluke, or solely a product of Craeyenhout’s batter-friendly conditions, was quickly dispelled as Singh again went onto the attack.

Salland managed to remove Shirase Rasool (33), Johan Smal (30) and Teja Nidamanuru (10) at the other end, but Singh was again completely dominant, reaching his third century of the campaign from just 57 deliveries with seven fours and six sixes.

By the time his side had completed their chase he had moved on to an unbeaten 133, made from 70 balls with ten fours and nine sixes, and he had brought his strike rate for the season to 110.48.

Although two wins in their final two matches could theoretically bring Salland level with either HBS or Excelsior ’20 – should either of them lose all three games they still have to play – their net run rate deficit is so great that it would take an extraordinary set of results to enable them to escape bottom spot on the table.

In the Championship pool, HCC, after an early collapse against VOC Rotterdam in their rained-off encounter last week, elected to field at a damp Diepput this time and quickly seized the initiative, Hidde Overdijk removing first Max O’Dowd and then Scott Edwards with successive deliveries in just the third over of the game.

VOC never really recovered from this double blow, and although Lane Berry made 24 and Mussayab Jamil 29, a fine spell from Daniel Doram, who bowled nine overs and took four for 14, prevented any recovery.

Overdijk picked up another wicket to finish with three for 14, and it took an enterprising 17 from Asief Hoseinbaks to get their total up to 110 before they were all out, almost ten of their 41 overs left unused.

A target of 111 caused the defending champions few problems, Ratha Alphonse leading the way with 40, and after he departed Patient Charumbira declined to live up to his given name, smacking two fours and two sixes as he raced to an unbeaten 22 from ten deliveries, HCC needing one ball more than half their allocated overs to complete a seven-wicket victory.

The victory enabled HCC to leapfrog Punjab Rotterdam, as did Sparta 1888 by virtue of their three-wicket win against ACC at the Bermweg.

ACC were again unable to take full advantage of a good start, which saw them reach 103 for two thanks to 36 from Rahil Ahmed and 26 from hius fellow-opener Shreyas Potdar.

But thereafter only Heino Kuhn was able to gain the upper hand against Sparta’s persistent attack, and no-one was able to stay with him for long; he was the ninth man out for exactly 50, and the innings ended on 195.

The Amsterdammers fought hard in the field, reducing Sparta to 73 for four at one stage, but a fifth-wicket partnership of 91 between Will Clark (75) and Joost Kroesen (45) turned the game around, and Sandeep Sardha saw them to victory with two balls to spare.

Saturday’s results ensure that Sparta and HCC will both play in the semi-finals, but VOC would squeeze into fourth place were they to beat Punjab at the Hazelaarweg on Sunday.

For ACC, even victory over HCC is unlikely to be enough: any result at the Hazelaarweg is likely to leave them outside the top four.

Rod Lyall & Bertus de Jong 11/08/23

After a disappointingly wet weekend that saw just one match completed in Round 13, the back end of the Topklasse schedule has been thrown into a degree of disarray. Voorburg’s win over Punjab served only to tie a bow on their already-assured spot at the top of the table, and the rest of the matches will be replayed over the next couple of weekends. VOC vs HCC and Sparta vs ACC are both pencilled in for Saturday the 12th, and the remaining two matches a week later. For our thoughts on those games we refer you to our previous preview, but a full slate of round 14 matches are also coming up this weekend, with Salland taking on VRA in a must-win match at Amsterdamse Bos, and the rest of the round scheduled for Sunday.

BdJ: Defeat for Salland at VRA could all-but seal their fate, already trailing Excelsior and HBS by two wins and at a substantial net run rate disadvantage. The hosts will again be without Aaditt Jain and Udit Nashier, both still on under 19s duty, but remain heavy favourites even against a full-strength Salland side. The Amsterdammers looked well on top against Excelsior last week before the rain put a stop the the game, while Tim Drummond had Salland chasing leather. VRA are already well safe of course, while Salland realistically need three wins to have a hope of staying up. Whether motivation can trump momentum thus looks the key question on Saturday, but history favours the latter.

RL: The task for Salland remains daunting, and there’s little sign that the return of their German contingent will bring about a change in their fortunes. For VRA, on the other hand, the presence of Singh, Rasool and Co. in the top order offers the prospect of plenty of runs, while even without Nashier and Jain the attack has both variety and incisiveness. Salland escaped by the skin of their teeth from relegation in the T20 Cup; it would be a huge surprise were they to repeat the trick in the 50-over competition, and Saturday in the Bos might well seal their fate.

BdJ: The weekend’s other relegation pool fixture effectively sees HBS: and Excelsior: competing for safety, with the winner assured of top-flight survival. Despite a less than successful season the hosts will start as favourites at Craeyenhout, Tim Drummond’s maiden century last week adding another name to the now-complete list of centurions in the HBS top five. The bowling remains a worry, but given the form of Excelsior’s top-order probably not one that’s keeping the Crows up at night. The Schiedammers’ reliance on Lorenzo Ingram and Michael Hart for runs has been particularly pronounced this season, and were it not for Salland’s woes they might well have been headed for the Hoofdklasse.

RL: The HBS attack has looked more convincing with the return, at least on a part-time basis, of the Fabulous Vink Brothers, and although Tobias Visée’s occasional appearances have so far been limited to cameos at best, his role has to some extent been taken over by Reece Mason. With Drummond now established in the top order and Nic Adendorff ditto as a useful all-rounder HBS look a more solid outfit, and they will trouble an Excelsior side which, although the squad list has changed relatively little, has been well short of their form of recent seasons. Ingram leads the wicket-takers and well as the run-scorers by a country mile, and if HBS can neutralise his threat they should make sure of the points they need to guarantee survival.

BdJ: At the other end of the table Voorburg have already secured the top spot, but will be keen to maintain their winning streak when they head to Bermweg to take on Sparta 1888. The hosts will be gunning to join VCC in the preliminary final, and currently third behind Punjab but with a game in hand the Spartans are well-placed to bag that double-shot at the final. Having bowled ACC out for 128 last week before the rain came the bowling looks to be on-song, and Voorburg may be without Ryan Klein, who is nursing a bruised foot, but Vivian Kingma will be back from coaching duties and there’s a fair few in the VCC ranks, not least their newly-eligible skipper, who will be looking to bolster their case for inclusion in the World Cup travelling party.

RL: Sparta were the unluckiest team last weekend, well on their way to victory over ACC when the rain brought a premature end, and the way in which they fought back after an indifferent start suggested that they will maintain their challenge for a semi-final place to the bitter end. They do miss Ahsan Malik with the new ball, but their workmanlike attack, especially when Mudassar Bukhari is at anything like his best, is capable of causing most sides problems. Whether that includes Voorburg’s star-studded line-up remains doubtful, however, and it would be one of the bigger surprises of the season were they to take the points back to Capelle.

BdJ: Also jostling for position at the top end are ACC: and HCC:, who meet at ‘t Loopveld on Saturday. On paper HCC should be favourites, but they were on the ropes against VOC last week before the rain came. The top order’s form has been shaky at best, while the season’s stand-out Hidde Overdijk may be in doubt for the weekend. The all-rounder looked rather under the weather at the pro-series game at VRA on Thursday, managing just two balls before heading to the latrines – suspicion falling on a dodgy plate of ribs the night before. ACC skipper Heino Kuhn is also understood to be planning to hit 200 runs this weekend, though it’s not clear how he plans to divide them between the two matches.

RL: Reaching the top six, surprising as it was, seems likely to prove the height of ACC’s achievements this season, and with their title at stake last year’s champions will have every reason to turn it on in Amstelveen and make almost sure of a semi-final place. Doubts about Overdijk and last week’s batting collapse notwithstanding, HCC look a much more complete side than their hosts, and the lurking threat of Jonathan Vandiar is always there. The head-to-head between the two South Africans will be an extremely interesting aspect of this encounter, but with Teun Kloppenburg back from Under-19 duty the Lions’ batting overall looks a good deal stronger than ACC’s, and the attack also has greater edge.

BdJ: Finally VOC take on Punjab at Hazelaarweg, in what could well prove a crucial match-up in the context of play-off positioning. The hosts are likely to welcome back Edwards and O’Dowd, but may not be at full strength across a double weekend. Punjab meanwhile have been without Riaz and Minhas for the back end of the season, though with a full complement of Zulfiqars and the benefit of a single game to focus on this weekend they remain entirely in contention for both the win and a top two spot if other results fall their way. VOC have the benefit of a substantial net run rate advantage over the field, but whether the T20 champions have the hunger to chase the double is another question.

RL: The loss of Minhas and Riaz has hurt Punjab, and they will not only need the Zulfiqars to be at their best with both bat and ball but will be looking to the Yasir Usmans and Mubashar Hussains to chip in as well if they are to upset a VOC side who, along with HCC, look to be the strongest candidates to get between Voorburg and their seemingly-inevitable title. The return of O’Dowd would be a huge boost for the Bloodhounds, who looked very sharp indeed in cutting through HCC’s top order last week and who will hope that Lane Berry can play some imposing innings as the season reaches its business end.

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

Rod Lyall 06/08/23

On a weekend dominated by poor weather, Punjab Rotterdam’s prospects of making the final four took a hit at Het Zomercomplex on Saturday, when they lost a rain-affected match to leaders Voorburg by 40 runs.

After electing to bat Voorburg lost both openers early to the combination of seamer Mubashar Hussain and fielder Mohammad Shafiq, but they were rescued by a captain’s innings from Sybrand Engelbrecht, who made an unbeaten 112 and steered them to a respectable 249 for nine.

He received useful support from Noah Croes (33) and the brothers Boissevain, Laurens making 31 and Philippe 19; Sohail Bhatti was the most successful of the Punjab bowlers with three for 41.

The Punjab response was delayed by rain, so they started chasing a revised target of 231 from 42 overs, and by the time another shower held up proceedings again they had already lost openers Asif Khan and Yasir Usman.

The task was now to make 212 in 35 overs, but Voorburg’s bowlers steadily worked their way through the middle order, and at 103 for seven the home side’s challenge appeared to have faded, despite Shafiq’s 30 and 33 from Sikander Zulfiqar.

Bhatti smacked a defiant 34-ball 52, including six sixes, but when he became Shariz Ahmad’s fourth victim, bringing the leg-spinner’s tally for the season to 38, the innings ended on 171.

No result was possible in the Amsterdamse Bos, where Excelsior ‘20 had battled their way to 167 for eight in 43 overs against VRA Amsterdam before the rain ended the action for the day.

Michael Hart had led the way with 77, a season’s best effort with the bat, but he eventually fell to Aryan Dutt, the most successful of VRA’s bowlers with three for 22.

And the news was even worse on Sunday, when all three Topklasse matches – along with most of the rest of the programme – fell victim to persistent rain.

The greatest frustration was perhaps at the Bermweg, where Sparta 1888 had bowled themselves into a winning position against ACC, only to see their hopes dissolved as the rain set in.

A solid third-wicket stand of 75 between Shreyas Potdar (41) and Thomas Hobson (34) had taken the Amsterdammers to 98 for two, but once Faizan Bashir had removed Hobson the innings fell apart, the last eight wickets falling for 30 runs and the last five for just five.

Bashir finished with three for 23 and Joost-Martijn Snoep three for 21, and Sam Ferguson and Gagandeep Singh had negotiated their side to 19 without loss before the weather intervened.

Every effort was made to get the sides back onto the field, but in the end Pluvius had the last word.

The rain did not reach Deventer until later in the afternoon, by which time HBS Craeyenhout had posted 239 for six against the <bSalland attack and opener Tim Drummond had made his first Topklasse century, a 135-ball 123.

He shared a second-wicket stand of 110 with Tayo Walbrugh, whose 56 took him past 800 runs for the season – or brought him to 1139 if we include the T20 Cup.

But no further play was possible, and with Salland still having a mathematical chance of avoiding relegation the teams will have to try again next weekend to reach a result.

Another side with a legitimate grievance against the weather gods were VOC Rotterdam, who had reduced HCC to 36 for five in a match already cut to 37 overs before the players were driven from the field.

Arnav Jain and Burhan Niaz picked up two wickets apiece, while only Boris Gorlee with 21 was able to reach double figures with the bat.

Rod Lyall 31/07/23

In one of the most extraordinary matches ever played in the Netherlands VRA Amsterdam beat HBS Craeyenhout by 57 runs on Sunday, although that bald statement gives no hint of the frenetic pace at which the game was played.

No fewer than 853 runs were scored from just 85.5 overs, by far the highest aggregate score in any one-day top flight game, the average of ten an over being maintained from the moment Vikram Singh launched a devastating assault on the home side’s bowling.

Singh brought up his century off just 43 deliveries, including 17 fours and four sixes, and went on to make a 71-ball 155, sharing a second-wicket stand of 185 with Johan Smal.

It brought the Dutch international’s tally in his last two innings at Craeyenhout to 316 from 135 deliveries, at a strike rate of 234.

Smal hammered 170 from 95 balls with 13 fours and as many sixes, and although wickets began to fall in the closing stages, Julian de Mey claiming three for 62, VRA closed on 455 for eight in 47 overs, eclipsing Quick Haag’s legendary 428 without loss as the highest innings total in a limited overs match in the Dutch top flight, and the third highest in any format in the competition’s 133-year history.

HBS, though, showed no sign of being intimidated by this formidable target, Reece Mason (112 from 84 deliveries), his maiden Topklasse century, and Tayo Walbrugh (111 from 61) putting on 214 for the second wicket, and the Crows were ahead of the asking rate for much of their reply.

Once Walbrugh and Mason had gone, however, and Wesley Barresi had followed with a 37-ball 72, the challenge fell away, and with Singh taking four for 81 and Eduard Visser four for 96, HBS were all out for 398.

It was VRA’s second victory of the weekend, since they had made short work of beating Salland in the Amsterdamse Bos on Saturday, dismissing them for 118 despite Victor Lubbers’s 48 and then knocking off the runs in 24.3 overs; Zamaan Khan saw them to the win with an unbeaten 61.

Excelsior ’20 also eased any worries about relegation with two wins over the weekend, following up a six-wicket win over HBS on Saturday with a rather tighter three-wicket defeat of Salland in Deventer the following day.

Lorenzo Ingram took four for 19 and three for 10 across the two games, as well as making a decisive 41 against Salland, while it was opener Luuk Kroesen’s unbeaten 56 which ensured victory over HBS.

The two defeats leave Salland four points adrift at the foot of the table, and they will have to win all three of their remaining matches if they are to give themselves any chance of staying up.

The weekend’s results in the Championship pool left all five of the six contenders to join leaders Voorburg in the play-offs separated by just two points, and with two games remaining none of the five has any room for complacency.

The most exciting match of the two rounds was Sparta 1888’s tie with HCC at De Diepput on Saturday.

Garnett Tarr made 143 not out in the Spartans’ 273 for six, and Jonathan Vandiar responded with 117 at almost a run a ball for the Lions.

Teun Kloppenburg gave him good support with 64, but with three overs remaining 34 were still required with just two wickets in hand; Daniel Doram hit three sixes off the penultimate over, but in the last Mudassar Bukhari dismissed first Hidde Overdijk and then, with the scores level, Doram, and the points were shared.

Bukhari finished with three for 43 and Joost-Martijn Snoep three for 32.

HCC made it three points out of four on Sunday with a surprisingly comfortable 113-run victory over Punjab Rotterdam, moving to within a single point of their second-placed opponents.

Kloppenburg hit his second half-century of the weekend in HCC’s total of 233 for nine in 40 overs as the weather bit into the programme, and although Saqib Zulfiqar made 52 in Punjab’s reply they were all out for 120.

The Rotterdammers’ encounter with ACC on Saturday had been almost as exciting as the game at De Diepput: triplets Saqib and Sikander Zulfiqar had shared a fourth-wicket stand of 187, helping their side recover from a perilous 26 for three to 227 all out, and with Thomas Hobson, who had taken five for 21 in the Punjab innings, making an unbeaten 130 ACC came close.

But although they were well-placed on 160 for three at one stage, Hobson found himself watching a succession of dismissals at the other end, and the Amsterdammers were all out for 221.

Voorburg, meanwhile, seemingly march on towards the grand final on 26 August.

On Saturday they recovered from 66 for five to 204 all out against VOC Rotterdam, thanks to 42 from Viv Kingma, batting at nine, and then dismissed the Bloodhounds for 150, Karl Nieuwoudt and Shariz Ahmad taking three for 14 and three for 49 respectively; Mussayib Jamil top-scored for VOC with 57.

The Voorburgers then extended their winning sequence with a 68-run victory over ACC on Sunday; this time most of the damage with the ball was done by Kingma (three for 21) and Philippe Boissevain (three for 14), as ACC could only manage 153 in reply to Voorburg’s 221 for eight.

VOC salvaged something from their weekend with a 94-run win against Sparta, Roman Harhangi producing career-best figures of six for 17 as Sparta were all out for 129 in reply to VOC’s total of 223 in a match reduced to 42 overs; Lane Berry made 55 for the Bloodhounds, while Snoep was again among the wickets with four for 43.

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.