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Rod Lyall 29/08/2022

A splendid century from wicketkeeper Ali Raza fired Sparta 1888 to their highest total of the season in the showdown match against Dosti Amsterdam at Sportpark Bermweg on Sunday, paving the way to a 152-run victory and a play-off against the Hoofdklasse champions to determine who will play in the Topklasse next season.

Raza came in after Asief Hoseinbaks had trapped Craig Ambrose in front with the first ball of the match and proceeded to hit 122, from 126 deliveries with seven fours and five sixes, sharing a third-wicket stand of 115 with Mudassar Bukhari.

In what was rumoured to be his final Topklasse match Bukhari, knowing how vital the game was for his club, made an a-typically cautious 42, and his partnership with Raza, and a lightning 17-ball 39 from Khalid Ahmadi in the closing stages, saw Sparta to 253 for seven.

Dosti, who had staged a semi-miraculous recovery in recent weeks to give themselves a chance of staying in the top flight, had no answer to this, former international Ahsan Malik (three for 22 in ten overs), Joost Martijn Snoep (two for 21) and Ahmadi (two for 23, including the vital wicket of Amitoze Singh) combining to dismiss the Amsterdammers for 101.

Only Rahil Ahmed (32) and Kuldeep Diwan (22) reached double figures, and it was appropriately Bukhari who returned to claim the final wicket.

In the Championship Pool the most significant match was at Thurlede, where HCC made sure of second place and a double opportunity of reaching the grand final on 10 September with a 5-wicket victory over Excelsior ’20.

Electing to bat first, Excelsior struggled for runs throughout their innings, Lorenzo Ingram top-scoring with a patient 43 and Tim Etman making 33, with left-arm spinners Tim Pringle (three for 18) and Clayton Floyd (three for 20) again dominant.

HCC’s strong top order then seemed comparatively untroubled in knocking off the runs, Tonny Staal making 47, Zac Worden 43 and skipper Boris Gorlee 67 as the side reached their target with eleven and a half overs to spare.

One bright spot for Excelsior was the bowling of Luuk Kroesen, who again contributed a fine spell, claiming two for 41 from his ten overs.

HCC’s main rivals for the second spot, HBS Craeyenhout, were meanwhile losing to leaders Voorburg at Westvliet, being dismissed for 143 in pursuit of their hosts’ 236 for five.

Andre Malan again led the way for Voorburg with 52, following up his unbeaten century on Saturday, but the key to their total was a run-a-ball 69 not out from Sybrand Engelbrecht, who shared an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 74 with Shariz Ahmad (33 not out).

Shariz then went on to break the back of the HBS reply, removing both openers and finishing with four for 40, while his fellow wrist-spinner Philippe Boissevain took three for 27.

Tobias Visée, back in the HBS side after a six-match absence, made 35, Wesley Barresi 36 and Julian de Mey 29, but they were the only batters to reach double figures as Voorburg comtinued their apparently irresistible march towards the title.

An opening stand of 166 between Shirase Rasool and Luke Scully set VRA Amsterdam on course to the highest total of the day against Punjab Rotterdam in the Amsterdamse Bos, Scully making 79 and Rasool going on to 108.

The Punjab bowlers worked their way through the middle order in the latter part of the innings, but after that great start the home side still finished with 282 for seven, Teja Nidamanuru the most economical of the Rotterdammers’ attack with just 37 coming from his ten overs.

Half-centuries from Rushdie Jappie (53) and Jonathan Vandiar (57) gave Punjab an outside chance of chasing down their massive target, but both were dismissed by Peter Borren, and after they had gone Udit Nashier ran through the later batters, completing his best-ever Topklasse haul with five for 46.

Punjab fought all the way to the end, but they were finally dismissed for 243, a result which enabled VRA to leapfrog over them and finish in fifth position on the table.

Kampong Utrecht, in many ways the most unfortunate team in this year’s competition, completed their programme with a 3-wicket win over VOC Rotterdam at the Hazelaarweg, but they will nevertheless be playing in the Hoofdklasse next season.

Kertan Nana set them on the way by removing both Max O’Dowd and Scott Edwards by the time 48 runs were on the board, and at 149 for nine, Tushar Sharma having claimed three of the wickets, VOC seemed doomed to post a very modest target.

But last man Pieter Seelaar, doubtless hampered by the back injury which has ended his international career, now joined Pierce Fletcher, and the pair proceeded to add 78 for the tenth wicket, 44 of them coming from Seelaar’s bat in just 27 deliveries.

Ratha Alphonse blasted a 60-ball 77, including 11 fours and a six, when Kampong replied, Cole Briggs contributing a run-a-ball 40, but once they had gone the innings threatened to subside until a determined 28 from Alex Roy and an unbroken stand between Nana and skipper Usman Malik saw the Utrechters home.

The closest match of the day was at Het Schootsveld, where Salland Deventer hung on to beat ACC by one wicket with three overs to spare.

ACC’s total of 175 was largely due to captain Anis Raza, who top-scored with 60, while Elam Bharathi claimed three for 24 for Salland.

Mees van Vliet took three for 40 when Salland replied, bringing his tally for the season to 31, but Bharathi’s 48 was the basis of the home side’s response, and in a tense conclusion with the last pair together the win came most unfortunately for ACC from five wides.

Rod Lyall 28/08/2022

Victories for second-placed HCC and for Excelsior ’20 on Saturday set up a final-round clash which would determine which of the two sides would join Voorburg in next week’s first semi-final, with a double chance of reaching the grand final on 10 September.

HCC had to battle all the way to overcome VRA Amsterdam at De Diepput, a defeat for the Amsterdam side which ended their already slim hopes of squeezing into the semi-finals.

After winning the toss and electing to bat HCC were soon reduced to 38 for four, including a bizarre first wicket when opener Joost Kooistra instinctively used his hand to deflect the ball away from his stumps and was given out Obstructing the field, the first such dismissal in the Topklasse since 2015.

It made a memorable debut over for VRA left-armer Aaditt Jain, who went on to remove Tonny Staal in more conventional fashion, while Vikram Singh accounted for Boris Gorlee and Damian Crowley.

The Lions were rescued by half-centuries from their two overseas players, Zac Worden (54) and Tim Pringle (51), and with Hidde Overdijk contributing 35 and a cameo 5-ball 15 not out from Felix Bennett they were able to get the total up to 184 for eight.

Singh finished with four for 43, while Jain had a promising debut with two for 36, including the prized wicket of Worden.

Shirase Rasool and Singh got VRA’s chase off to a decent start, and even after Overdijk had removed Rasool and Bennett had claimed the wickets of Udit Nashier and Luke Scully they reached 95 for three and seemed well-placed to knock off the runs.

But then HCC’s three-man spin attack of Clayton Floyd, Pringle and Crowley regained control, and once Overdijk had returned to remove Singh, caught behind by Staal for 48, wickets began to tumble.

Jack Balbirnie made 37, but with two wickets apiece for the three spinners VRA were eventually dismissed for 162, losing by 22 runs.

Excelsior had to overcome a fine double from Gavin Kaplan, who took five for 43 and made 93, before completing a gripping 13-run victory over HBS at Craeyenhout.

After Tom Heggelman made a patient 46 at the top of Excelsior’s innings Lorenzo Ingram (86) and Stan van Troost (50) shared a fourth-wicket stand of 94 to take their side to 234 for three, but then in a dramatic end to the innings six wickets fell in the space of just nine deliveries for the addition of seven runs as the Schiedammers subsided to 250 all out.

Kaplan was the chief agent of the collapse, also adding a run-out to his tally, while Ryan Klein chipped in with three for 43.

Heggelman struck an early blow when HBS replied, removing the dangerous Tayo Walbrugh before he had scored, but a stand of 97 between Kaplan and Barresi set the home side on course for the win.

Ingram broke the partnership, Barresi holing out to Heggelman at long on when he had made 38, and Excelsior gradually took control through a fine spell of spin bowling from young Luuk Kroesen, enjoying his most extended bowl in the Topklasse and conceding just 21 runs from his ten overs.

The crucial moment came when Kaplan was smartly run out attempting to get back for a second run, and thereafter the asking rate began to climb, some quick thinking by Roel Verhagen behind the stumps producing two more dismissals.

Niels Etman claimed three for 49 as HBS tried to force the pace, and with 21 needed off his final over even a six by last man Stephan Vink wasn’t enough, HBS closing on 237 for nine.

Leaders Voorburg, meanwhile, cruised to an eight-wicket victory over Punjab Rotterdam at Westvliet, an unbeaten 103 from Andre Malan and a half-century by Musa Ahmad enabling them to pass the defending champions’ total of 171 in 26.2 overs.

After winning the toss Punjab collapsed to 53 for six, Karl Nieuwoudt taking three wickets and Bas de Leede two, before Teja Nidamanuru (43) and Sikander Zulfiqar (57 not out) achieved a partial rescue with a seventh-wicket stand of 84.

Nieuwoudt finished with three for 26 and Shariz Ahmad removed the middle order for figures of three for 37, De Leede taking two for 28.

Malan and Musa then put up another century opening stand for Voorburg, leaving Punjab with a tricky visit to the Amsterdamse Bos on Sunday where even a win might not be enough to see them squeeze into the semi-finals.

Rod Lyall and Bertus de Jong 26/08/2022

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Writing this before the penultimate round of Championship Pool matches adds an element of unreality to the exercise: by Saturday evening we will have a clearer idea of what five of the top six will need to do on Sunday to make the semi-finals, or indeed whether that is still possible. In the Relegation Pool things are much more certain: most of the attention will be on events at the Bermweg, where Sparta and Dosti have a shoot-out to decide which of them gets the lifeline of a play-off against the champions of the Hoofdklasse (currently likely to be Hermes-DVS or Quick Haag, or just possibly Rood en Wit or Bloemendaal). The other four Relegation Pool sides will be playing for pride, and perhaps with an eye to next year.

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RL: Depending upon the outcome of their Saturday encounters against HBS and VRA respectively, Excelsior and HCC may well be battling to stay in the four (in Excelsior’s case) or to hold on to second position, with its double-crack at the grand final (in HCC’s). Excelsior have the advantage of literally playing on their own turf, but they also know that despite a valiant Lorenzo Ingram century they fell just short against these opponents at De Diepput after Tonny Staal had hammered 143. Niels Etman, Tom Heggelman and Brett Hampton are a different proposition at Thurlede, but Excelsior will need early wickets to contain HCC’s batting line-up, while they will equally need their own top order to perform well against a well-balanced HCC attack. The Lions are finishing strongly after a patchy start to the campaign, but with so much at stake this is likely to be a very tight game indeed.

BdJ: With both teams reluctantly facing a double-header there’s a real question of what sort of a side each will be able to muster for the second fixture. The late notice for last Saturday’s switch is understood to have caused player-availability headaches for both captains for the weekend, and it’s possible the outcome will be determined by just how successful Gorlee and Heggelman have been in their respective last minute ring-rounds. One thing that is certain however, is that the hosts will be without Brett Hampton, whose departure will put even more on the shoulders of Ingram in the middle order, especially when it comes to dealing with HCC’s left arm spin threat.

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RL: Having played fewer matches than their main rivals for a top four spot HBS Craeyenhout can be fairly sanguine about their final-round encounter with Voorburg at Westvliet, and will be especially so if they carry into this game the points from Saturday. There’s little more to say about the attributes of a Voorburg side which has lost just twice all season, and which will presumably be intent on completing their regular programme in style as they move into the finals phase. At their best (which means with Tayo Walbrugh and Wesley Barresi on song with the bat and Ryan Klein and Ferdi Vink cutting through with the ball) the Crows can be a match for anyone in the competition, and after being in second spot for much of the second phase they will be very keen to regain that privileged place if its humanly possible. With 809 runs under his belt with at least three matches (and perhaps as many as five) to go, moreover, Walburgh has an outside chance of becoming the first batter since 2017 to reach 1000 runs in a top-flight season.

BdJ: Another two teams hit with late-season departures, HBS are understood to be without Gavin Kaplan (and likely the semi-retired Toby Visée who has been only intermittently available all season) while Voorburg have lost Logan van Beek, who received a summons from New Zealand A over the weekend. The latter’s call-up alongside former Netherlands team-mate and newly-ascended Blackcap Michael Rippon will be of concern to the Oranje fans too of course, though such questions rather beyond the remit of a lowly Topklasse preview. The rest of VCC’s international contingent will be back however, having given good account of themselves against Pakistan. The game will of course be an exercise in momentum-building for the Voorburgers, already assured of the top spot, while for HBS it may yet prove decisive.

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RL: Whether VRA Amsterdam still have a chance of reaching the four at 11:00 on Sunday will depend on Saturday’s events, and in particular on whether they have managed to bring the points back to Amstelveen from De Diepput. Either way, Peter Borren’s side will want to finish the regular season with a win over Punjab Rotterdam, whose own prospects of a semi-final spot may well demand a win here. They will, of course, be without Johan Smal, while Punjab will still have Jonathan Vandiar, the continuation of whose purple patch looks crucial to their hopes of – unlikely though it may appear from here – successfully defending their Topklasse title. If the weather holds the VRA ground could be the setting for a bonanza of runs, but that would need the home side’s top order to show what it is capable of rather more successfully than they have done for much of the season.

BdJ: While Ireland women did manage to rack up a record score there on Wednesday, the VRA square looks to be showing the effects of a long season in recent weeks. Neither the pitch nor the outfield are likely to be near as quick as they were when England visited, nor the boundaries as near as they were at the Zomercomplex when these sides last met. Despite the limitations of both sides bowling, expect runs to be somewhat harder to come by that in their last encounter, and fielding to have a more discernible role in the game. Depending on how other games shake out this fixture could prove a de-facto eliminator or an irrelevance to composition of the final four, though it will surely be keenly contested regardless.

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RL: Nowhere will more be at stake on Sunday than at Sportpark Bermweg, where the loser of the encounter between Sparta 1888 and Dosti Amsterdam will head into next year’s Hoofdklasse, while the winners will meet this season’s Hoofdklasse champions to decide whether they stay up. Dosti began their three-match winning run by beating Sparta at Drieburg on 7 August, while Sparta lost four on the trot before beating a greatly-weakened VOC last Saturday. Now without Samit Gohil, Sparta are even more reliant on Mudassar Bukhari (who may, it is rumoured, retired after this game) and Ahsan Malik, while Dosti’s sudden return to winning form owes much to Amitoze Singh, Kuldeep Diwan and Waheed Masood. Dosti’s escape would be Houdini-esque were they to pull it off, and it is unquestionably they who will travel to Capelle with the wind in their sails.

BdJ: It’s faintly odd to be talking about the momentum of a side that’s barely won a game in the last two years, but there’s no question Dosti have looked a different team in the last few weeks. While Singh and Diwan have certainly started pulling their weight, they seem to have dragged the rest of the team in the same direction too. Vinoo Tewarie, Waqas Raja and Asief Hoseinbaks have also added occasional contributions, and a modicum of self-belief has crept into the Dosti dressing room. It will take something of a turnaround in the Spartan camp to derail the long-delayed Dosti train now, though a Bukhari valedictory could certainly still sink his old club.

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RL: A strong second phase has seen Salland Deventer firmly established at the top of the pool table and confirmed as part of next year’s ten-team Topklasse, while ACC can travel to Het Schootsveld secure in the knowledge that despite last week’s loss to Dosti they, too, have avoided the drop, by virtue of having a better points average than any rivals even if they lose again here. Whether Salland’s Germans can outdo ACC’s South Africans is likely to be a key issue, although the brothers Lubbers for the hosts and Mees van Vliet for the Amsterdammers will ensure plenty of local interest as well.

BdJ: While of no particular import to the competition, the season’s final fixture still offers ACC and Salland the chance to finish on a high, the latter especially have something of a point to prove in their first season in the top-flight (in this incarnation at least). Young van Vliet has his place at the top of the wicket-taking table to shore-up before ACC sit out the final phase, while Smith and Hobson will both be eyeing up 500-run seasons. It may only be pride on the line, but then neither side lacks for that.

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RL: VOC Rotterdam, likewise, are safe as houses, while Kampong Utrecht make the journey to the Hazelaarweg knowing that after a very disappointing season they are heading back to the Hoofdklasse. It would pretty much cap things off if, having beaten Punjab and HCC in Phase One, they were to add VOC to their scalps, but in reality a higher priority ought to be starting the process of building a side capable of gaining promotion again next year. In Alex Roy, Kertan Nana, Pierre Jacod and Tushar Sharma they have the nucleus of a much better team than they have been able to show this season, and they will doubtless have benefited from an exposure which cannot have been easy at times. VOC, also, have work to do, if they are to overcome their dependence on O’Dowd, Edwards and Seelaar, which narrowly cost them a place in the top six this year. There may not seem to be much to play for at the Hazelaarweg, but finishing the season with a strong performance would offer the players some slight consolation. #ThereAreNoDeadRubbers.

BdJ: Kampong have certainly been dealt a rough hand by the format-fates this season, playing most of their away games on mats and then seeing most of their hard-won points evaporate at the phase-change, and may well feel their impending return to the Hoofdklasse is something of an injustice. The loss of Pite van Biljon to illness at the crunch phase and stop-gap replacement Tom Cooper’s insistence on scoring all his runs against Pakistan rather than the likes of Salland or Dosti did not help their cause either, though their reliance on overseas players for runs (albeit a failing they share with luckier sides) suggests the step up to Topklasse was one they weren’t quite ready for. They will doubtless have a point to prove against the Bloodhounds come Sunday though, while VOC will likely be glad to return to their accustomed happy-go-lucky approach to Topklasse competition in a pressure-free finale. Said insouciance has rarely prevented O’Dowd or Edwards from racking up runs of course, nor even the mercurial Tim de Kok on occasion. With Cooper back in Australia already, Kampong’s attack will need to be at their best and the batting considerably better if they’re to take another scalp back down to the Hoofdklasse.
#ThereLiterallyAreThoughThisIsExactlyWhatDeadRubberMeans

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RL’s picks: Excelsior, Voorburg, VRA, Dosti, Salland, VOC
BdJ’s picks: HCC, Voorburg, VRA, Dosti, ACC, VOC

Rod Lyall 21/08/2022

Dosti Amsterdam’s 59-run victory over ACC at Het Loopveld on Saturday took them a further step towards avoiding automatic relegation, but they will still face a difficult expedition to Capelle a/d IJssel next Sunday in their quest for a place in the play-off against the champions of the Hoofdklasse.

Next week’s showdown at the Bermweg was set up by Sparta 1888’s 75-run win over a greatly-weakened VOC Rotterdam on Saturday, which brought the Capelle side level on points with Dosti, although they have played a game more and are therefore behind them on points average.

After winning just one league match in the previous two seasons and losing their first eleven games this year Dosti have now won three in a row, a last-ditch revival which leaves them two wins away from retaining their place in the Topklasse.

Their defeat of ACC owed much to a fourth-wicket stand of 142 between Vinoo Tewarie (64) and Amitoze Singh (82), which enabled them to recover from a precarious 46 for four and reach a competitive 236 for nine.

Mees van Vliet was again the pick of ACC’s bowlers, finishing with three for 45.

The home side began their chase promisingly, Thomas Hobson and Robin Smith putting on 74 for the first wicket, but once Smith, on 65, had been caught at short cover by Tewarie off the bowling of Kuldeep Diwan the middle order fell apart, only Anis Raza with 34 showing any real resistance.

Diwan took five for 34, his best return of the season, and ACC were all out for 177.

At Sportpark Bermweg VOC’s Max Hoornweg marked his return to his former club with a haul of four for 24, enabling his side to restrict Sparta to 156 for eight from their 50 overs.

They seemed to be heading for an even lower total when they collapsed to 93 for eight, but they were rescued by Ahsan Malik and Usman Saleem, not out on 42 and 36 respectively as they shared an unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 63.

Daan van Everdingen, playing first first top-flight match for ten years, gave VOC a solid start with 28, but otherwise only captain Tim de Kok with 21 delayed the Sparta victory for any length of time, Khalid Ahmadi taking four for 16, Joost Martijn Snoep three for 27 and Malik two for 23 as VOC were dismissed for just 83.

Kampong Utrecht’s attempt to avoid automatic relegation came to a disappointing end at Maarschalkerweerd, where they fell 22 runs short of their target as they chased Salland’s 194 for eight.

52 from Sahir Naqash, 31 from opener Venkat Ganesan and 34 from Elam Bharathi enabled Salland to reach their total, Tushar Sharma the most successful of Kampong’s bowlers with three for 32, but stand-in captain Reinder Lubbers, deputising for his brother Victor, removed both openers, and Kampong were in trouble at 36 for three.

Cole Briggs and Vikram Chaturvedi managed a partial revival, but once Akhil Gopinath trapped Briggs in front for 60 the innings again fell apart, and with Gopinath finishing with three for 28 and two wickets apiece for Lubbers, Ganesan and Bharathi, Kampong were all out for 173.

Bertus de Jong & Rod Lyall 18/08/20

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Two rounds to go, and there’s a few things we already know for sure. Voorburg will top the table, while VOC, Salland and ACC have secured safety in the lower half. There the battle is now between Dosti, Sparta and Kampong for the one remaining chance to stay up, while at the top of the table HCC, HBS, Excelsior and Punjab are all tied in second on six points. VRA, two points behind the pack, almost certainly need to win both their last matches. The entire round for the top half has been shifted back by a week however, all three matches having been deferred (not without protest in some cases) due to the absence of international players owing to the Pakistan series.

BdJ: With two consecutive wins under their belt, Dosti Amsterdam will have a modicum of momentum on their side as they cross the river to take on ACC in their penultimate match. Dosti find themselves remarkably well placed to stage a last-ditch escape via the relegation play-off, with a points average advantage over Sparta and a NRR lead over both their remaining rivals. Nonetheless they’ll need to win at least one and probably both of their last games to get there. Despite ACC having little left to play for but pride, they are safe for good reason. The principle reason being Mees van Vliet’s remarkable season that’s seen him top the wicket-taking table, and a steady supply of runs from overseas Hobson and Smith. Dosti arguably look the more balanced side however, with a solid roster of spin options and Amitoze Singh finding some form. They will likely need more runs from the rest of the order in the next two weeks if they’re to keep their hopes of another Topklasse season alive however.

RL: Whatever the chemical reaction that has turned Dosti from serial losers to winners of two matches in a row (all right, it’s not much, but everybody has to start somewhere), there should be teams of scientists trying to identify the elements of the process with a view to patenting them. Two more victories would give Mahesh Hans’s side a real chance of staying up, but the close run ACC gave VOC last week should caution them about thinking that their visit to Het Loopveld will be straightforward. On the other hand, after a brilliant start from Smith and Knoll the rest of the ACC batting contributed fewer than a hundred runs against VOC, and although Fergus Wegener has started to look solid in the middle order they may find the going tough against Waheed Masood and Co. Could be close, but Dosti have the wind in their sails.

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BdJ: Likewise Kampong have little room for error if they are to secure a second season in the top flight. Taking on Salland this week, it’s not certain what sort of strength side they’ll be welcoming to Utrecht given that Salland have no need of points from here. Kampong will certainly be without Tom Cooper however, who is set to depart after the Pakistan series in any event. Cooper’s 37 last week was Kampong’s top score by a distance, while he and Cole Briggs were the only ones to make significant scores against Salland in their first match. While they have reason to feel somewhat aggrieved at how the format this season has treated them, their batting since the start of the second phase has not helped them either. On paper then another defeat looks likely if they can’t turn their batting around, but with only one team really needing the win there’s every chance this is the game they do it.

RL: Kampong’s real problem is that, a couple of supreme efforts against top sides notwithstanding, they have largely been unable to get the better of the main rivals in the relegation stakes. They have a useful attack, Alex Roy being to them what Van Vliet has been to ACC, but their batting has seldom produced when it really matters. Who Salland will bring to Maarschalkerweerd is, however, the Great Unknown, and should the answer turn out to be the B team then Kampong’s chances of taking the points they so sorely need will be great improved. The best they can hope for now is that play-off place against the Hoofdklasse champions, but even that is preferable to automatic relegation.

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BdJ: The day’s final game sees Sparta 1888 take on VOC, and fair to say Sparta will be delighted with the timing. Unlike the other teams who have seen players called up for national duty, VOC have agreed to play on regardless. This is perhaps not unrelated to the fact that as of last week they are safe from relegation and thus for the Bloodhounds the match is a dead rubber. For Sparta the format has thus gifted them a chance to play what for them is a crucial match against arguably the strongest team in the bottom half while the latter is without their two top-scorers and leading wicket-taker. Now on a five-match losing streak, it may still be beyond Sparta to take advantage of their fortune, but with Ahmadi, Malik and Bukhari beginning to find some rhythm with the ball they have the attack to run through a weakened VOC.

RL: Much may depend here on how well Mudassar Bukhari comes back from the leg injury he sustained at Salland last week. That said, even his spinners were effective enough to capture three wickets, and the consequences for his batting are more likely to be an issue – although who would want to bowl to a Bukhari reduced to hitting fours and sixes? In the perennial, never-to-be-resolved debate about playing competition matches when the national team is otherwise engaged, too little weight tends to be given to the opportunity it offers for fringe first-team players to gain experience and state their case, and with VOC now safe and presumably beginning to think about next season, those who often have a minor role in the Topklasse side or seldom get picked at all will get their chance against Sparta to show what they can do. Even without Edwards, O’Dowd and Jain VOC have enough in their locker to prevail over an ailing Sparta, although their absence does indeed level the odds significantly.

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BdJ’s picks: Dosti, Kampong, Sparta.
RL’s picks: ACC, Kampong, VOC.

Rod Lyall 15/08/2022

A fighting century by Peter Borren, the tenth of his twenty-year career in the top flight, and a strong defensive effort by the VRA attack carried the Amsterdam side to a 24-run victory over HBS Craeyenhout in the Amsterdamse Bos on Saturday, their second win in successioin keeping alive their faint hopes of reaching the final four.

Borren received little support from the rest of the VRA batting, stands of 73 for the fifth wicket with Aryan Dutt (31) and of 45 for the eighth with Mitch Lees apart, but when HBS began chasing their target of 225 the bowlers responded magnificently.

Dutt was especially disciplined, bowling five maidens in his initial nine-over spell and conceding just ten runs for the wickets of Reece Mason and Wesley Barresi, and then Vikram Singh chimed in, tearing through the HBS middle order and taking four wickets as the visitors were reduced to 69 for six.

Tayo Walbrugh, however, was still there, and Julian de Mey now joined him in a stand of 129 which brought their side back into the game.

But Udit Nashier, Jack Balbirnie and Borren himself all succeeded in restricting the boundaries so effectively that the asking rate kept rising, and when the batters began to accelerate it was Nashier who bowled De Mey for 59, initiating the final collapse which, although Walbrugh reached his fifth century of the season just before the end, saw HBS dismissed for 200 of the last ball of their 50 overs.

HCC, meanwhile, took full advantage of the HBS defeat with a 69-run victory over Voorburg at Westvliet which enabled them to leapfrog into second place on the table, greatly improving their chances of securing a double crack at reaching the grand final on 10 September.

A second-wicket stand of 147 between Tonny Staal (78) and Zac Worden (55) was the basis of HCC’s total of 224 for six, Boris Gorlee chipping in with a run-a-ball 31 and Viv Kingma the most successful of the Voorburg bowlers with three for 30.

Then seamer Felix Bennett, in only his sixth Topklasse match, ran through the powerful Voorburg batting line-up, taking six for 27 as the home side collapsed to 155 all out.

Bas de Leede again fought a rearguard action, making a 90-ball 57 and sharing a 72-run stand for the fifth wicket with Shariz Ahmad (35), but this time was on the losing side as Voorburg dropped their first points in the championship pool.

Yet another century by Jonathan Vandiar, his third in four innings, saw Punjab Rotterdam to 253 for five against Excelsior ’20 at Thurlede, Teja Nidamanuru making 37 and Sikander Zulfiqar 48 not out, and after three times failing to defend larger totals the Punjab bowlers returned to their winning ways as they dismissed Excelsior for 141.

Nidamanuru did the initial damage with a nine-over spell in which he took four for 22, and then Saqib Zulfiqar claimed three for 54, ending a dogged innings of 30 by Roel Verhagen, while Vandiar and Asad Zulfiqar combined to run out Brett Hampton, whose 30-ball 32 had been Excelsior’s last hope of a successful chase.

In the relegation pool, Dosti Amsterdam improved their chances of avoiding the two automatic places leading to next season’s Hoofdklasse with a six-wicket defeat of Kampong Utrecht at Sportpark Drieburg.

Waheed Masood took three for 25, Kuldeep Diwan three for 27 and Asief Hoseinbaks and Waqas Raja two wickets apiece as Kampong were dismissed for 112, Tom Cooper top-scoring with 37.

Raja then led the reply with 38, and Dosti needed only 21.2 overs to knock off the runs.

In a hard-fought match at Het Loopveld ACC got off to a remarkable start against VOC Rotterdam, Robin Smith (57) and Chris Knoll (69) putting on 111 for the first wicket at eight and a half an over, but the Rotterdammers were brought back into the game by Matt Smit, who removed both openers and finished with three for 53 and by the unlikely person of Scott Edwards, converted from wicketkeeper to spinner, who ran through the middle order to the tune of three for 33.

Siebe van Wingerden finished things off with three for 27, and ACC were all out for 226.

VOC were in trouble at 69 for four, 40 of them from the bat of Smit, but they were rescued by the depth of their batting, Tim de Kok making 44, Edwards (batting at six) contributing a quick 23, Corey Rutgers adding 32, and then Jelte Schoonheim, who had engineered last week’s victory over Kampong with a fine spell with the ball, hitting a 35-ball 59 not out to see VOC home by two wickets with six overs to spare.

At Het Schootsveld on Sunday Sparta 1888’s relegation woes deepened despite a much-improved effort with the bat, as they lost to Salland Deventer by three wickets in a harfd-fought game.

They were given a decent start by Craig Ambrose (31) and Raza Noor (43), and then Samit Gohil (32) and Mudassar Bukhari (23) took them on to 135 for two.

But once Bukhari, hampered by a leg strain, was dismissed, soon followed by Gohil, the wickets again began to tumble, the last eight wickets falling for 52 as they were dismissed for 187, Akhil Gopinath taking four for 34.

Some wayward bowling from Sparta aided Salland’s chase, but after Khalid Ahmadi had removed both openers Bukhari, bowling spin off a couple of steps, grabbed three wickets, and the game was evenly balanced with Salland on 129 for five.

They were rescued by a brisk 59 from Sahir Naqash, and although Ahsan Malik, who conceded just 22 from his ten overs, returned to remove Naqash and Gijs van Molen, Salland reached their target with more than ten overs to spare.

Now bottom of the table on points average and with a worse net run rate than their rivals, Sparta will need a radical reversal of form if they are to have any chance of avoiding the drop to the Hoofdklasse.

Rod Lyall 08/08/2022

When the sun shines batters traditionally prosper, and Sunday’s thirteenth round of Topklasse fixtures was certainly no exception to the rule: nearly 2800 runs were scored across the six games, there were six centuries including the two highest individual scores of the season, and three partnerships in excess of 150.

The main exceptions to the runfest were in Amsterdam, where four teams under threat of relegation were engaged, but elsewhere the bowlers generally had a pretty lean time.

The day’s chief beneficiaries were leaders Voorburg, who not only saw off their nearest challengers, HBS Craeyenhout, but with the defeat of Excelsior ’20 as well opened up an eight-point gap at the top of the table with three matches to play; this means that they are guaranteed to finish first, thus gaining a double crack at the final and home advantage all the way through the title play-offs.

They had to withstand a spirited challenge from HBS to get there, a century by Tayo Walbrugh – his fourth of the season – taking the Craeyenhout side to 187 for three with 13 overs remaining in their pursuit of Voorburg’s 263 for nine.

But then Stef Mulder, Logan van Beek and Bas de Leede combined to instigate a batting collapse, and with two run-outs in the closing stages HBS were all out for 244, De Leede finishing with three for 27.

Earlier, Andre Malan’s 72-ball 80 and 53 from Van Beek were the highlights of an otherwise not altogether convincing batting effort by the leaders, Wesley Barresi’s four for 42 and Stephan Vink’s three for 36 whittling away at the Voorburgers’ line-up and keeping their side in the hunt.

HCC needed to beat Excelsior at De Diepput to retain any real chance of reaching the final four, and they were pushed all the way before securing a precious 19-run victory.

Their total of 285 for four was founded upon opener Tonny Staal’s 143, made at virtually a run a ball and including ten fours and as many sixes, and his second-wicket stand of 146 with Zac Worden (63).

Excelsior seemed to be facing certain defeat when seamers Hidde Overdijk, Reinier Bijloos and Felix Bennett reduced them to 94 for four, but Lorenzo Ingram launched a ferocious counter-attack, hitting 122 from 115 deliveries with six fours and nine sixes and bringing his side back into the game.

HCC’s spinners, however, had the final word, Damien Crowley breaking a crucial sixth-wicket stand of 83 between Ingram and Stan van Troost (27), and going on to take four for 24 as Excelsior were eventually dismissed for 266.

The biggest totals of the day were at Het Zomercomplex in Rotterdam, where VRA Amsterdam earned their first points in the championship pool by chasing down Punjab’s 316 for nine, in which Jonathan Vandiar had continued his high-scoring run with a 136-ball 143, including no fewer than 19 fours and two sixes.

He shared a fifth-wicket stand of 178 with Saqib Zulfiqar, who contributed a run-a-ball 94 before becoming one of three victims for Peter Borren at a cost of 45 runs.

Sohail Bhatti, playing only his second game of the season, quickly reduced VRA to 41 for two, but then Vikram Singh and Johan Smal combined to put on 156 for the third wicket, Smal making a 66-ball 92 and Singh going on to 118, made from 98 deliveries with 16 fours and four sixes, supported now by Aryan Dutt’s aggressive 44.

Only 25 were needed when Singh departed, and Debrup Dasgupta made 18 of them as VRA pulled off the fourth-highest run chase since 2000 to keep their faint hopes of reaching the championship play-offs alive.

The relegation pool is increasingly resolving itself into two groups of three, as ACC opened up a four-point gap between themselves and the sides below them with a 49-run victory over Salland at Het Loopveld.

The Deventer side dismissed their hosts for 177, Elam Bharathi taking four for 27 and Akhil Gopinath three for 21 and Fergus Wegener top-scoring for ACC with 46, but then they were themselves all out for 128, Bharathi completing a solid all-round effort with Salland’s top score of 29 but receiving too little support from his team-mates; Thomas Hobson claimed three for 21, but it was Mees van Vliet’s four for 24, including the wicket of Bharathi which was most decisive.

On a day dominated by the batters the shining star with the ball, however, was Dosti’s Waheed Masood, who took seven for 21, including a hat-trick, as his side bowled out Sparta 1888 for just 90 and recorded their first win of the season.

Amitoze Singh’s 80 had enabled Dosti to reach 247 before they were all out, Ahsan Malik claiming three for 33 for Sparta and Khalid Ahmadi three for 38, but Masood’s fine effort ensured that the Capelle side were skittled for their third double-figure total in as many weeks.

The win almost certainly comes too late to save Dosti from relegation, but it should serve notice to the other teams in the pool that they cannot take victory for granted against Mahesh Hans’s side.

The day brought disappointment for Kampong Utrecht, who posted their best start of the season against VOC Rotterdam at Maarschalkerweerd but still lost by nine wickets, leaving them with a huge task if they are to fight their way into the top half of the pool.

Ratha Alphonse (44) and Tushar Sharma put on 63 for the first wicket and then Alphonse and Cole Briggs saw them to 118, but another mid-order slump brought VOC back into the game, and it took 32 from Vikram Chaturvedi and Alex Roy’s 42 not out to get them to 224 for seven; Jelte Schoonheim was the most successful bowler for the Rotterdammers with three for 35.

Kampong needed early wickets, but Malik’s dismissal of Francois Fourie was their only success, and with Max O’Dowd making an assured 110 not out and Matt Smit assisting with an unbeaten 77, the pair put on 170 in an unbroken stand which saw VOC home with four overs to spare.

Bertus de Jong & Rod Lyall 06/08/22

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Four rounds to go in the second phase of this unique, outsized edition of the Topklasse, and once again the league is set to be consumed in another Eindrangschikking controversy, as it was discovered that the playing conditions specify total points rather than points average as the prime determinant of ranking, contrary to what official points tables have said all season, and everyone involved had assumed. The change hurts HCC and HBS in the top half, and especially ACC in the lower, though by pure luck does not mean any club is actually playing in the wrong half. Nor does the change put anyone entirely out of the running for the finals play-offs or top-flight survival, though there’s a couple of clashes this weekend that could leave some teams playing for pride, with VRA and Dosti needing wins over Punjab and Sparta respectively to keep their seasons alive, while Salland could put their top flight survival beyond doubt.

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BdJ: Voorburg could also all-but seal their spot at the top of the table if they continue winning streak away at HBS Craeyenhout, and on current form any other result would be a surprise. Tayo Walbrugh’s imperious form and the expected return of Gavin Kaplan makes it tough to count the Crows out at home of course, especially given the struggles of VCC’s attack at Punjab last week, but HBS lack the batting depth of Punjab, and other than Walbrugh few of their top order have made consistent runs (or indeed appearances) while Voorburg’s top order are in fine form, Andre Malan and Musa Nadeem both striking unbeaten centuries last week and Bas de Leede showing his class against the touring Blackcaps. For HBS a win would go a long way toward securing a top four finish, though even on home (astro)turf downing the favourites remains a tall order.

RL: Difficult to disagree with any of that, although one might add that HBS have potential trump cards in the batting of Wesley Barresi and the bowling of the brothers Klein, while Voorburg also have the luxury of a pace attack which includes Logan van Beek and Viv Kingma alongside De Leede and valuable leg-spinners in Shariz Ahmad and Philippe Boissevain. In other words, this game between the two top sides could well feature ten present or former Dutch internationals as well as some outstanding overseas players, and it’s hard to imagine a better advertisement for the top flight of Dutch domestic cricket.

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BdJ: For HCC this Sunday’s match against Excelsior ‘20 is effectively, if not quite arithmetically a must-win match if they’re to have any hope of a double shot at making the final, and more realistically pretty key to both sides hope of involvement in the finals play-offs. Both sides had their games rained out last week, HCC with barely a ball bowled against VRA and Excelsior as they looked in a solid position batting first against HBS. Fresh in the minds of both teams, however, will be the drubbing Excelsior gave HCC in the shorter format on T20 finals day. HCC’s batting has looked indifferent at best in both formats since the break, while Excelsior’s top order have all had rather more time in the middle. Brett Hampton especially has been in fine form with bat and ball, though with two international left arm spinners HCC arguably have the tools to counter him. They have to find a way past Lorenzo Ingram first of course, and though Excelsior’s local bats have been making runs too one suspects those two will be the wickets the Lions will be hunting for.

RL: After a remarkable run of dominant form early in the season Zac Worden has been markedly less prolific in recent games, making 95 runs in his last four innings, and HCC will need him to get back to his best if they are to have a real chance of squeezing into the top four. The fact remains, though, that they have one of the most effective attacks in the competition with an outstanding balance of seam and spin, and one which certainly has the potential to test Excelsior to the full. Dependent as they are on Ingram and Hampton, the Schiedammers have plenty of experience behind them, and they always look a better side when Tom Heggelman is in it, even though he has now devolved the captaincy to Roel Verhagen. This, too, looks like a very even encounter, but it’s one which HCC can afford to lose much less than their visitors, and that might make all the difference.

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BdJ: The washout against HCC last week all but ended VRA’s hopes of a top four finish, and their match away at Punjab this week, like all their remaining games, is a must-win if they are to have any hope of sneaking into the play-offs. VRA have done rather better than many expected to make the top half at all, and a late surge to the top four would be a quite remarkable result after an inconsistent season. The departure of Johan Smal for the last few matches of Phase 2 makes it all the more unlikely, and an upset away at Punjab all the more necessary. Punjab nonetheless have reason to worry given their attack’s lack of penetration last week, and the VRA middle order’s past record of cutting loose at the Zomercomplex.  With absolutely nothing to lose, VRA will at least be the less nervous side on Sunday.

RL: We’ve talked a good deal here about the comparison between Punjab’s title-winning form last year and their less impressive performances this season, and it remains a somewhat enigmatic question. They have gained enormously from the arrival of Vandiar and to a lesser extent Jappie, but that doesn’t entirely compensate for the reduced impact of the four Zulfiqars, and the relative toothlessness of the bowling against Excelsior and Voorburg when defending big totals is a real source of concern. For VRA, a win here is an absolute necessity, and Peter Borren’s mercurial side unquestionably has the capacity to exploit any weaknesses in their opponents; it would, though, be a major surprise, and logic suggests that Punjab will make sure of the points.

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BdJ: Down in the lower half of the table Salland’s  position has only become stronger, with nearest rivals ACC demoted to third place. ACC will doubtless be hopping mad about the shambles, but will have to contain their frustration as a loss at home to Salland could now drop them right into the relegation zone. Overseas Hobson and Smith have kept them out of immediate danger thus far this season, with the aid of Mees van Vliet’s ever growing tally of wickets, and support from skipper Raza was enough to set up a surprise win over VOC in their Phase 2 opener. Netting nul points from a washout vs Dosti has put them back in trouble however, while Salland are on something of a roll, having knocked over the Cooper-reinforced Kampong last week. Following the dictum that when it rains, it pours, Salland adding to ACC’s woes this Sunday looks a more than fair possibility.

RL: The presence of their German contingent has pretty much taken Salland to safety, and if they turn out again on Sunday they may well be able to guarantee the Deventer club a second season in the top flight. On the other hand, the Amsterdammers have been a much stronger force with Hobson and Smith, and the progress of Van Vliet and Shreyas Potdar have also been significant factors in their season so far. The issue of the regulations apart, the endgame could well be evolving into a tussle between ACC and Kampong to finish third in the pool and thus clear of relegation and this match, like the one at Maarschalkerweerd, is potentially crucial in that scenario.

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BdJ: One of the few clubs likely to be happy with the change will be the otherwise luckless Kampong who see their hopes of climbing out of the top three improve marginally, and a win at home against VOC could shift the odds still further in their favour. They are now just two points behind ACC with a superior net run rate, though barring another late change in tie-breaking the latter is unlikely to matter in this case. VOC’s demolition of Sparta last week does suggest they have woken up to the danger they remain in, though of course the new ranking order has diminished that somewhat. A win over Kampong could put them pretty close to safe on ten points, at least out of significant danger of direct relegation.

RL: Having beaten Punjab and HCC in the first phase, Kampong can approach this key encounter in a positive frame of mind, and all the more so as Tom Cooper slots into their line-up in place of Pite van Biljon. They will, of course, need to neutralise the threat of Max O’Dowd, Scott Edwards and Pieter Seelaar, but if Kertan Nana and Alex Roy bowl at their best they could put the VOC top order under pressure. But the Rotterdammers remain, at least on paper, the strongest side in the relegation pool, and they will start as favourites here.

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BdJ: Finally at the do or die (and probably die either way) end of the table, the winless Dosti welcome Sparta to Drieburg. The game probably represents the hosts’ best chance of breaking their long winless streak, with Sparta looking entirely out of sorts, senior bowlers Bukhari and Malik short of wickets and Samit Gohil still failing to fire. Sparta managed just two wickets in two games since the break and were twice bowled out for double figures, while Dosti looked briefly competitive against Kampong and were going remarkably well in the brief passage of play the rain allowed against ACC last week. Another loss would almost certainly spell the end of the Amsterdammers’ stint in the top flight, an eventuality which has looked increasingly inevitable for years now.

RL: Two dire batting performances have left Sparta in real trouble near the foot of the table, and even with Bukhari, Gohil and Malik in their side they have become favourites to occupy one of the two automatic relegation spots. Victory over Dosti is a <i>sine qua non</i> if they are to avoid that fate, and it’s a brave call to tip a win for Mahesh Hans’s side. But as m’colleague observes, this is Dosti’s best chance of breaking that duck, and they began their short-lived game against ACC last week as if they had discovered a new, if slightly desperate, sense of purpose. None of this week’s games is easy to call, but having been stung in the past I’m guessing that Sparta will pass the character test and take the points back to Capelle.

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BdJ’s picks: Voorburg, Excelsior, VRA, Salland, VOC, Dosti.
RL’s picks: Voorburg, HCC, Punjab, ACC, VOC, Sparta.

VRA I Vs HCC I

1-Innings Match Played At Amstelveen (VRA), 31-Jul-2022, Topklasse

No result

Round	C6
Toss won by	HCC I
Umpires	MA Din – ML Hancock
Scorers	KA Holdsworth – K Pattiselanno
Home Side	VRA I

VRA I 1st Innings 5/0 (Overs 2)

Batter	Fielder	Bowler	Runs	Bls	4s	6s
V Singh	not out		1	10	0	0
SR Rasool	not out		4	2	0	0
Z Khan	dnb
J Balbirnie	dnb
PW Borren*	dnb
A Dutt	dnb
J Smal	dnb
MB Lees+	dnb
U Nashier	dnb
LA Turmaine	dnb
A Abid	dnb
extras		(b0 lb0 w0 nb0)	0
TOTAL		0 wickets for	5

FOW

Bowler	Overs	Maid	Runs	Wkts	wd	nb
HC Overdijk	1	0	5	0	–	–
RR Bijloos	1	1	0	0	–	–

HCC I 1st Innings

Batter	Fielder	Bowler	Runs	Bls	4s	6s
ZA Worden	dnb
AJ Staal	dnb
BHG Gorlee*	dnb
DG Crowley	dnb
HC Overdijk	dnb
TJG Pringle	dnb
YJ Patel+	dnb
C Floyd	dnb
F Bennett	dnb
J-WM Overdijk	dnb
RR Bijloos	dnb
extras		(b0 lb0 w0 nb0)	0
TOTAL		0 wickets for	0

FOW

Bowler	Overs	Maid	Runs	Wkts	wd	nb

Rod Lyall 01/08/22

Successive bands of rain disrupted the Topklasse schedule on Sunday, but the three matches which reached a conclusion served to clarify some of the outstanding issues, if not conclusively then to a very definite degree.

The most significant outcome was at Het Zomercomplex, where leaders Voorburg pulled off a notable ten-wicket victory over defending champions Punjab Rotterdam.

Punjab had, for the second week in a row, posted a formidable total, this time putting on 312 for seven, and whereas their 281 against Excelsior last week had been dominated by Jonathan Vandiar’s mammoth innings, this was much more of a combined effort: Rushdie Jappie (19) and Steph Myburgh (41) contributed an opening stand of 60, and then Asad Zulfiqar and Vandiar added 154 for the third wicket in just 23 overs.

Vandiar missed out on another hundred, falling to Andre Malan for a 79-ball 88 which included ten fours and four sixes, and after Asad went for a more restrained 65 the lower order chipped in to get the total past 300.

All Voorburg’s bowlers suffered, Logan van Beek the most economical with one for 44 from his ten overs.

The reply had barely started when there was a rain delay, and Voorburg were set a revised target of 240 from 33 overs, at a rate of 7.27 per over.

Last season Punjab built their title campaign in large measure on a parsimonious attack, but as Excelsior had demonstrated a week ago, they are currently much less effective at staunching the flow of runs, certainly once opposing batters are settled.

This Musa Ahmad and Andre Malan, Voorburg’s openers proceeded to do, and the reply quickly gained momentum, the leaders reaching their target without loss in just 27.3 of the available overs.

Malan was particularly brutal, reaching his century from just 78 deliveries and, once he had passed this milestone, smashing Saqib Zulfiqar for four consecutive sixes; in all he faced 84 balls for his unbeaten 131, which included 14 fours and seven sixes.

Musa had gone along more quietly, but then, on 82 and with 18 needed, he hit Yasir Usman for three sixes to reach an 82-ball century with the winning blow, having struck 12 fours to go with those three sixes.

The win preserves Voorburg’s unbeaten record in the championship pool, and with four games to go they seem virtually certain, not only to finish in the top two but also to go into the finals at the head of the table, thus ensuring home advantage in the play-offs.

The other two games in the pool were abandoned, the match at Thurlede after Excelsior ’20 had reached 175 for five in 39.5 overs against HBS Craeyenhout, thanks to a fourth-wicket stand of 81 between Roel Verhagen (70) and Joost Kroesen (46), while only two overs were possible in the Amsterdamse Bos, where VRA Amsterdam reached 5 without loss against HCC before proceedings came to an end.

The relegation pool match between Dosti Amsterdam and ACC at Sportpark Drieburg managed just four overs, Rahil Ahmed and Waqas Raja reaching 41 without loss for the home side, Raja belting 23 from eight deliveries before the rain set in again.

The other two games in this pool, however, did reach a conclusion, wins for Salland Deventer against Kampong Utrecht at Het Schootsveld and for VOC Rotterdam against Sparta 1888 at the Hazelaarweg significantly reducing any residual fears of relegation the victors may have been suffering.

For Sparta and Kampong, by contrast, the anxiety will have increased: Sparta, dismissed for 83 after collapsing to 61 all out against Salland last week, are now in serious danger of finishing in the bottom three, and potentially occupying one of the two automatic relegation spots.

Pierce Fletcher and Burhan Niaz reduced them to 7 for three inside four overs, and although Samit Gohil (18) and Mudassar Bukhari (21) brought about a partial recovery, Arnav Jain’s three for 20 ran through the lower middle order, and then Max O’Dowd (35) and Scott Edwards (32 not out) made short work of knocking off the runs in just 7.5 overs.

Kampong were reinforced by the advent of Tom Cooper for their journey to Deventer, but despite 53 from Cole Briggs and 36 from Cooper the Utrecht side collapsed from 93 for three to 134 all out, Venkat Ganesan doing much of the damage with five for 37.

Ganesan then hit a 24-ball 32 when Salland replied, but with Alex Roy taking three early wickets the home side had to work hard to reach their fairly modest target, Pasan Ottachchige’s 58 not out turning the innings around after they had lost five wickets for 85.

Ottachchige was supported by Reinder Lubbers in an unbroken stand of 50, and Salland took the points with 16 overs to spare.