Bertus de Jong 18:10
So it’s all over, as they say, bar the regulatory challenges. Let’s hope we can do without those. VRA claim the title and it must be said it never looked like anything but paperwork or rain could deny them. HCC showed some fight with the bat after the rain break, but VRA made light work of the chase, looking more worried about the weather than the chance of losing. They needn’t have as it turns out, the sinking sun is shining here at Harga. It sets on the season too, bar the promotion clash at the Zomercomplex tomorrow. That’s a wrap for out live coverage for 2025, but we’ve plenty of reflection and retrospection content in the works, not least our 2025 Team of the Year, so do check back soon. Thanks for joining us for another summer, on behalf of all the team here at TKcricket, this is Bertus de Jong signing off – see you next season!
HCC
65-7 (11/11 overs)
VRA 
67-4 (6.5/11 overs)
Gorlee brings himself on for the last rites. Shariz punches a single to midwicket first up, Cassidy takes four balls to find the gap but does so eventually, single out in front of square to seal the victory. VRA win by 6 wickets to claim the 2025 Topklasse T20 Championship!
HCC
65-7 (11/11 overs)
VRA
65-4 (6/11 overs)
Smal steps across and again goes over the man at fine leg, four more. Single tucked square, and VRA any boundary away. Shariz can’t find it, but a mishit pull brings one more square. Smal across his stumps once too often and is bowled behind his legs next ball. Cassidy to the crease. Two needed.
HCC
65-7 (11/11 overs)
VRA
59-3 (5/11 overs)
Good start from Trijzelaar, but fourth ball Smal muscles him away quare from over off-stump for another boundary. Five overs done, and not even rain can save HCC now. Eight runs to get for VRA. Banerjee gets a bowl…
HCC
65-7 (11/11 overs)
VRA
53-3 (4/11 overs)
Singh the next to perish in the cause, looks to loft Floyd over long on but it has more height than distance and HCC are holding their catches despite the slippery conditions. Shariz at five, and single out toward long on first up, then four more for Smal swept up wide of fine leg, then a gift dowd leg is swatted on it’s way bursting through the same man. Trijzelaar into the attack.
HCC
65-7 (11/11 overs)
VRA
42-2 (3/11 overs)
VRA clearly want to get these runs before the rain returns. Short ball from Leijer dispatched over backward square for four more by Singh, who like his teammates has been swinging with abandon. Lovely cover drive brings two a couple of balls later, but clear that keeping it down isn’t bringin reward on this outfield. Floyd into the attack. 25 runs to get, two more overs for a guaranteed result.
HCC
65-7 (11/11 overs)
VRA
32-2 (2/11 overs)
Nidamanuru quickly into his work, makes room to cut hard behind point for four, then twice more to the rope high over the on side. But another brief innings, another big heave to leg is top-edged and held ar deep square. Smal at four.
HCC
65-7 (11/11 overs)
VRA
19-1 (1/11 overs)
Singh off the mark galncing fine for one, Rasool top-edges the next back over third for four, then two clean connections brings him 12 in two balls over cow. Gets greedy though and next ball holes out to Overdijk on the rope at long on. Nidamanuru in at three, up over mid on burt blugs in the sodden outfield. 19 off it. White to share the new ball.
HCC
65-7 (11/11 overs)
VRA
0-0 (0/11 overs)
Singh and Rasool to open for VRA, 67 target we are indeed assured. Crowley takes the new ball.
DLS has not punished HCC too harshly for those pre-rain wickets it seems. Word is 67 in 11 overs will be the target for VRA.
HCC
65-7 (11/11 overs)
VRA
yet to bat
Crowley on the charge first ball, swipes at air and stumped. Trijzelaar in and off the the mark glancing fine for one, Wolfe puts the next away for four over midwicket, but holes out in the same direction two balls later. Vrolijk at nine and a hard run two to finish.
HCC
65-7 (11/11 overs)
VRA
yet to bat
Crowley on the charge first ball, swipes at air and stumped. Trijzelaar in and off the the mark glancing fine for one, Wolfe puts the next away for four over midwicket, but holes out in the same direction two balls later. Vrolijk at nine and a hard run two to finish.
HCC
58-5 (10/11 overs)
VRA
yet to bat
Shariz again for the tenth, they can’t get him away to the rope but hard running brings eight from the over. Nidamanuru to bowl the last himself.
HCC
50-5 (9/11 overs)
VRA
yet to bat
Crowley dumps the first ball on the 9th back over Singh’s head for six, and two balls later a deft late cut from Wolfe brings four more. Signs of fight from HCC.
HCC
37-5 (8/11 overs)
VRA
yet to bat
Singh completes his over tidily, just a couple of singles off it. Fletcher and Ruffel are bowled out owing to the abreviation, so Shariz Ahmad into the attack and strikes with his first ball, skidding under and ungainly mow from Banerjee and into the stumps. Overdijk in. And Overdijk out first ball! Full from Shariz and turning in, Overdijk looks to work it to leg, misses and plumb. Crowley to the crease and survives the hat-trick ball more by luck than judgement as it fizzes past his outside edge. Single, and finally something for HCC to cheer for as Shariz drags the last ball short and Wolfe creams it high and long over midwicket for six. Singh to continue.
But not the sort that will make a result more likely. HCC to resume batting, nine overs off each innings for now, so four overs and 4 balls left for HCC.
Covers on, covers off. Dark clouds on the horizon but looks like we may just get a bit more cricket.
It’s starting to rain again.
Well hope spings eternal, we’ve a brief break in the weather and they’re busy getting the water off the covers, and now the covers off the pitch. If they do get back on in the next ten minutes it’ll be HCC resuming their innings, albeit with a fair few overs off. That will of course, ironically, make a result less likely.
Rod Lyall 15:35
Well, the radar wasn’t lying, except that the rain has arrived a little earlier than predicted. The indications are that it’s set in for the rest of the day, but Bertus will jump in if there’s any good news. For now, this is Rod Lyall saying a provisional farewell.
HCC
25-3 (6.2 overs)
VRA
yet to bat
Shirsak Banerjee under way with a boundary, and there’s time for Vikram Singh to bowl a couple of deliveries before rain drives them from the field.
HCC
17-3 (5.1 overs)
VRA
yet to bat
Peter Ruffell replaces Nidamanuru, starting with a wide. A single apiece, then four off Fletcher’s third. Then Gorlee edges Ruffell through to Cassidy, and HCC are in trouble here.
HCC
10-2 (3 overs)
VRA
yet to bat
Wolfe off the mark with a single, then Gorlee survives a very confident appeal for leg-before. He finishes the over with a single to point.
HCC
8-2 (2.1 overs)
VRA
yet to bat
And another! Fletcher digs one in, it climbs on White, who tries to cut at about shoulder height, and can only steer it to Smal at cover. Mark Wolfe joins his captain, with VRA looking very hungry.
HCC
8-1 (2 overs)
VRA
yet to bat
Gorlee works him in front of point to get off the mark, then White pushes to mid-off for a quick single.
HCC
6-1 (1.1 overs)
VRA
yet to bat
Nidamanuru from the Pavilion End. And a breakthrough off his first delivery, as Floyd drives, fails to get on top of it, and the bowler takes a very good low catch. Boris Gorlee in at three.
HCC
6-0 (1 over)
VRA
yet to bat
They’re out in the middle, Ben Fletcher opening from the Railway End to Oliver White, Clayton Floyd the non-striker. The first is in the channel outside off for the left-hander, who plays and misses. Pushes the second into the off side, looks for a single but is sent back. The next is in the slot, and lofted over long off for the first six of the game. Three dots to finish, though not for want of attempted knocking the cover off the ball by White.
Hats off to the umpires for managing to get a result in the women’s T20 final, where after Quick Haag made 143 for five the game was cut to five overs, HCC being set a target of 36. Which they achieved for the loss of one wicket, with three balls to spare. Congratulations to them.
It may, of course, all prove a bit academic, if the radar is to be believed. It’s been raining in Schiedam, it seems, and there’s more on the way. We should get in an hour or so’s play, but thereafter a lot may depend on the exaxt path the next lot of rain chooses. The Playing Conditions provide for one rescheduling if the match is abandoned.
Teja Nidamanuru has called correctly for VRA, and elected to field.
Good afternoon/evening/morning everyone, and welcome to our coverage of this year’s Topklasse T20 Cup Final. It’s been a strange old week, but it seems that after all the argy-bargy’s done it will be VRA who take on HCC. Though it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if three teams turned up at the Loopuyt Oval today. Why, one wonders, does Dutch cricket keep shooting itself in the foot with bad news stories?
TKcricket 
Dear Rod and Bertus
It felt strange last weekend with no TK Cricket in Netherlands thus ment all of my focus was on the Test Match in Belfast and a 2nd win in the format. Total dominated the Test with a good Afternoon session on Day 1, morning session on Day 2, afternoon session on Day 3 and the only session on Day 4, they had 3 sessions morning Day 1, afternoon Day 2 and last 8 overs on Day 3. The match was apt for the Northern players who played well apart from Stirlo with Adair being named Player of the Match. And may I say fairplay to Cricket Ireland for the match being on YouTube which was a bouns for everyone in Europe to watch. Great year apart from 1 hour combined in the World T20 Cup in Men and the same for the Women also, but the Women have Sri Lanka to come now Asian Cup winners and England in 50 overs in Belfast and 20 overs in Dublin
Both are being played at the same time you play PNG and Scotland in the Tri Series in Women and USA and Canada in 50 over competion leading to 2027 World Cup. And other Internatonal cricket to come and not forgetting the TK season climax and Hoofdklasse and Eerste Klasse in men and TK and HK in women so dont fret now were in August.
Dear Rod and Bertus
Since the last round of TK fixtures 2 weeks ago a good news story for Women’s Cricket came to pass with the WWC T2O’s going from 10 side in Bangladesh this time to a 12 side in England next time following on to a 16 side event after that and this is something I posted on 25th May that should happen
Transcript read
It is depressing to see yet again a 10 sided T20 Women’s World Cup again and now is the time for a 16 sides with something like the men’s with 4 groups of 4 with the top 2 in each going forward to main event and bottom 2 contesting where a ranking system would determine for the top 12 to progress to the next event
Maybe someone in the ICC had the same view and here is hoping it is not just about gaining extra revenue for them and with the revenue raised should help the likes of Rwanda in Africa in there efforts to promote the sport following on from the 1993 Genocide with the Kwuibaka event and PNG in Asia for example. PNG because their section in Pre World Cup Qualifiers have now gone, something like the Americas 15 years ago which is why USA in Women in 2014 and Canada in Men in 2015 could not qualify to the detrement of both sides fortuned since
Dear Rod and Bertus
It has been a long time since I posted here and yet again a great couple of weeks for Irish cricket and this time in the Women’s area. A 1-1 series tie in T20s and 2-1 series win in the WODI’s was beyond my wildest dreams against the recent Asian Cup winners in Sri Lanka. And may I say fairplay to Cricket Ireland for the matches on YouTube again which was a bouns for everyone in Europe to watch. Great year apart from 1 hour for the Women vs Scotland in Dubai to miss out on Women’s T20 World Cup then set for Bangladesh and now in Dubai
England series in 50 overs in Belfast and 20 overs in Dublin just wondering what side they will bring over.
Netherlands Dames had the 2 Women’s series in the grip of their hands but fell at the final hurdle to the Scots on both occasions. Scotland are now ranked as an WODI nation.
Also fair play to the Dutch Dames involved in the ECN Metel Shield as part of Team Europe who won the 9 match T10s 7-2 over British & Irish side. Babette de Leede, Iris Zwilling, Caroline de Lange and Robine Rijke all playing their part. Team Europe missing Malta, Greece, Serbia involved in Valetta Cup also Luxembourg and Belgium and Nordic sides because of recently playing in Nordic Cup and B&I side missing Isle of Man involved in Valetta and no Scots as played in domestic action. Speaking of Valetta Cup Isle of Man beat Greece in the Final as MCC side could not play in it and Lucy Barnett the stand out batter and Joanne Hicks bowler in the event for IOM. Great to see Women’s cricket getting good press coverage on ECN
Compehensive win for VRA men, needed Punjab to lose but still in the hunt for a Trophy. ACC have found form way to late and now the Hoofdklasse awaits in 2025.