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HCC shock Rotterdam, but Voorburg back on top

Rod Lyall 26/05/26

The title race tightened appreciably on the Pentecost holiday on Monday, as the leadership again changed hands and HCC reinforced their claims with a decisive victory over early leaders Rotterdam.

At Maarschalkerweerd in Utrecht, Voorburg proved too strong for home side Kampong, dismissing them for 190 and going on to win by six wickets.

After winning the toss and electing to bat Kampong were never really in charge, off-spinner Cedric de Lange reducing them to 117 for six with a career-best spell of four for 18 in ten overs.

Robert van der Harten, Tushar Sharma and Alex Roy were able to achieve a partial recovery, adding 73 to the total for the last four wickets, but with Aaditt Jain returning to claim three for 25 the Utrecht side faced an uphill struggle against Voorburg’s powerful batting.

After the early loss of Damien van den Berg, De Lange and Noah Croes, both of whom made 61, joined forces in a second-wicket stand of 124, and with Bas de Leede contributing a 24-ball 26, all but two of those runs in boundaries, Voorburg eased home with 15 overs to spare, leapfrogging their opponents to return to the top of the table.

The sensation of the day came at the Zomercomplex, the shock being not so much that HCC were able to beat Rotterdam but the completeness of a batting side which had until now seemed to regard 300 as a par score.

Daniel Crowley started the rout by removing openers Shoaib Minhas and Musa Ahmad inside the first eight overs, and despite Muhammad Gondal’s 44 and an aggressive 35 from Saqib Zulfiqar, the Rotterdammers were all out for 120 in 30.4 overs, Josh Brown cleaning up the lower order to finish with five for 36.

With Teun Kloppenburg hammering a 36-ball 65, including five fours and as many sixes, the Lions raced to 99 without loss in twelve overs, but when Sikander Zulfiqar removed him and Boris Gorlee with successive deliveries the chase suddenly faltered.

Zulfiqar added the scalp of Tonny Staal five runs later, and with Minhas bowling three straight maidens from the other end, picking up Brown’s wicket in the process, the game seemed to be swinging Rotterdam’s way.

Minhas now removed Clayton Floyd as well, but Zac Worden and Yash Patel knocked off the remaining runs without further mishap, Zulfiqar finishing with three for 36 and Minhas a remarkable two for 2 from 24 deliveries.

Extraordinary as this was, there was real drama later in the day as the two matches pitting the bottom four sides against each other turned out to be real thrillers, the two bottom teams recording vital last minute victories.

The day had begun very well for HermesDVS, for whom openers Ash Ostling and Daniel Doyle posted a club-record-equalling stand of 207 against HBS before Doyle was run out for 95 attempting a quick single to Heino Kuhn.

Ostling was then LBW to Kent Goedeke for 94, and at 230 for two with less than seven overs remaining, the Hermes middle order sacrificed wickets in the quest for as many runs as possible, Benno Boddendijk collecting three for 46 as Sebastiaan Braat made an unbeaten 28 and 52 were added.

This seemed likely to be too much for HBS, and although Tayo Walbrugh contributed 37 at 116 for five after 25 overs Hermes could have been forgiven for thinking that the points were theirs.

But Roelof van der Merwe now joined Lehan Botha, who was on 47, and together they added 152 in 23 overs, Botha needing just 42 deliveries to go from 50 to 100 as the tempo steadily accelerated.

Ten balls were remaining when Dutt finally bowled Botha for 132, made from 122 deliveries with 14 fours and one six, but the HBS pair had reduced the demand to just 15.

They still needed 11 as Hikmatullah Jabarkhail began the final over, but Van der Merwe and Reece Mason were equal to the task, Mason taking the winning single with one ball to spare, Van der Merwe remaining not out on 70.

Meanwhile in the Amsterdamse Bos, VRA were in pursuit of VOC Rotterdam’s total of 219 all out.

The Rotterdammers had recovered somewhat from 128 for six, Ethan Price making 43, Ahsan Malik 44 not out, and last man Ludwig Spies an enterprising 20, but Vikram Singh has taken his season’s tally to 23 wickets with four for 35, and Udit Nashier had collected three for 26.

VOC’s five-man seam attack reduced VRA to 67 for four when they replied, but with Teja Nidamanuru playing a vintage captain’s innings, well supported by Shariz Ahmad, they appeared to be on the brink of victory at 216 for seven.

Then Roman Harhangi, returning to the attack, turned the game on its head: first Darsh Abhinay was caught by Ludwig Spies, and then Adam Madgwick was trapped in front first ball.

That left Nidamanuru on 92 to face Ahsan Malik with four still needed, knowing that last man Shayan Moodley was at the other end.

He tried to hit Malik’s first delivery to the long on boundary, but succeeded only in finding the fielder at deep mid-on, who completed a sprawling catch to give VOC a sensational three-run victory.

Kampong back on top as Voorburg and Hermes tie

Rod Lyall 24/05/26

A tied cricket match tends to raise the question of whether it involves a point gained or a point lost, not only in terms of the course of the game itself, but also with respect to the teams’ respective positions in the competition. And sometimes these two considerations can lead to opposite conclusions.

Saturday’s encounter between Voorburg and Hermes-DVS at Westvliet was no exception: on the run of play, Voorburg could take some satisfaction from the fact that they had avoided defeat after posting a relatively modest 228 all out, but the point dropped leaves them at a slight disadvantage compared to their main rivals for the Topklasse title.

Conversely, every point matters for Hermes as they try to stay clear of the league’s one relegation spot, but they will regret not having taken full advantage of their bowlers’ efforts in keeping Voorburg’s batting within bounds.

That Voorburg, having won the toss, reached 228 was largely due to half-centuries by Noah Croes (59) and Ryan Klein (61), although after they lost four wickets for just five runs towards the end of the innings they were rescued by a last-wicket stand of 36 between dubutant Tanveer Khawaja and last man Jaynul Islam.

Much of the damage was caused by spinner Hikmatullah Jabarkhail, who picked up four for 49.

Islam then removed Ash Ostling with the fourth ball of Hermes’ reply, but 36 from Daniel Doyle and 44 from David Rushmere before he fell to a stunning catch by Klein at point – mirroring an equally remarkable effort by Sebastiaan Braat to remove Croes – took them at 117 for four at the halfway point of their innings.

But then Voorburg applied the pressure, and it was left to Olivier Elenbaas, in company for a time with his captain Braat, to steer Hermes towards their target.

Braat departed for 25 with 24 still needed from 26 deliveries, but Islam and Don Glover conceded just 11 from the next two overs, and as Mees van Vliet started the final over Elenbaas and his brother Ralph required eight more for victory.

They managed a string of five singles, then Olivier turned the final delivery to leg and they ran two to level the scores.

Voorburg appealed for a run-out which would have given them victory, and while the not-out decision was being discussed between fielders and umpires the brothers tried running a third; the ball was, however, ruled dead and the tie confirmed, Oliver finishing on 74 not out.

Voorburg’s dropped point enabled Kampong Utrecht to go back to the top of the table by virtue of their 82-run victory over HCC at De Diepput.

Their total of 232 for seven was built on a steady 63 from Pierre Jacod and an unbeaten 90 from Scott Edwards, who between them rescued their side from a perilous 74 for four; dropping Edwards down to six proved a wise move, as he plundered 22 from the last two overs of the innings, undoing much of the good work of HCC’s pace trio of Josh Brown (three for 29), Thijs Vrolijk and Justin Trijzelaar.

Kampong’s new-ball pairing of Shashank Kumar and Alex Roy, however, ensured that the Lions’ reply never really got off the ground, taking four for 35 and three for 13 respectively, and it took an unbeaten 36 from Brown to get their total up to a still-disappointing 150.

Still one win behind the leaders pending a decision on the outcome of their abandoned match against HBS, Rotterdam posted their fourth 300-plus total of the campaign against Rotterdam rivals VOC, although it seemed for much of their innings that they would have to settle for a good deal less.

Their innings was transformed by skipper Sikander Zulfiqar who, coming in at 94 for four with 27 overs left, pulverised a tiring VOC attack and smashed an 84-ball 126 which included nine fours and five sixes.

He was initially supported by Mohsin Riaz, who made 63 from 65 deliveries, but thereafter it was largely a solo effort which put the target well beyond VOC’s reach.

Their reply began promisingly with a 97-run opening stand between Samir Butt (51) and Caleb Montague (44), but once they were dismissed the innings fell away in the face of Rotterdam’s spinner, Musa Ahmad claiming four for 29 and Muhammad Gondal and Saqib Zulfiqar picking up two apiece, and they were all out for 202.

VOC’s position at the foot of the table was exacerbated by HBS Craeyenhout’s four-wicket victory over VRA.

The Amsterdammers made 261 all out, opener Vikram Singh making 52 and Johan Smal, back from injury, celebrating with an 85-ball 88; for the home side seamer Benno Boddendijk took four for 51 and spinner Kent Goedeke three for 44.

The Crows’ batting has not always been completely convincing this season, but here Lehan Botha belted a characteristic 25-ball 40, and then Goedeke and Lucas del Bianco added exactly 100 for the fourth wicket in 19 overs to keep their side in the hunt.

Goedeke eventually fell to Shariz Ahmad after making 82 from 69 deliveries with six fours and four sixes, but Del Bianco continued, and he and Kyle Klein put on 57 for the sixth wicket and carried HBS to within a couple of runs of victory.

Del Bianco ended on 61 not out as HBS won with 21 deliveries to spare.

There will be a further round of matches – the last of the first half of the campaign – on Monday’s Pentecost holiday.

Preview Round 6

Rod Lyall & Bertus de Jong | 20-05-2026

Slowly but surely, this eight-team competition seems to be resolving itself into a top-three and a bottom-three, with HCC and VRA caught somewhere in the middle, but perhaps more likely to be clinging to the coat tails of the leaders than to be sinking into relegation territory. Their fortunes have contrasted sharply in recent games, with HCC posting relatively comfortable victories while VRA have twice fallen just short. Hard to believe there are only two rounds left before we reach the halfway mark!

RL: One game which will play a part in deciding HCC’s direction is their meeting with Kampong at De Diepput on Saturday. The Lions have slipped quietly into the top four (not that that means anything these days – remember when being on the lefthand-side of the Teletekst page was a thing?) by virtue of their three straight victories and VRA’s two recent defeats. Kampong aren’t quite the side they were last year, but Scott Edwards’ imperious form, coupled with Max O’Dowd’s first big innings of the season last week and a varied, hard-working attack, have kept them in the hunt. The injury Lorenzo Ingram sustained against Hermes will be a concern, as will the way in which they allowed the Sky Blues to get themselves off the hook. HCC, on the other hand, will be boosted by the successful return after a 16-year gap of Bob Entrop, who certainly strengthened a sometimes-indifferent middle order against VOC. But the Lions’ real trump card is their bowling unit, even without its leader Hidde Overdijk. Hard to pick this one, but the momentum seems to be with the home side.

BdJ: While the defending champions have not quite recaptured their form from the back end of last season, they’ve done enough to keep mostly winning, in no small part thanks to the unfaltering form of the Dutch captain. If Edwards can renew his productive partnership Max O’Dowd at club level the defending champions will begin looking something like the sum of their enviable parts. Yet while the celebrated HCC seam attack has looked a little light without Overdijk, the spin section have been impressive and the success of the likes of Entrop and Trijzelaar stepping up to the ones demonstrates an enviable depth at de Diepput. Kampong will take some containing though, especially with Damien van den Berg now also finding some form in the pro-series. While HCC should never be counted out at home, I’d still make the title-holder marginal favourites in this one.

RL: Just ahead of Kampong on net run rate, Voorburg entertain a Hermes-DVS side which put up a spirited fight against Alex Roy’s outfit before eventually succumbing. One of the problems at Westvliet seems to be sorting out the best eleven from their wide range of choices: they’ve used 17 players already in five games, more than any other team, but on the positive side that’s partly due to the return from injury of Bas de Leede, who proved his value to the side with his 85 against VRA. Young seamer Farhaad Khawaja made a promising debut in that game, but this week much will doubtless depend on Voorburg’s ability to claim early wickets, Ash Ostling and Daniel Doyle-Calle having been somewhat less consistent this year than they have been in the past. David Rushmere remains an enigma: having hit a record 169 in the opening match, he has managed just 17 runs in four innings since, and Hermes will be hoping he can find something of that initial form a.s.a.p., and help them escape the lower reaches of the table they currently inhabit.

BdJ: Fair to say that “spoilt for choice” or “an embarrassment of riches” are among the more surmountable problems a Topklasse side may face, but so long as Bas de Leede isn’t bowling the ideal make-up of the attack does seem to be vexing the villagers. Khawaja is, somewhat absurdly, the 12th bowler used by VCC in five games, and his return of 1-69 in 10 thus far is unlikely to cement his place. The batting side looks a bit more settled, and young Cedric de Lange’s form at the top of the Voorburg card has surely been the story of the comp to date, if only as the most prominent example of a general trend of home-grown talent coming into their own this season. Hermes’ own top order, expected to be a strength ahead of the season, has (eliding what looks increasingly like a flash-in-the-pan innings from Rushmere) been outscored by seam all-rounders Elenbaas and Braat. While we’ve probably not seen the best of either side this season, Voorburg’s conundrums look the more solvable.

RL: Part of the reason for the elevated position of the two leaders, of course, is the unfortunate ludus interruptus at the Zomercomplex last Saturday, which means that pending a decision by the KNCB Rotterdam have played a game fewer as they head to Hazelaarweg to take on VOC in the first Rotterdam derby of the season. This looks on paper to be the easiest result to pick: the Bloodhounds are at the foot of the table on NRR, while Rotterdam’s only defeat so far has been in that rain-reduced, run-soaked encounter with Voorburg on Ascension Day. But runs were hard to come by when HCC visited Schiebroek last week, and that could conceivably put a brake on the run-scoring capacity of the Rotterdam top order. The VOC attack, worthy as it is, will need to take full advantage, though, if they are to keep their visitors down to a chaseable total, or defend whatever their own less-than-rampant batting line-up is able to assemble.

BdJ: It’s often hard to gauge the extent to which off-field issues are likely to affect a side, but while VOC’s seemingly quiet disposal of two skippers this season doesn’t seem to have unduly hampered their performance, the apparent – and recurrent – crowd (self)control problems at the Zomercomplex do look likely to cost Rotterdam points. Yet while conditions at Hazelaarweg are unlikely to play to Rotterdam’s strengths, the top-order are hardly strangers to the place and have looked cpapable of running up big scores anywhere, anytime. A VOC victory, even at home, woulkd be the upset of the round for sure, though loyal readers will of course rememeber what happened the last time I said that…

RL:HBS will need to be at their very best to overcome VRA Amsterdam when they take them on at Craeyenhout. Although Tayo Walbrugh’s return to form against Rotterdam and the continued success of Lucas del Bianco are welcome signs, their 226 last Saturday was probably short of what they needed against Sikander Zulfiqar’s side at the Zomercomplex, and this week they face in-form new new-ball bowler, the season’s leading wicket-taker, Vikram Singh. Nor will they have forgotten what he can do with the bat: three years ago he smashed a 71-ball 155 as VRA posted 455 for eight on this ground before collecting four for 81 as HBS replied with 398. We shouldn’t anticipate such record-breaking excesses this time, but Craeyenhout is a good place to bat, and whoever bats first will need to set a substantial total. Neither side has yet found much consistency with the bat – VRA admittedly hampered by the absence of Johan Smal – but in different ways both badly need to take the points here.

BdJ: Twenty-three years old does seem a little young for a career renaissance, but then Vikram Singh is nothing if not precocious. Bouncing back after being dropped from the national side last year, Singh is currently in pole position for League MVP, and in the face of stiff competition at that. Yet VRA, too, have looked unsure of their best 11 though, unsure as to where the raft of newcomers ought to be playing. Singh’s form with the ball has partially covered what remains the glaring gap in the seam section left by Fletcher and Ruffel, while the top order would look unsettled even without the loss of Smal to injury. HBS have had their own issues this season of course, though it’s remarkable how many of them would look at least half-solved if Kyle Klein can stay fit and Tayo Walbrugh’s form returns for good.

RL’s tips: HCC, Voorburg, Rotterdam, VRA
BdJ’s tips: Kampong, Voorburg, Rotterdam, VRA

Rotterdam-HBS match abandoned in regrettable scenes

Rod Lyall 17/05/26

The Topklasse competition took an unexpected – and unwelcome – turn on Saturday with the abandonment of the match between leaders Rotterdam and HBS at the Zomercomplex.

Play was stopped one over into Rotterdam’s reply as they set out in pursuit of the Crows’ total of 226 for eight.

Opener Musa Ahmad, who had taken two fours off the opening four deliveries from Kent Goedeke, survived an insistent appeal for caught behind off the fifth, and it appears that the discord in the middle overflowed to the boundary, resulting in an altercation between a spectator and one of the fielders.

The players left the field, and it eventually became clear that it was impossible for play to resume, the umpires having no alternative but to abandon a match which was nicely poised.

Earlier, the HBS innings had seen a return to form by skipper Tayo Walbrugh, who dropped back down to three and made a fine 67 before he became one of three victims for leg-spinner Saqib Zulfiqar.

That made it 134 for four with 18 overs left, and with Goedeke making 41 and Lucas del Bianco 42 HBS were able to set Rotterdam a moderate target.

The Rotterdammers’ power with the bat, however, has been well established, and they would probably have been the more confident side as their innings began.

The matter will now have to be resolved by the KNCB, whose Discipline Committee will presumably become involved in considering all the facts of the case.

This unsatisfactory situation allowed both Kampong Utrecht and Voorburg to leapfrog Rotterdam, at least temporarily.

Kampong’s victory over Hermes-DVS at the Loopuyt Oval was the more comfortable to the two wins, although this is to a degree belied by a 25-run margin which makes the game seem closer than it actually was.

The basis of Kampong’s total of 282 for nine was a second-wicket stand of 164 between internationals Max O’Dowd, whose 90 was his first significant knock of the campaign, and Scott Edwards.

Once O’Dowd had been bowled by Sahil Kothari Edwards continued in company with the middle and lower order and completed his sixth Topklasse century, eventually falling to Hikmatullah Jabarkhail for 131, made from 117 deliveries with 11 boundaries.

The momentum of the innings was impeded somewhat by an injury to Lorenzo Ingram, who was forced to retire hurt but who eventually returned with nine down to see out the closing overs.

Jabarkhail was the most successful of the Hermes bowlers with three for 53.

Hermes were soon in trouble when they replied, and at 75 for five after 19 overs they appeaared to be heading for a heavy defeat.

They were partially rescued, though, by a 95-run stand for the sixth wicket by Olivier Elenbaas (50) and captain Sebastiaan Braat (52), and then Aryan Dutt, coming in at eight, hit a 40-ball 53 which included three fours and three sixes, bringing his side unexpectedly close to their target.

They might have been even closer had it not been for the remarkable dismissal of Braat, bowler Pierre Jacod diving on a powerful straight drive from Dutt and instantaneously throwing the non-striker’s wicket down before Braat could react.

Having lost to Kampong by one wicket on Thursday, VRA Amsterdam were involved in another tight finish against Voorburg in the Amsterdamse Bos, falling just 12 runs short as they chased the visitors’ 253 for nine.

Vikram Singh had another great day with the ball, taking six for 52 and bringing his tally for the season to 18 wickets at 9.67, but VRA were held up by a stand of 127 for the fourth wicket by Noah Croes (65) and Bas de Leede (85), Ryan Klein chipping in with a useful 21-ball 23.

The Amsterdammers were well placed at 109 for one, with opener Lovepreet Padda and Sam Cassidy well set, but 22 overs had now been bowled and they had begun to fall behind the required scoring rate.

The first of a series of three run-outs further held up their progress, and when Shariz Ahmad was caught behind off Jaynul Islam moments before rain caused a brief interruption, it was 147 for four with 18 overs left.

Padda had reached a maiden Topklasse half-century, but at 196 he was bowled by Farhaad Khawaja for 74 and the game began to turn Voorburg’s way.

Ibaad Zaidi contributed a valuable 37, but the asking rate was continuing to rise, and in their keenness to pick up every possible run both he and Darsh Abhinay were run out looking for a second; Abhinay’s dismissal came in the middle of three wickets in consecutive deliveries by Jaynul Islam, and Udit Nashier was left to try to manufacture a victory in company with last man Sharad Hake.

23 were required from the final two overs, but Islam and Mees van Vliet were able to restrict the damage to ten, Nashier finishing on 21 not out and Islam claiming four for 48.

At the Hazelaarweg, HCC battled their was to 198 for seven against VOC, Zac Worden top-scoring with a patient 55, but it was skipper Boris Gorlee’s 23-ball 35 not out, including three sixes, which gave his attack something to bowl at.

Star of the show for VOC was Ramdas Upadhyaya, whose unbroken ten-over spell at the start of the HCC innings yielded three for 17.

Conditions proved no easier for the home side, though, nobody making more than 21 as they laboured their way to 143 all out in 42.2 overs, seamers Daniel Crowley and Justin Trijzelaar and spinner Teun Kloppenburg picking up two wickets apiece and Clayton Floyd collecting three for 21.

Cedric de Lange stars in Westvliet runfest

Rod Lyall 10/05/26

There have been many remarkable days in the 136-year history of the Dutch men’s competition, but few have been as dramatic as that on this year’s Ascension Day holiday.

Top billing went to the clash at Westvliet between leaders Rotterdam and hosts Voorburg, and despite – or perhaps because of – the fact that the match was reduced to 25 overs a side because of a wet outfield, it more than fulfilled expectations.

More than 450 runs were scored in those 50 overs, the Rotterdammers almost succeeding in retaining their unbeaten record as they came within an ace of overhauling Voorburg’s massive 235 for two.

Star of the show for Voorburg was Cedric de Lange, whose 125, his third century in fourTopklasse innings, included 16 fours and four sixes as he shared an opening stand of 205 in 21 overs with Michael Levitt.

Levitt was subsequently run out for 73, and with Bas de Leede chipping in with a brisk 20 not out, Voorburg averaged nearly ten an over.

Despite losing Musa Ahmad in the third over of their reply Rotterdam were undaunted by the scale of their task, Muhammad Gondal making 61, and at 122 for two after 14 overs they were on course to pull off an extraordinary victory.

Then De Lange struck twice in successive overs, removing first Gondal and then Mohammad Riaz, and once Mees van Vliet had dismissed Sikander Zulfiqar it was left to Saqib Zulfiqar and Burhan Niaz to keep up the chase.

So successfully did they do so, adding 78 in seven overs, that with two overs left Rotterdam needed just 28 for victory.

But they could only manage 17, Niaz falling for 46 in the final over, and Saqib was left on 54 not out as Voorburg squeezed home by ten runs.

There was tension of a different kind at Maarschalkerweerd, where Kampong needed an unbroken 29-run last-wicket partnership between Gert Swanepoel and Shashank Kumar to see them to the narrowest of victories against VRA Amsterdam.

If the batters had been in complete charge in Voorburg, in Utrecht it was the bowlers who called the shots, VRA battling their way to 184 all out after collapsing to 112 for seven, Darsh Abhinay and Sharad Hake coming to their rescue with a last-wicket stand of their own, which produced 38 vital runs.

Abhinay top-scored with 40 not out, while Kampong’s spin trio of Pienaar Buys (three for 20), Pierre Jacod (two for 23) and Lorenzo Ingram (two for 32) collected seven wickets between them.

Kampong were soon in trouble when they replied, losing Daniel van den Berg and Scott Edwards by the time 14 runs were on the board, and although Max O’Dowd made 32 and Jacod 33, when three wickets fell for the addition of one run to leave them on 155 for nine, a VRA victory seemed certain.

But Swanepoel and Kumar gradually knocked off the remaining runs, taking their side to the win with eight deliveries to spare.

VOC had pulled off the shock of the season last week by beating Voorburg, but they were comprehensively brought down to earth at Craeyenhout, where HBS ran up a massive 337 for seven before dismissing their visitors for 175.

Four of the Crows’ top five made half-centuries, the sole exception being skipper Tayo Walbrugh, whose run of low scores continued when he fell to spinner Ethan Price for just 7.

But then Julien de Mey (56) and Lehan Botha (73 from 44 deliveries, with seven fours and four sixes) added 120 for the second wicket, and once they had gone, Kent Goedeke (63) and Lucas del Bianco (79) put on another 119 for the fourth.

Kyle Klein chipped in with a 22-ball 40 to complete VOC’s misery.

Only Jason van der Meulen was able to offer substantial resistance when the Bloodhounds replied, coming in at 27 for two and staying to the end; he was left on 75 not out as Goedeke ran through the lower order to finish with five for 47 and HBS collected their first points of the season by a thumping 162-run margin.

That was sufficient for them to reverse their net run rate situation, leap-frogging VOC and leaving them at the bottom of the table.

As at Westvliet, the overnight and early-morning rain brought a delayed start at De Diepput, reducing the match to 35 overs a side.

Put in to bat, Hermes-DVS lost Ash Ostling to a fine return catch by HCC’s Teun Kloppenburg off the very first ball, and in the following over Josh Brown had David Rushmere caught behind.

It was a start from which Hermes never really recovered, and although Nick Statham made a dogged 40 and Sebastiaan Braat a spirited 45, the innings closed on 136 for eight, Clayton Floyd picking up three for 23.

HCC were untroubled in chasing down this target, opener Tonny Staal batting through the innings for an unbeaten 51, while Kloppenburg smacked a 32-ball 51 not out to see the Lions to victory with nearly ten overs to spare.

Preview Round 4

Bertus de Jong & Rod Lyall 12/05/26

Three rounds done and the first big pseudo-double weekend is upon us, with a full slate of games set for both Thursday and Saturday having the potential to reinforce the emerging narrative of the season or throw the whole table into confusion. Thursday’s schedule especially is replete with proverbial four-pointers, pitting pre-season favourites and likely relegation racers against one another in matches that could well prove retrospectively critical when the dust settles.

BdJ: First up is the top-table clash between the much-fancied Voorburg and early pace-setters Rotterdam CC. Two points clear at the top, Rotterdam have looked imperious since their off-season name change, racking up big 300-plus totals in each of their first three games. Three of the top six run-getters in the season so far turn out for the frontrunners, with Shoaib Minhas and the two Zulfiqars all striking at well north of a run-a-ball. The bowling attack hasn’t look quite so unstoppable, and though Carl Mumba has been thriving since making the switch the seam attack especially has struggled for control, but then the big totals on the board have meant they could afford to buy their wickets at almost any price. Voorburg meanwhile suffered a shock defeat at the hands of VOC last weekend, and despite looking the more balanced outfit on paper looked far less than the sum of their parts. The return of Bas de Leede (as a bat at least) is a positive, however, as are the signs of a return to form for Michael Levitt both in Topklasse and the preceding pro-series. VCC were a popular pre-season pick for title contenders for good reason, and certainly have the roster to derail Rotterdam, but the form book is against them.

RL: There are two imponderables for Thursday: the prospect of rain, and what happens if Rotterdam are chasing rather than setting? The former seems more than likely, and as to the second, much will depend, of course, on the luck of the toss. Teja Nidamanuru and Sebastiaan Braat are doubtless regretting their decisions to let Rotterdam have a bat, but Noah Croes’s calculations will equally be affected by his side’s somewhat feckless batting against a hard-working but scarcely overwhelming VOC attack. He, and Voorburg supporters with him, will be hoping that that performance was just one of those days, and that his top six or seven do better against a bowling unit which, at least on paper, is a good deal more menacing. There is, however, such a thing as having too many resources to choose from, and for all the array of talent at their disposal Voorburg could do with a settled line-up if they are to mount a serious challenge for the title.

BdJ: At the other end of the table HBS Craeyenhout welcome VOC Rotterdam to the Bosjes van Pex, the Crows still winless after three rounds while the Bloodhounds will be on something of a high after toppling VCC on Saturday. There were some positive signs with the bat for HBS against HCC, not least Lucas del Bianco’s continued form, but their most serious concern on that front remains Tayo Walbrugh’s early vulnerability. The HBS skipper’s fallen inside the powerplay in three out of four matches so far (counting the pre-season NCT20 Cup) and may at this point be mulling a drop down the order. There’s little positive on the bowling side either, with the Crows attack all struggling for penetration or control or both. VOC’s season was looking little better this time last week, onto their third captain in as many rounds having lost their two first games by big margins. In the circumstances one might write off the result against VCC as a fluke, though Roman Harhangi’s continued improvement has been noted in these pages before and Asief Hoseinbaks is a proven performer. New captain van der Meulen likewise performed admirably, while newcomers Price and Montague seem to be finding their feet. One suspects if HBS are to draw VOC into a prolonged relegation battle this season, this fixture will be must-win.

RL: But if Walbrugh reverts to his most productive position at three, who takes his opening slot? Reece Mason has been tried there in the past without a huge amount of success, but it’s also important for the Crows not to weaken a middle order which has been comparatively successful amidst their run of defeats. Two of those reverses were relatively hard-fought, and the attack in particular, although hindered by the continued unavailability of Kyle Klein, has battled manfully but with only limited success. Their opponents, on the other hand, will have been buoyed by their shock victory over Voorburg, and will go into this vital clash with renewed hope of climbing away from the relegation zone. They faltered slightly in chasing a modest target, but the new opening pair of Bart Kooistra and Samir Butt did enough to suggest that there may be better times ahead for the Bloodhounds. Neither side can afford to lose this one, so we can anticipate a mighty battle.

BdJ: Meanwhile title-holders Kampong CC face down second-placed VRA Amsterdam at Maarschalkerweerd, where one or other of the two sides will be pushed down into the mid-table while the other will be keeping pace with the frontrunners. VRA have certainly missed the new ball pair of Peter Ruffel and Ben Fletcher, with opposing openers collectively averaging almost fifty against them this season, but a resurgent Vikramjit Singh has stepped admirably into the breach. The svelte seam all-rounder leads the wicket tallies with ten at an average of 9.2 so far, and averages 57 with the bat to boot. He’s had plenty of support on the batting side of things, with Johan Smal averaging 123, Shariz Ahmad thriving in the middle and newcomer Sam Cassidy rediscovering his pre-season form, but on the bowling side the Bos-dwellers have looked less convincing. Kampong have hardly looked like dominant defending champions either, however, as after comfortable wins over likely relegation candidates HBS and VOC they had no more success in containing Rotterdam last week than anyone else has had. That said Shashank Kumar somehow managed to impress again with the new ball even as his side gave up 358, while Pierre Jacod continues to burnish his all-round credentials. The batting card also remains intimidating on paper, especially with Lorenzo Ingram regaining some touch, though Max O’Dowd might consider wearing his orange Dutch kit under Kampong’s blue – so stark is the contrast between his form for the national team and his slump in club cricket.

RL: One of the more notable features of last week’s programme was that VRA didn’t call on the batting skills of Johan Smal as they chased down Hermes’ total, despite losing four wickets, and their balance of youth and experience should stand them in good stead as the campaign progresses. Kampong, on the other hand, are not quite firing on all cylinders, the fact that O’Dowd and Lachlan Bangs have so far contributed 58 runs in six innings between them a symptom of a less than stellar start to the season. Ingram, too, although he played a gallant innings in a losing cause last week, has not yet added to his tally of 245 Topklasse wickets, and the momentum definitely looks to be with the Amsterdammers going into this game.

BdJ: Finally HCC will take on Hermes DVS at De Diepput, with both sides looking to get their seasons back on track, or at least put some distance between themselves and the wooden spoon spot. HCC racked up their first points of the season with a nervy win over HBS l;ast week, though letting the Crows get almost 100 runs more than they managed in their opening games will not inspire much confidence, while a potential injury to Hidde Overdijk will only add to their worries. Zach Worden’s unbeaten century was the difference in that game, and his return to form is a big positive, while Justin Trijzelaar picking up 2-38 in 10 again is likewise encouraging, especially if Overdijk is indeed ruled out. Hermes meanwhile will take comfort from the return to form last week of their prolific opening pairing of Ashley Ostling and Daniel Doyle-Calle, even as their middle-order worries returned with a vengeance. Number three David Rushmere currently looks more like a wildcard than an ace in the hole in that regard, after his record smashing debut the newcomer has added just 8 more runs to his tally, and might have gone for a second golden duck on Saturday had he not been shelled at slip. He remains a lurking menace however, and skipper Braat’s lower-order counterpunching suggests Hermes have the makings of a big total batting side if they can get all cylinders firing.

RL: Again, any momentum would seem to be with HCC, while Hermes looked short of form with both bat and ball in losing to VRA last week. Justin Trijzelaar and Thijs Vrolijk slotted into the seam attack in the absence of Teun Leijer and Daniel Crowley, and if the attack lacks some of the cutting edge of years gone by, it retains a useful balance between seam and spin. The batting, on the other hand, still has an air of fragility, and without Worden’s unbeaten hundred they would have been in some trouble against HBS. On the other hand, the Hermes collapse in the Amsterdamse Bos will be a matter of real concern to the Sky Blues, the subsidence from 139 for one to 180 for eight evidence of a lack of substance in the middle order which has sometimes haunted them in the past. Especially troubling is Aryan Dutt’s two runs from three innings, and Sebastiaan Braat may need to consider changing his role in the line-up.

BdJ’s picks: Rotterdam, VOC, Kampong, Hermes.
RL’s picks: Rotterdam, HBS, VRA, HCC.

VOC rock Voorburg as Rotterdam march on

Rod Lyall 10/05/26

The Hazalaarweg was the scene of the first real upset of the season on Saturday, when home side VOC produced a stunning five-wicket victory over championship contenders Voorburg.

It wasn’t so much the fact that the Bloodhounds’ attack, which had battled hard during the side’s defeats at the hands of Hermes-DVS and Kampong, was able to dismiss Voorburg for 160, as the way in which their opponents, fielding five Dutch internationals and young double-centurion Cedric de Lange, allowed themselves to subside so completely after reaching 141 for three.

The damage was mostly done by the spinners, Asief Hoseinbaks picking up four for 42 and Ethan Price two for 42, although the early wickets were claimed by the seamers, Roman Harhangi, Jason van der Meulen, and debutant Ludwig Spies.

Michael Levitt had given Voorburg a promising start with 43, and then Bas de Leede, back at his old club and sufficiently recovered from injury to make his first appearance though not yet able to bowl, top-scored with 49.

Once he had gone, however, the first of Hoseinbaks’ victims, the remaining six wickets fell for the addition of just 19 runs.

Bart Kooistra, promoted to open the VOC reply, gave his side a great start with 54 at almost a run a ball, hitting five fours and two sixes, and although Floris de Lange gave Voorburg some hope by removing Caleb Montague and Harhangi, Van der Meulen saw VOC home, finishing with an unbeaten 36.

On the other side of Rotterdam, Sikander Zulfiqar’s eponymous side had little difficulty in seeing off the challenge of defending champions Kampong Utrecht: not only did they post a 300-plus total for the third time in as many games, but they went past 350, finishing on 356 for eight.

Opener Shoaib Minhas led the way with 141, made from 126 deliveries with 17 fours and three sixes, and shared a third-wicket stand of 99 with Saqib Zulfiqar (41).

After Saqib had gone his triplet brother Sikander took over, and he and Minhas added 119 for the fourth wicket from 74 deliveries.

Sikander continued almost to the end, hitting seven fours and five sixes in his 56-ball 86, as Rotterdam reached the highest total conceded by Kampong in their top-flight history.

That seemed likely to be well beyond Kampong’s batting resources, and although Damien van den Berg and Max O’Dowd began the reply at a lively tempo, when Lorenzo Ingram came to the crease at 88 for four the match was effectively over.

Ingram, however, fought a lone rearguard battle, making a 72-ball 90, and when his was the last wicket to fall Kampong had reached 220, still 136 runs short.

Saqib Zulfiqar was the pick of Rotterdam’s bowlers with four for 46.

As Kampong and Voorburg faltered VRA took full advantage, beating Hermes-DVS by six wickets and moving into second place on net run rate.

Ash Ostling (60) and Daniel Doyle-Calle (64) gave Hermes a solid start with an opening stand of 118, but it took them nearly 30 overs to do it, thanks to some fine seam bowling from Sharad Hake, Vikram Singh and Viraj Thakur, and once they had gone, both dismissed by Shariz Ahmad, the innings fell apart, a further six wickets falling for 41 runs in the space of eight and a half overs, three of them to run-outs.

It took a defiant knock from Hermes skipper Sebastiaan Braat, who made 44 from 34 deliveries, assisted by Sahil Kothari and Oliver Herrington to add 58 for the last two wickets, to get his side up to 238; Shariz finished with three for 54, while Singh returned to pick up those last two wickets and end with two for 22.

Singh then led the way with the bat, making a valuable 46 before falling to Kothari, but it was Sam Cassidy who guided VRA to victory, making 91 and adding 97 with Shariz before he was bowled by Braat.

By that time, though, only 20 more were needed, and Shariz and Thakur saw their side home with seven deliveries to spare, Shariz finishing on 47 not out.

It took HCC a couple of balls more to complete their four-wicket win against HBS at Craeyenhout after the Crows had reached a reasonably challenging 267 for five.

Architect of HCC’s victory was Zac Worden, who played himself back into form with an unbeaten 115, made from 149 deliveries with fivee fours and four sixes.

Together with opener Tonny Staal, Worden put on 131 for the second wicket, and after Staal was caught behind off Kent Goedeke for 68, he added another 79 for the fourth with Teun Kloppenburg (43).

There was a mild flutter in the middle order when three wickets fell for just eight runs, but Worden was not to be denied, and he and Clayton Floyd made sure of the two points.

Earlier, HBS had recovered from a slightly shaky start to reach their 267, keeper Lucas del Bianco making a fine 84 not out after Lehan Botha had contributed 40 and Goedeke 42.

Del Bianco was supported very effectively in the closing overs by Kyle Klein, whose unbeaten 47 took just 25 deliveries and included two fours and four sixes, but HBS undoubtedly suffered from the fact that Klein, like Bas de Leede, has not recovered sufficiently from injury to be able to bowl.

HCC, too, have injury worries: Hidde Overdijk injured his hand catching Goedeke in the HBS innings, was unable to bowl his final three overs, and was unable to bat.

Teams will have just five days to recover before Thursday’s Ascension Day round of matches.