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Relegation battle goes down to the wire

Rod Lyall 21/07/25

Despite a period of rain on Sunday which took overs off four of the five Topklasse matches, all five produced a result, and the day produced some notable individual performances along the way.

When the emphatically metaphorical dust had settled, the situation at the foot of the table remained as uncertain as it had been at 11 o’clock, ensuring a thrilling conclusion to the season when the final matches are played following the traditional – and apparently immutable – ‘cricket-free weekend’.

The most clear-cut outcome of the day was at the Zomercomplex, where Punjab-Ghausia became only the second side this century to post 400 in a top-flight match, setting 413 for five against a hapless Sparta 1888.

Key to this mammoth total was a second-wicket partnership of 232 between Musa Ahmad and Saqib Zulfiqar, Saqib making 151 of them in a pulverising knock which took just 96 deliveries and included eight fours and ten sixes.

Musa was more circumspect, reaching his second century of the season from 106 balls, but then he cut loose, adding another 23 from just 10 deliveries; in all, he hit ten fours and four sixes.

Then Sikander Zulfiqar completed Sparta’s misery with a 26-ball, unbeaten 50.

Khurram Shahzad had already claimed two wickets by the time the rain intervened, and when play resumed the target had been adjusted to an equally impossible 369 from 40 overs.

This was never on the cards, and it took a defiant 53 not out from Umar Baker, batting at No. 10, to take Sparta from 88 for nine to 149 by the end, he and Joost-Martijn Snoep putting on 61 for the last wicket; it was Baker’s first fifty in 124 top-flight innings.

The only game to escape the rain was at Maarschalkerweerd, where VRA Amsterdam dismissed newly-crowned champions Kampong Utrecht for 183, Teja Nidamanuru claiming three for 12 in four overs.

Lane Berry hit a whirlwind .18-ball 45 and Pierre Jacod gave the innings some solidity with 41, but otherwise it seemed that Kampong were suffering anticlimactic symptoms after last weekend’s celebrations.

Nidamanuru more than matched Berry’s innings with 61 from 30 deliveries when VRA replied, Patrick Gouge contributing a more sedate 42, but Kampong fought their way back into the game when Shariz Ahmad, Ibaad Zaidi and Vikram Singh all departed with the score on 152, Jack Cassidy following five runs later.

At 157 for six the outcome was briefly in the balance, but Johan Smal and Viraj Thakur saw their side safely over the line with twelve overs to spare.

In the crucible of the relegation battle, VOC Rotterdam gave themselves a chance by dismissing HBS Craeyenhout for 207, with Lucas del Bianco anchoring the innings for the Crows with an unbeaten 60 after Tayo Walbrugh and Wesley Barresi had both gone in the thirties.

The target was adjusted to 204 from 48 overs after the rain, but VOC had already lost Tim de Kok, and after Lehan Botha (three for 46) and Kyle Klein had reduced the Bloodhounds to 61 for four Jayden Rossouw took over, running through the rest of the batting to finish with six for 31.

Christiaan Oberholzer did his best to hold things together, but he eventually ran out of partners and was stranded on 86 not out as HBS won by 51 runs, making them almost certain of survival in next year’s reduced top flight.

For Excelsior ‘20, however, things look decidedly more bleak following their 75-run defeat by HCC at Thurlede.

Oliver White (59) and Shirsak Banerjee (72), the latter passing fifty for the first time, gave HCC a solid start, Teun Kloppenburg contributing a rapid 37, and despite Gijs Kroesen’s best Topklasse haul of six for 63, running through the lower order, the Lions reached 275 before they were dismissed in their final over.

Excelsior lost Sam Rahaley before the rain drove the players from the field, and they returned to find themselves set 252 to win from 42 overs by Messrs Duckworth, Lewis and Stern.

White soon put this beyond them, finishing with five for 32, and only Joost Kroesen, with 59, was able to master the conditions as his side was dismissed for 176.

It was a similar story at the nearby Loopuyt Oval, where Voorburg posted 260 for seven against Hermes-DVS, Cedric de Lange and Gavin Kaplan both making 44 and Noah Croes contributing a solid 63; Sebastiaan Braat was the pick of the Hermes bowlers with three for 40.

That was adjusted to 236 from 41, and while Daniel Doyle (68) and Nick Statham (44) were adding 112 for the third wicket it seemed as if that might not be impossible.

But then Udit Nashier turned things around, removing Doyle and going on to take six for 33, his first five-wicket haul in the Topklasse, and the Hermes reply fell away, ending on 170 for nine.

These results mean that the battle to avoid relegation will go into the final round on 3 August: Sparta have known for some time that they will be playing in the Hoofdklasse next season, but Excelsior could still escape the second automatic relegation spot if they were to beat HBS and VOC were to lose to VRA.

A victory for VOC would bring them level with HBS and Hermes-DVS were those sides both to lose, but their NRR is so much worse than that of either of their rivals that it would be extraordinary if they were to rise above eighth place.

Who the eighth-placed side will meet in the play-off is also uncertain, with ACC just two points clear of Bloemendaal with one match to play.

ACC will be away to Groen en Wit Amsterdam on 3 August with Bloemendaal at home to VVV; were Bloemendaal to win and ACC lose it would all come down to NRR, where ACC currently have a tiny advantage of 0.027.

Preview Round 17

Bertus de Jong & Rod Lyall 18/07/25

With Kampong claiming the title last week with two rounds to spare, the business at the top of the tabled is largely settled and their three nearest rivals – Punjab, VRA and HCC – are left chasing runners-up spots on the podium. With as many as three teams relegated this season though, the rest of the field are far from out of the woods. Sparta have of course been living in the woods for some time now with no hope of escape, but their valedictory matches in the top flight could still play a substantial role in determining who ends up in the Hoofdklasse with them next year.

BdJ: The real four pointer of the round this Sunday is thus set for Hazelaarweg, where VOC Rotterdam take on HBS Craeyenhout, aiming to vault over the Crows and out of the relegation zone. A win for HBS (currently in 7th place) could see them very close to safe, their NRR advantage over both VOC and Excelsior sufficient to insulate them against all but the most implausible calamity in the final round should they get to 15 points. For VOC a win will practically assure them of at least a shot at Topklasse survival via the playoffs, but their essentially irreparable net run rate means they can’t secure safety this week. Concerningly for the Bloodhounds, they’re set to lose the services of Aaditt Jain and Roman Harhangi for the final round, the increasingly impressive young pace pair heading off to the U19 Qualifiers in Dundee next week, along with HBS’s Elmar Boendermaker. VOC’s loss of their joint lead wicket-takers is unarguably more significant, but HBS can’t really spare many bats either given increasing reliance on Lehan Botha and Tayo Walbrugh for runs. Walbrugh currently tops the batting tables for good reason however, and while the progress of VOC’s young attack has been one of the few positives of their season, they face a tough pre-departure assignment on Sunday.

RL: VOC’s recovery, winning four of their last seven games after winning only two out of nine in the front half of the season, has been remarkable, but it has certainly helped that they have on the whole been able to field a stable eleven. The only raid by selectors until now has been by the Danes calling up Monty Singh, and his presence has been a key factor in most of VOC’s successes. The Bloodhounds’ other imports, Scott Janett and Christiaan Oberholzer, have been important as well, and their contribution will be even more significant in the absence of Aaditt Jain and Harhangi. Concentrating on this week’s task, however, both sides should be at full strength, although the Crows were without Wes Barresi last week and Kyle Klein had followed big brother Ryan in confining himself to spin. Removing the dangerous Lehan Botha quickly when HBS bat will be a crucial task for VOC’s new-ball-deploying Jains, but if they can manage that then they will greatly improve their side’s chances to scrambling to relative safety.

BdJ: Languishing in 9th place, 2019 champions Excelsior ‘20 are not quite dead-and-buried, but will need a win when they take on HCC at Thurlede if they’re to claw their way out of the relegation zone. Sparta’s parthian shot last Sunday sent their net run rate deeper into the red, and while they’re unlikely to dip below VOC on NRR, the prospect of catching up to HBS or Hermes on that metric has receded into the realm of the fanciful. If they can bank two points on Sunday their fate will be mostly in their own hands come their showdown with HBS in the final round, effectively assured of finishing above either HBS or VOC should they also win that final game. For now though they face an HCC side that, while now playing essentially for pride, are coming off the back of a comfortable win over a motivated VOC last week, and comprehensively outclassed the Schiedammers in their Round 8 fixture. Raynard van Tonder was notably sidelined for that encounter, but while he’s found a degree of form of late he’s had limited support from the rest of the order (nor much cooperation when chancing risky singles). While on the bowling side Jason Ralston and Sam Rahaley both looked in good rhythm last weekend, HCC’s middle order resilience was also on show, and early wickets may not be enough for the hosts at Thurlede on Sunday.

RL: Having found themselves on 49/6, 72/7 and 37/4 in their last three games, HCC will be hoping for a more solid start this time, and although Oliver White delivered on being switched to an opening role against Kampong it availed little as the rest of the top order again went cheaply. Jason Ralston’s season has distinctly picked up after a relatively quiet start, and he will likely provide a stiff test for Tonny Staal and Co. On the other side of the balance sheet, Excelsior have had top-order problems of their own, the return of Tim Etman not having yielded quite the results they might have hoped, and they have nothing like the strength in depth with the bat that their visitors can boast. The Lions’ bowling unit, too, has been better balanced than their hosts’, although the success with the ball of leg-spinner Joost Kroesen and, more recently, the occasional contributions of skipper Roel Verhagen, have been useful when all else has failed. A depleted Excelsior, however, will need to be at their very best if they are to overcome HCC and give themselves a chance of staying up.

BdJ: Both winless now since Round 11, either Hermes DVS or Voorburg will (weather permitting) end a five-match losing streak and thereby secure safety on Sunday, while the other will head into the final round at real risk of relegation despite their strong starts to the season. Voorburg’s late season has inevitably suffered from the absence of their internationals for long stretches, compounded by an injury to pace spearhead Viv Kingma, with the remaining seamers hemorrhaging runs at close to six an over in his absence. The looming loss of Alejo Nota, Tom de Leede and especially Cedric de Lange to the U19’s for the final round, when they will face champions Kampong, means defeat this Sunday could carry dire consequences. The pressure will be on senior internationals Noah Croes and Michael Levitt to make up for missed matches, and on the seam section to deliver some measure of control. Any win will be enough for VCC to reach the safety of 16 points, but their positive net run rate is unlikely to be of use to them should they be stuck on 14. For Hermes any win likewise means safety, but in case of defeat every run and ball will count. The hosts’ reliance on Daniel Doyle-Calle for the former has been an increasingly telling vulnerability, especially given Ashley Ostling’s current lean patch. One could easily imagine the Spanish skipper making hay against a profligate VCC attack, but should he fail again Hermes may quickly find themselves in damage-limitation mode.

RL: On paper, Voorburg had the strongest 18-man squad in the competition, but national team call-ups have been exacerbated by injuries to Kingma and Carl Mumba and the premature departure of Peter Hatzoglou, and they have not been able to field a stable A team when the internationals were away. Lacking big names but relatively free of national team demands – Aryan Dutt aside on both counts – Hermes have now lost five on the trot, balancing their run of five wins back at the start of the season, one factor being the decline in the wicket-taking capacity of Hikmatullah Jabarkhail, which was crucial during that initial winning streak. The reduction in the size of next season’s competition means that this game is rather more than the mid-table jostle it would otherwise have been, and with another raid on their playing resources impending for the final round the points here are much more vital for Voorburg than for their opponents, whose last game is against woodeen-spooners Sparta.

BdJ: On to the day’s dead rubbers then, with Hoofdklasse-bound Sparta 1888 headed to the Zomercomplex to take on silver medal hopefuls Punjab-Ghausia. The Spartans have looked keen to do some damage on their farewell tour, and having made a mess of Excelsior’s net run rate last week would doubtless be delighted to knock Punjab off the podium on Sunday. Such pressure as there is on Sunday will probably be on the hosts, but despite the danger posed by a side with nothing left to lose, it’s worth noting Sparta have yet to win a game away from home this season. Even if their hopes of retaining the title are gone, the 2024 champions look to be finishing strong, sending first Voorburg and then Hermes down toward the danger zone last weekend. the Punjab top order has been consistently producing runs, and even if the bowling has lacked for penetration at times it’s likely to be more than enough to see off Sparta’s brittle batting line-up.

RL: Little to add to that, really: Punjab have settled back into a solid match-winning formula, built on the most dependable top order in the competition and a very effective spin attack, while the thinness of Sparta’s resources has beeen increasingly apparent as the campaign has continued. Kyle Klesse’s batting has been one of their few successes, although if any new-ball can cause problems for Punjab’s top five it’s former international Ahsan Malik, coming off a short run these days but still capable of claiming early wickets. Had Punjab not lost three of their first four games the climax to the competition would have been a lot more interesting, but they will want to finish the season in style, and a win for Sparta here would be one of the shocks of the campaign,

BdJ: Finally our newly-crowned champions Kampong start their lap of honour by welcoming VRA to Maarschalkerweerd. The hosts may be forgiven for treating the game as something of a celebratory occasion in the circumstances, and there’s every chance some of the senior players make way for some lesser lights. That said, the likes of Lane Berry and Lachlan Bangs have lately been clearing the ropes with consistency regardless of the circumstances, and one imagines they’ll be aiming to put on a show for the home crowd again. Conversely, while VRA may be happy enough with safety at this stage too, their underperforming internationals are likely to take any chance to improve their season statistics fairly seriously. Neither sometime skipper Vikram Singh not current incumbent Teja Nidamanuru will relish the prospect of finishing the season with an average in the teens, and Sunday represents their penultimate chance to address the issue.

RL: I’ve never understood the concept of a ‘dead rubber’: quite apart from team pride, surely no cricketer ever wants to get out cheaply or throw away runs by a ton, and equally surely both sides here have plenty to play for. A Kampong celebration would be somewhat deflated by a home defeat, while VRA, having clambered out of the relegation zone in recent weeks, will want to prove that their more elevated position is a fairer reflection of their quality. This could, therefore, be one of the showpiece fixtures of the season, with a panoply of talent on display, if both sides approach it in the right spirit.

BdJ’’s picks: HBS, HCC, Voorburg, Punjab, Kampong

RL’s picks: HBS, HCC, Voorburg, Punjab, Kampong.

Kampong take the title with two games to spare

Rod Lyall 14/07/25

It has seemed throughout the season that Kampong Utrecht were destined to take their first men’s national championship since 1992, becoming in the process the first side since PW Enschede in 1939, to win the second and top divisions in successive years, and they made sure of it at Craeyenhout on Sunday, beating HBS by five wickets with 34 deliveries to spare.

The Crows had set them a bigger target than they have become used to in recent weeks, making 211 before they were all out in the last of their 50 overs, but a solid performance with the bat saw Scott Edwards and Pierre Jacod add the 58 they needed to complete the win, finishing on 40 not out and 35 not out respectively.

Earlier, skipper Alex Roy and spinner Akhil Gopinath had picked up three wickets apiece, but even in the absence of Edwards’ fellow-international Max O’Dowd it was, as it has been all season, an all-round team performance which took Kampong home.

That they were chasing a total in excess of 200 was due to a fine last-wicket partnership of 49 between Benno Boddendijk and Jayden Rossouw, after Lucas del Bianco had anchored the middle part of the Crows’ innings with 45.

At the Loopuyt Oval, meanwhile, defending champions Punjab-Ghausia had the better of a rain-affected match against Hermes-DVS to remain five points behind the leaders with two games to play.

Two interruptions to Punjab’s innings took two overs off their allocation, but with Shoaib Minhas (97) and Mohsin Riaz (69) sharing a third-wicket stand of 123 and Saqib Zulfiqar chipping in with a brisk 34 they still managed to run up the day’s best total, 261 for eight, and this was adjusted to 266 on a DLS calculation.

Sebastiaan Braat was again Hermes’ most effective bowler with four for 52.

It always seemed likely to be too big an ask for the home side, and although Asad Zulfiqar madee 34 and Olivier Elenbaas 43, they were all out for 192, Khurram Shahzad taking four for 26 for Punjab.

VRA Amsterdam and HCC kept pace with the leading pair with wins over Voorburg and VOC Rotterdam respectively.

62 from Noah Croes and a hard-hitting, unbeaten 60-ball 74 from Ryan Klein enabled Voorburg to post 227 for six, but Johan Smal responded for VRA with 91 not out, sharing a second-wicket stand of 101 with Patrick Gouge (62).

At De Diepput Oliver White, promoted to open, batted almost throughout the HCC innings for his 85 after another top-ordeer collapse saw them reduced to 37 for four by the brothers Arnav and Aaditt Jain, Yash Patel then dominating the closing overs with a 53-ball 71, enabling the Lions to reach 252 all out.

Daniel Crowley took four for 54 when VOC replied, and with Teun Leijer claiming three for 42 the Bloodhounds were dismissed for 174, Monty Singh’s defiant 75 the only significant contribution.

The most dramatic events of the day took place at Sportpark Bermweg, where Sparta 1888, already certain of relegation, shot fellow-strugglers Excelsior ‘20 out for just 79, only three of the Schiedammers managing to reach double figures.

It looked for a while as if kamikaze batting tactics by the home side might let Excelsior back into the game, but despite Jason Ralston’s three for 40 Juandre Scheepers and Ahsan Malik took Sparta to their target in 14.2 overs, giving them only their third victory of the season.

The defeat leaves Excelsior, who still have to face HCC at home and HBS away, two points behind VOC and HBS, and the battle for seventh place and safety and eighth, with the promise of a play-off against the Hoofdklasse champions, is likely to continue down to the final round on 3 August.

Whoever finishes eighth is most likely to be facing last year’s relegated side ACC, currently two points ahead of Bloemendaal at the top of the Hoofdklasse table, but that too is a contest which may well go down to the final week, with Quick Haag a further point away in third and not yet out of the hunt.

Punjab make Kampong wait, relegation battle comes to the boil

Rod Lyall 13/07/25

Punjab-Ghausia kept their mathematical chance of successfully defending their Topklasse title alive on Saturday, chasing down Voorburg’s imposing 297 for seven to win by four wickets, but another rapid-fire victory for Kampong Utrecht brought them to within two points of claiming the championship.

At the other end of the table the battle continued to tighten, with Sparta 1888 definitely relegated, but with four other sides struggling to avoid eighth and ninth spots on the table.

It had seemed for much of the day that the enthusiasts who had gathered at Maarschalkerweerd in the hope of celebrating Kampong’s first title for 33 years would be rewarded for their loyalty, as their side dismissed HCC’s challenge by soon after 3 o’clock, while Punjab faced a target of almost 300 at the Zomercomplex.

But in the end Sikander Zulfiqar’s team were equal to the task, winning with two overs to spare, and Kampong had to postpone opening the champagne for at least 24 hours, as they face a tricky visit to Craeyenhout on Sunday.

Voorburg, with one eye on the relegation threat, were given a dream start by openers Michael Levitt and Cedric de Lange, who put on 142 in barely 25 overs before Levitt fell to Khurram Shahzad for 73, and then de Lange added another 60 in company with Gavin Kaplan.

But once Shoaib Minhas had removed De Lange for 84 and Kaplan for 53 the innings sagged a little as Punjab’s spinners kept the scoring within bounds, and although hit four sixes in a 10-ball cameo of 28, the total fell just short of the psychologically-significant 300.

Musa Ahmad and Musa Ahmad responded with an opening stand of 90 before Mees van Vliet removed Minhas, but although Musa went on to make 73 and the rest of the top and middle order chipped in, it took a thunderous knock from Fawad Shinwari, who hit five sixes in his 18-ball 41, to get the champions baack up with the rate, Sikander Zulfiqar and Shahzad dult seeing them home.

Kampong, meanwhile, had been in complete charge at Maarschalkerweerd, where Kertan Nana and Shashank Kumar reduced HCC to 34 for four inside the initial powerplay before the spinners again took over, only Boris Gorlee’s 32 and Yash Patel’s 28 not out as the Lions were bowled out for 119.

Kumar finished with three for 18, Lorenzo Ingram claimed two for 7 in seven overs, and medium-pacer Lachlan Bangs finished with the same figures in just 19 deliveries.

Max O’Dowd again went early, but Lane Berry’s quick-fire 28, Bangs’s even quicker-fire 36 and Ingram’s 7-ball 17 not out, all of them anchored by Damien van den Berg’s unbeaten 29, enabled Kampong to complete their 7-wicket victory in just 13 overs.

In the relegation tussle, Excelsior ’20 and VOC Rotterdam both kept their tenuous hold on a lifeline with precious victories.

At Thurlede, Excelsior gained their points the hard way, collapsing from 126 for two to 174 all out in their Schiedam Derby clash with Hermes-DVS, but then reducing their neighbours to 46 for five, going on to win by 15 runs.

Excelsior’s innings was dominated by Raynard van Tonder, who was at his most fluent as he put together an 80-ball 83 before he was run out by a smart piece of fielding from Ash Ostling, a key moment which triggered the side’s dramatic slump.

It was furthered by a fine spell from Sebastiaan Braat, who took four for 33, the last three for just five runs, to bring Hermes back into the game.

A rejigged Hermes batting order, however, soon collapsed in its turn, and it took a 44-run stand for the sixth wicket between Olivier Elenbaas and skipper Braat to again give them some hope.

Then Ralph Elenbaas (32) supported Braat’s 44, but the pace of Jason Ralston (two for 25) and the spin of Sam Rahaley (three for 34) and Roel Verhagen (three for 26) enabled Excelsior to squeeze home.

VOC found life a little easier at the Hazelaarweg, posting a five-wicket victory over Sparta 1888 with six overs to spare, but not before the Spartans had made they way to 221 for eight, their best total of the season.

Jochem Steenbergen, Juandre Scheepers and Lukas Boorer all contributed twenties, but it was Kyle Klesse’s patient 71 which anchored the innings, Khalid Ahmadi adding some vim towards the end with a 22-ball 27.

VOC never seemed in serious trouble in reply, Scott Janett (26) and Tim de Kok (46) putting on 69 for the first wicket before Monty Singh (52) and Jason van der Meulen (67 not out) effectively settled the issue with a fourth-wicket stand of 112, taking the Bloodhounds to within 16 runs of victory.

At Craeyenhout, HBS’s relegation worries were increased by a narrow 12-run defeat at the hands of VRA Amsterdam, for whom the win raised hopes that they might yet finish the season as runners-up.

Jack Cassidy (70) and Johan Smal (89) gave the Amsterdammers a solid platform with a second-wicket partnership of 138, and then Shariz Ahmad (28) and Patrick Gouge (32) chipped in to get their side to an imposing 275 all out.

It might have been worse for the Crows without Jayden Rossouw, who claimed his best Topklasse figures of five for 33.

Ben Fletcher removed both HBS openers by the time 34 runs were on the board, but skipper Tayo Walbrugh kept his side in with a chance, adding 88 with Lucas del Bianco (41) and then 75 with Kyle Klein, but once he was trapped in front by Peter Ruffell for 96 the innings fell away.

Klein maade 59 before becoming Fletcher’s third victim, but the VRA left-armer added the scalps of Reece Mason and Martijn Scholte to finish with five for 39 before Ruffell closed out the innings, leaving HBS just 13 runs short.

In the Hoofdklasse, meanwhile, Bloemendaal beat ACC by 78 runs, moving level with their rivals on both points and run-rate, while Dosti’s victory over Quick Haag effectively reduced the contest to a two-horse race.

ACC, though, will have an opportunity to movee clear on Sunday with what should be a straightforward home match against bottom side VRA 2, while Bloemendaal face another tough battle against Quick at Nieuw Hanenburg.

Preview Round 16

Rod Lyall & Bertus de Jong 10/07/25

The stakes on Sunday will, of course, depend to a great degree on what happens on Saturday, so there’s a certain amount of the blindfold/black cat/darkened room about previewing Round 16 from this distance. We will, however, do what we can . . .

RL: If we assume that both Kampong and Punjab win on Saturday, then Alex Roy’s side will take on HBS at Craeyenhout knowing that another victory will guarantee them the title. It’s not unknown for teams to falter as they approach the winning tape, and the Crows certainly have the wherewithall to cause them some serious problems, from the reliability of Tayo Walbrugh and the explosive brilliance of Lehan Botha to the cutting edge provided by Kyle Klein and a spin attack which have proved a match-winner several times this season. Defeat at the hands of VRA Saturday, moreover, would leave HBS sweating on a possible relegation play-off, so regardless of Kampong’s position they would then have every incentive to make life as difficult as possible for the putative champions.

BdJ: Without wanting to cast aspersions on the professionalism of the frontrunners, it’s probably fair to say that should Kampong claim the title on home turf on Saturday, coinciding with pre-planned multi-sport festivities at Maarschalkerweerd, that celebrations and silverware may take a toll on their concentration the following morning. Their opponents meanwhile will indeed have plenty to play for regardless of the previous day’s results, and remain a formidable force on home (astro)turf. Depending on events at Westvliet on Friday, there’s of course a chance that performances on artificial wickets may start weighing more heavily in the considerations of the selectors too. Whatever the outcome of the previous two days, Sunday will find the champions-presumptive will either on something of a comedown or in a state of nervous frustration, and the Crows, one suspects, well poised to take advatage.

RL: By the same token, whether Punjab-Ghausia are still notionally in the fight will depend on whether they have managed to overcome Voorburg. If they have, then the points against Hermes-DVS will be equally vital; if not, then the battle could conceivably be over before the skippers toss at the Loopuyt Oval. As always, Hermes will be hoping for a good start when they bat, but the side batting first here has only passed 200 twice this season, and Punjab’s bowling unit, should they take the field first, has the capacity to prevent a third occurrence. Their batting, on the other hand, is another matter entirely, and an admittedly potent Hermes attack will need to be at its best to contain the defending champions, whether they are setting or chasing.

BdJ: Again one does suspect the mental state of the title-holders in this game will be heavily dependent on the previous day’s events, and if they wake up Sunday morning still in the hunt for the top spot then you’d expect them to come hard at a Hermes outfit likely resigned to a creditable mid-table finish. Hermes’ performances seem to have slipped inexorably since they were knocked off the top spot by Kampong, most markedly on the bowling side of things. While the top-heavy batting has been a consistent theme, the quality they do have at the top has generally kept them competitive so long as the bowling has delivered. In recent games it hasn’t though – in fact the sky blue attack that dominated the early season has only taken three wickets across their last two games. With games against wooden-spooners Sparta and likely mid-tablers HCC to come, Punjab’s late season schedule leaves the door open to a come-back run should their hopes survive the weekend.

RL: Another relegation four-pointer, this time between the two bottom sides, will be at the Bermweg, where Excelsior ‘20 will be hoping to keep Sparta 1888 firmly in the basement while keeping alive their own chances of squeezing out of automatic relegation territory. Their mood, obviously, will depend to a large degree on what has happened at Thurlede on Saturday, but if they have managed to overcome their old Schiedam rivals they will be all the more determined to keep up the momentum with a win against likely wooden-spooners Sparta. Even with their overseas contingent reduced from five to three there remains a huge discrepancy between Excelsior on paper and what they deliver on the park, a matter which has doubtless caused some head-scratching at Thurlede, but they seem likely to be too strong for a Capelle side which has long seemed certain to be playing in the Hoofdklasse next year.

BdJ: While Sparta have been reconciled to the possibility of a return to the Hoofklasse since before the first ball of the season was bowled, Excelsior’s current predicament has sent sackcloth sales in Schiedam skyrocketing. Sparta’s relatively sanguine attitude has admittedly not delivered them a lot of wins, but it has allowed them to play some commendably care-free cricket on occasion, as HBS found to their cost. However the Schiedam derby turns out on Saturday, one suspects the mood in the Excelsior camp will be altogether more desperate. An unworried yet understrength Sparta should not be a serious obstacle for a side of Excelsior’s strength on paper, but the match may well prove a stern test of their mental fortitude.

RL: Much of the interest at the foot of the table has been generated by VOC Rotterdam, who were on the bottom for much of the first half of the campaign and who will travel to De Diepput on Sunday to take on HCC knowing that they might just pull off one of the greatest escape acts since Houdini retired for the last time. That assumes, of course, that they have avoided the Sparta banana skin on Saturday, but a win against the unpredictable Lions here could leave them with plenty to play for as they take on HBS and VRA in their final two matches. They look a much better side when Monty Singh (Bharaj) is behind the stumps and in the middle order, and although HCC bat all the way down and, as m’colleague likes to point out, are a much bigger challenge at home, the Bloodhounds on a winning trail could prove a handful.

BdJ: Fair to say that Monty Singh has indeed proved more than worth the airfare for VOC, and with their investements in Scott Jannet and Chris Oberholzer also beginning to pay dividends the Bloodhounds’ portfolio looks a good deal healthier than it did last quarter. They still have their work cut out for them however, and while from here on out their opponents will likely all be comfortably ensconsed in the mid table with little left on the line, the weaknesses that have left them fighting for top-flight survival remain. The local batting contingent has contributed little to the oft-insufficient totals, while the bowling unit, Arnav Jain aside, has generally paid a hefty price in runs for every wicket they’ve bought. A late season lapse in concentration from any or all of their remaining opponents may well see the Bloodhounds scrape to safety, and should they wind up in the play-off they’d be favourites over any Hoofdklasse challenger, but fair to say there will be a lot of work to be done at Hazelaarweg if they’re to compete again in a trimmed-down Topklasse next season.

RL: I don’t want to go on about it unduly, but the match between Voorburg and VRA Amsterdam at Westvliet has been robbed of much of its tension by the absence of play-offs this season. Saturday’s results could have changed this, but in a normal season this would have been a key tussle in a five-, or even six-way struggle for three places in the top four, whereas now it might be what too many people in the Netherlands like to call a ‘dead rubber’. Except that if HBS have beaten VRA on Saturday and Voorburg have lost to Punjab, then Noah Croes’s team might just find themselves with a toe in relegation hot water. Last time the top flight was cut to eight it was Voorburg who lost out at the last moment, and they will be very keen indeed to ensure that that doesn’t happen again. Their visitors on Sunday should now be safe, and Singh, Smal, Nidamanuru and Co. play to their capacity they could at least reinforce their position in the top reaches of the table. If motivation counts for anything, however, it is likely to be with the hosts.

BdJ: There’s always pride to play for of course, and with all four of VRA’s sometime Dutch internationals seemingly on the outs now, one imagines Nidamanuru, Singh, Ahmad and Fletcher would like to prove a point when they come up against Voorburg’s more favoured Oranje section, especially if the Dutch have secured a World Cup berth by then. If not, one imagines that failure will be the subject of livelty discussion on Sunday, especially if Jersey have sprung a surprise. Voorburg will at least be at something approaching full strength again, though Viv Kingma remains sidelined and the visiting Bas de Leede is unlikely to play. The Voorburg attack has looked rather toothless without them in recent weeks it must be said, and VRA certainly have the batting to take advantage on paper, even if lacking somewhat for form.

RL’s picks: Kampong, Punjab, Excelsior, HCC, Voorburg

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

Preview Round 15

Bertus de Jong & Rod Lyall 10/07/25

At time of writing all eyes may still be on the Europe T20 Qualifier at Voorburg, but by the weekend we’ll know whether the Dutch national team are off to the World Cup in the cauldron of Sri Lanka and India, or headed to sub-regionals on the mat wickets of who-knows-where, and attention will turn back to the business of the Topklasse, which could all but settled over the weekend.

BdJ: If other results go their way, Kampong could well be crowned champions as early as Saturday with a win over HCC, and the prospect of celebrating at home will doubtless serve as extra motivation. Whether they’ll be quite back to full strength is not certain, but even without Edwards and O’Dowd the Kampong batting unit is a formidable one, while the HCC card has looked increasingly brittle of late, failing to chase even VRA’s modest total at De Diepput last week. Away from home the Lions have generally been still less reliable, though one imagines they will be confident of welcoming back Hidde Overdijk, who’s spent the Qualfier on the bench thus far. A neutral observer might reasonably hope for an HCC victory to keep some tension at the top for the back end of the competition, but they’d be brave to bet on it.

RL: Every Topklasse season seems to produce a Jekyll and Hyde outfit, and HCC are strong candidates for that role this year. At their best they have been among the most impressive, capable of chasing down big targets and boasting one of the competition’s most effective bowling units, but on a bad day they are fragile enough to make the Diepput faithful weep. Often, as last week, the transformation seems to come at the innings break, a fine performance with the ball let down by an inept one with the bat. Kampong, on the other hand, have been relentless all the way, with just a couple of lapses to keep things interesting. It might be excessive to anticipate third successive nine-wicket victory, but form suggests that HCC will need to raise their game significantly to keep the battle – and their own chances of ending as runners-up – alive.

BdJ: The second match that could still influence the outcome at the top will be playing out at the Zomercomplex, where second-placed Punjab-Ghausia take on sixth-placed Voorburg. The defending champions realistically need a win to keep their fading hopes alive, while VCC will be keen to consolidate their mid-table position, having drifted toward the danger zone after a heavy loss to HBS last weekend. Punjab have built a bit of momentum with wins over teams in the lower reaches of the table of late, but will face a sterner test against a Voorburg side expected to have most of their internationals back. Viv Kingma remains sidelined, however, and depending on how things go this week said internationals may not be in the best of mindsets. Sikander Zulfiqar’s return to bowling has left Punjab less reliant on piling on scoreboard pressure, though they retain a top order perfectly capable of doing so. Whether refocusing after celebration or disappopintment, VCC will need their returning internationals to be on top of their game if they’re to snuff out Punjab’s hopes of retaining their title.

RL: So much of cricket is, indeed, played between the ears, and Noah Croes and Gavin Kaplan will have a big job on their hands to gear their side up for the run in. Not much went right for the makeshift version last week, or indeed the week before, and while encountering Brett Hampton and Lehan Botha in their most lethal moods in successive matches might be regarded as very bad luck, it does suggest a degree of vulnerability in the Voorburg attack. Michael Levitt has bowled more overs and taken more wickets for the national side this season than he has on his five appearances for his club, and we might expect him to be pressed into service here, in a mid-overs containing role if nothing else. Punjab have the batting to exploit any weakness in their opponents’ batting, and while since the departure of Jonathan Vandiar they don’t have anyone with quite the destructive power of a Hampton or Botha, they have been piling on the runs pretty solidly since they returned to winning mode.

BdJ: While third-placed VRA are not mathematically out of the running for the championship, given the start to their season they’ll be happy enough with safety at this point. They travel to Craeyenhout to take on HBS on Saturday, and the Crows will be desperate to secure a similar measure of safety. Lehan Botha’s exhibition on the second ground at Westvliet took HBS to a massive win in a somewhat farcical match last week, but with just two points separating them from a resurgent VOC their situation remains serious. VRA’s bats will also have happy memories of Craeyenhout of course, though perhaps their bowlers less so. If we are to have another madcap bomb-comp at Craeyenhout on Saturday though, it’s fair to say Botha’s the man in form.

RL: Teja Nidamanuru returns to a side which is in a happier place than it was last time he came back to them, the relegation neurosis which hangs over the Bos at the faintest sign of trouble firmly dispelled for now. But VRA are about as clear of danger as they are in the running for the title, and need a couple more wins to make sure of avoiding a tricky play-off. HBS at Craeyenhout is never a straightforward proposition, but there is no better place for the likes of Vikram Singh to rehabilitate a club campaign which has been pretty disappointing so far. If the revival of his opening partnership with Shirase Rasool was more than a one-off this would be a great opportunity to take advantage, although the return of Kyle Klein for the Crows will add cutting edge to an attack which has been heavily – and very effectively – reliant on spin in recent weeks. This has the potential to be one of the most attractive games of the round, and it could genuinely go either way.

BdJ: Down at the bottom end of the table Sparta 1888’s hopes of earning even a chance of survival via the playoff are becoming increasingly fanciful, but a win against incumbent 8th-placers VOC Rotterdam would be a big step in that direction. Recent form is against them however, with the Bloodhounds showing some late-season fightback; having won three of their last five matches. Sparta, by contrast, have suffered something of a reversion to their abject mean. Injuries and unavailabilities haven’t helped, but a return to sub-100 totals suggests that hope has given way to resignaton at Bermweg. With the VOC top order finding form, most notably young overseas Scott Janett and Chris Oberholzer, the Rotterdammers should be reasonably confident of picking up at least couple of points this weekend and if not securing saftety, then at least staying ahead of the belaguered Excelsior – their nearest rivals for the play-off spot.

RL: The transformation of VOC from no-hopers to a side with a decent chance of climbing to safety has been one of the stories of the season, and while they still have a lot of work to do to avoid that play-off, there’s no better place to start than at home to a seriously dispirited Sparta. Without Ahsan Malik (and last week Kyle Klesse as well) Joost-Martijn Snoep’s side were indeed chanceless against Kampong, but then strong outfits than they have been made to look ordinary or worse by the champions-in-waiting. The Bloodhounds’ attack recovered well from its mauling by Punjab, Jelte Schoonheim adding bite as well as experience, and is likely to relish the opportunity to take Sparta apart in what was once the Rotterdam Derby. Janett and Oberholzer apart there do remain a lot of questions about VOC’s batting, and that’s where Sparta will need to hit hard if they are to have any chance of taking the points back to the Bermweg. Either way, Juandre Scheepers is likely to be key, but that’s a lot of weight to put on one man’s shoulders.

BdJ: Saturday’s final match sees sometime frontrunners Hermes DVS head across the park to take on Excelsior ‘20 at Thurlede, in what both sides will know might well be the last Schiedam Derby for some time if the hosts can’t turn their season around. The departures of overseas Brett Hampton and Antum Naqvi prompted the return of some familiar faces in Tim Etman and Rens van Troost last week, but their presence only added to the vaguely funereal feeling around Excelsior’s late season showing. While Hermes themselves have fallen away somewhat since their early unbeaten run, they remain firm favourites over their old rivals even away from home – a testament to the marked reversal of the two clubs’ fortunes since Hermes’ return to the top flight.

RL: Nelson is still on the board for the Schiedam Derby after the encounter at the Loopuyt Oval was washed out, but it remains to be seen who’s luck will be out at Thurlede. It may already be too late for Excelsior, for whom a play-off is now probably the best they can hope for, and even that would become a big ask if they were to lose here and VOC were to beat Sparta. The only team to have conceded 3000 runs so far this season, Excelsior are a shadow of the side which once made a specialty of defending low totals, and the batting has been, almost literally, hit or miss. Hermes’ dependence on the Ostling/Doyle opening partnership has been a recurring theme on these virtual pages, but it remains true that the batting falls away a good deal once they have departed, a deficiency which has often been compensated for by a very effective attack. That bowling unit will doubtless test the hosts’ batting to the full, but few sides have as strong a motivation to end the season with a winning run than Excelsior.

BdJ’s picks: Kampong, Voorburg, HBS, VOC, Hermes

RJ’s picks: Kampong, Punjab, VRA, VOC, Excelsior.

A big weekend for Hoofdklasse hopefuls

Rod Lyall 09/07/25

While Kampong march on towards their seemingly-foreordained Topklasse title, things are much tighter in the Hoofdklasse, where two sides are within three points of leaders ACC with four games to play, with fourth-placed Dosti Amsterdam a further two points behind.

For the pursuers, the coming double weekend is likely to be crucial, with Bloemendaal, currently second, facing ACC at home on Saturday before travelling to the all-astroturf ground at Nieuw Hanenburg the following day to face third-placed Quick Haag.

ACC, though, have the advantage on Sunday of entertaining wooden-spooners VRA 2, the only second team in this year’s Hoofdklasse competition, and although they still have the return match against Quick Haag to deal with they have the inside running for a play-off which could see them return to the top flight just a year after they were relegated.

The Amsterdammers retained their 2024 overseas, Ben van der Merwe and Izhaan Sayed, this season, and they are still captained by Anis Raza, there are many new faces in the set-up at Het Loopveld.

The bulk of the runs has come from Raza and the two overseas, but the leading wicket-taker is newcomer Iftikhari Ahmad, with 25 at 14.88, while Devanshu Arya remains a key member of the attack.

Despite losing half last-year’s side, with Rahil Ahmed and Mahesh Hans returning to Dosti, Shreyas Potdar and Mark Wolfe moving to VRA and HCC respectively and Sahil Kothari signing for Hermes-DVS, the squad was strengthened by the transfer of Akash Arora and Abishek Saxena from Qui Vive, while those who have stepped up from ACC’s second side include Baljit Singh, Suraj Belvadi and Ayaan Farooq.

Bloemendaal, their opponents on Saturday, have not played in the top flight since 1990, and these days have a strong South African presence, with Robert Jordaan and Dihan Bekker both turning out for Pretoria club Irene Villagers and Luca Balducci playing for Centurion in the same competition.

The fourth overseas is Cape Town-born Portuguese international Francoise Stoman, while a fifth South African is Dutch resident Karl Marais.

Jordaan has led the way with season with 568 runs at 71.00 and 21 wickets at 19.67, while Balducci has contributed 439 runs at 31.36 and Bekker has claimed 19 wickets at 17.84.

The pace attack also includes former Dutch international Quirijn Gunning, who returned to the club after a spell with VRA.

Others with international experience are Shahab Ud Din, an off-spinner who played for Belgium after several years with Bloemendaal’s local rivals Rood en Wit, and veteran Mangesh Panchal, who was playing for VRA when he was selected for the Dutch national side and who has turned out occasionally this season.

Due to face all three of their main rivals in their next three games, Quick Haag have ground to make up but at least know that they largely have their fate in their own hands.

They continue to rely to a considerable extent on players from the side which last played in the Topklasse in 2019: skipper Daan Vierling heads their batting aggregates with 428 runs at 38.91, with Bob van Gigch, Geert Maarten Mol, Lesley Stokkers and Jeroen Brand all remaining from that team.

The attack is spearheaded by Australian Alex Bevilaqua, who has played for both Western Australia and Tasmania and who has 31 wickets so far this season at an average of 15.13.

He is supported by New Zealander Daniel Rawson, while the squad also includes home-bred youngster Casper Dekeling, and Mats Prenen and Stijn de Leede, recruited from Rood en Wit and Voorburg respectively.

Dosti Amsterdam, outsiders at this stage, five points behind the leaders, will know that they would be dependent on results elsewhere even if they were to win their last four games, but they would doubtless be encouraged by a repeat of their first encounter with Quick, which they won by six wickets after dismissing their opponents for 83.

As well as the return of Ahmed and Hans from ACC they have been boosted by Asief Hoseinbaks’ return from VOC, and he has collected 22 wickets so far at 20.32.

A greater contribution with the ball, however, has come from overseas Braden Taeuber and Jake Jonas, with 31 and 27 wickets respectively, while Tasmanian Josh Hartill has been the most prolific with the bat, making 424 runs at 38.55.

Remarkably, the Sportpark Drieburg outfit have beaten all three sides ahead of them in the table, Bloemendaal twice, but their lack of consistency, marked by defeats at the hands of lower-placed rivals, has left them probably facing another season in the Hoofdklasse.

Whatever happens, this weekend’s games will go a long way towards deciding who faces the eighth-placed Topklasse side in next month’s play-off.

Botha blasts HBS away from the danger zone

Rod Lyall 06/07/25

Saturday was a day when almost everyone, and certainly mary batters, seemed to have confused the Topklasse competition with the World T20 Qualifier which was getting under way at Westvliet at the same time, so frenetic was the tempo at which top order players hammered boundaries before throwing their wickets away.

The outstanding innings of the day, however, was Lehan Botha’s on the diminutive Westvliet second ground, where he blasted HBS Craeyenhout to an eight-wicket victory over Voorburg, smashing ten fours and as many sixes in his 42-ball, unbeaten 120.

It was an onslaught reminiscent of former Quick pro (and Dutch international) Darron Reekers at his most destructive, and it propelled the Crows to the win in under 14 overs, as they chased down Voorburg’s 139 all out; 64 runs came from the last 15 deliveries he faced.

The home side had struggled against the HBS spin attack, Wesley Barresi starting the rot with three for 18, and Jayden Rossouw (three for 36) and Julien de Mey (three for 46) completing the job.

Only Carl Mumba was able to hit his way out of trouble, making 49 from 36 deliveries before he was bowled by Rossouw and sharing an eighth-wicket stand of 69 with his Zimbabwean compatriot Patient Charumbira, who came to the crease with his side on 59 for seven and stayed to the end with an unbeaten 25.

At Sportpark Bermweg, meanwhile, Kampong Utrecht had taken another step towards the title with another nine-wicket win, this time over wooden-spooners Sparta 1888.

The leaders again gave their opponents nothing to work with, only three batters reaching double figures and managing only four fours and a six as they struggled to 83 all out in 34.1 overs.

Skipper Alex Roy led the way with three for 17, but it was spinners Akhil Gopinath (three for 18) and Pierre Jacod (three for 14) who maintained the pressure and ensured that the last six wickets fell for just 16 runs.

Then Damien van den Berg and Jacod, the latter promoted to open in the absence of Max O’Dowd, put on 45 from 50 deliveries before Van den Berg fell to Tom Hoornweg; this, however, brought Lane Berry to the crease, and he plundered 26 runs, all in boundaries, from the remaining five balls of the over.

That left just 13 required, and Jacod and Berry had little difficulty in knocking them off, further improving their side’s already imposing net run rate – a factor they are unlikely to need as they proceed towards an increasingly inevitable-seeming title.

Their nearest pursuers, Punjab-Ghausia kept their faint hopes of retaining the championship alive with a convincing 114-run victory over Excelsior ‘20 at the Zomercomplex.

The only side to bat out their overs, Punjab were set up by a brisk 40 from Musa Ahmad, but it was Burhan Niaz, promoted to three, who anchored the innings with a solid 67, Khurram Shahzad (34 not out) and Tehzeeb Haider (31) taking the side to an imposing 255 for nine.

Excelsior’s reply never really got going, Sulaiman Tariq removing both openers by the time 40 was on the board, and Sikander , Zulfiqar, taking ball in hand for the first time this season, collecting three for 23 as the Schiedammers were all out for 141.

The chances of Excelsior finishing in one of the two automatic relegation spots were, if anything, increased by another improved performance by VOC Rotterdam, who dismissed Hermes-DVS for 195 and then chased their target down for the loss of only two wickets and with nearly 25 overs to spare.

Architect of their victory was Christiaan Oberholzer, who shared a second-wicket stand of 96 with opener Scott Janett (55) and went on to make 100 not out, reaching his maiden Topklasse century with the winning boundary.

Earlier, Hermes had once again declined from a fine start bequeathed by Ash Ostling and Daniel Doyle-Calle, who put on 68 for the first wicket, but once Jelte Schoonheim took a sharp return catch to remove Doyle for 42 the innings fell away, although Sahil Kothari made 25 and Olivier Elenbaas 38.

Schoonheim finished with three for 33, while Oberholzer took three for 23.

There have been precious few close matches this season, but HCC and VRA Amsterdam provided a low-scoring thriller at De Diepput, which fluctuated wildly before VRA finally won by 17 runs.

The game got off to an extrordinary start as Shirase Rasool, in his first appearance of the campaign, hammered 23 from eight deliveries before he was bowled by Daniel Crowley, who had already removed fellow-opener Vikram Singh.

Thereafter it was Jack Cassidy who held things together for the visitors with a patient 41 while batters came and went at the other end.

With Crowley claiming five for 40 VRA were eventually dismissed for 148, but what seemed like a straightforward chase for the Lions quickly descended into chaos as Singh and Ben Fletcher reduced them to 24 for four, which became 49 for six as Shariz Ahmad and Peter Ruffell started to pick off the middle order.

It 67 for eight it seemed to be all over, but then Thijs Vrolijk joined Yash Patel at the crease, and they added 50 for the ninth wicket, bringing their side to within 32 runs of the target.

Still, VRA needed only two wickets, and eventually Ruffell had Vrolijk caught for 22, leaving last man Teun Leijer to complete the chase with Patel.

They could only add 14, and when Shariz trapped Leijer in front VRA took the points, nudging past HCC into third place on the table on net run rate, but an near-unbridgeable seven points behind Kampong with just four matches to play.

Ruffell finished with four for 25, while Singh took three for 20.