Topklasse Live | Hoofdklasse Final | As it Happened

The end comes quickly (no pun intended), Ostling cracking Brand square for four, and then Chaudhary lifting him over fine leg for another. The winning runs come, appropriately enough, from Ostling, who drives Trappenburg to the cover boundary. He finishes with 93*, Chaudhary with 40*, and together they put on 110. A fine win for them, and they can spend the winter savouring a return to the top flight.

Ostling gets one in the slot from Brand, and it disappears over midwicket for six. They’ve taken another drink, and Trappenburg is back at the Metrolijn End with just 30 needed. Still no breakthrough, though, and Hermes are still cruising. A hard-run three and then a single take Ostling to 75*, with Chaudhary on 35*. 20 to get from nine overs.

After the crash-bang-wallop of the opening stand, this partnership between Ostling and Chaudhary has been calm and patient, stretched now to 60 as Brand comes back from the Pavilion End in place of Stokkers. Just three off it, but that’s all Hermes need to do. Six off Khan’s next, and now the equation’s 39 from 12.

Lesley Stokkers into the attack from the Pavilion End, Ostling and Chaudhary content to work the ball away for singles, one of them bringing up Ostling’s half-century, from 70 deliveries. A rather fortunate edge from Ostling off Khan races away to third man, clearly not appreciated by the bowler. Only 50 needed now, with 15 overs and eight wickets in hand.

Ostling’s been playing an unobtrusive innings, but he’s made his way to 45*, while Chaudhary’s on 19*. Khan back into the attack now from the Metrolijn End, in what is probably Brand’s last chance to get his side back into the game. Despite Mol’s heroics it’s wickets Quick need, and Ostling and Chaudhary are under no scoreboard pressure whatsoever after Doyle’s knock at the start. 46* and 20* at the end of a tidy Khan over.

Van Gigch relieves Versteegh, also keeping it quiet until Ostling belts him over wide long on for six. And Mol completes his set, almost getting one through Ostling’s defences and finishing with a magnificent 10 – 2 – 20 – 2, flinging the ball high in the air with relief as he ends with two more dots.

And it’s another for the heroic Mol! Elenbaas makes to cut, edges to Jackson, and this time umpire Prabhudesai’s finger goes up. Zaffar Chaudhary in at four.

Wheeler Greenall and Mol have largely cut out the boundaries, but the runs continue to flow nevertheless, in ones, twos and threes. Mol’s four overs have cost just nine, and now it’s leg-spinner Tim Versteegh into the attack from the Pavilion End.

Up to a point, Lord Copper, as Doyle smashes Wheeler Greenall back over his head for another six. But then Mol gets the breakthrough, as Doyle drives him hard but uppishly to Ahmadzai at backward point and departs for a 37-ball 70. Ostling’s on 21* and is joined now by Ralph Elenbaas.

Pace off now, as Wheeler Greenall comes on from the Pavilion End, just a two for Ostling coming from his initial over. And somehow or other, Henk Mol is going to bowl from the Metrolijn End, admittedly off just a few paces. Three singles off his, and Quick have stemmed the flow a little.  

No respite, though, as Doyle cuts Brand square for four before pulling him hard over square leg for six. Not content with that, he lofts the third delivery back over the bowler’s head for another six. 16 from three deliveries, and Doyle’s on 49*. A dot and a wide, and then a single brings up his half-century, from 24 deliveries. Ostling pulls the final ball to the square leg boundary, and 22 have come from the over. There’s a shout for leg-before against Doyle off Trappenburg, but umpire Prabhudesai’s still not having any. Back on strike, Doyle smashes him high over long on, possibly onto the Metro track judging by how long it takes for the ball to come back. He’s almost caught at mid-on off the next, but it escapes the fielder and goes for another four.

Quick need to get a grip on this, well, quickly, as Doyle takes three more boundaries off Khan’s next. They can’t afford to leak runs like this, even with Trappenburg closing up one end. And when Ostling cuts the left-armer to the point boundary it’s starting to look pretty bleak for the Roosters. Doyle’s raced to 33* off 19, potentially a match-settling innings. Jeroen Brand comes on himself from the Pavilion End.

Doyle’s away as well, cutting Trappenburg’s first delivery behind point for four. It’s just too easy at the moment, as Doyle drives Khan through the covers for another boundary before lashing him over midwicket for six. Trappenburg hauls things back with a maiden, but Hermes have started at a gallop.

They’re back at Loopuyt Oval, Imran Khan starting from the Pavilion End to Ashley Ostling and Daniel Doyle. It’s quite an expensive over, eight from it including a boundary by Ostling, who leans back and pulls him effortlessly through midwicket. Trappenburg from the Metrolijn End.

That took Mol to 49, and the first of the final over sits up outside off for Mol to ease it down to third man and bring up a very stoical half-century. He can barely summon the energy to raise his bat , and he’s scarcely able to stand at the non-striker’s end. He’s got the energy to take a bye to the keeper, though, giving himself a crack at the last two balls. To his disgust he cuts the penultimate one straight to deep point, and it’s left to Ahmadzai to hammer the last to long off for two, Mol stumbling into the crease as the return comes in. He remains 51*, and he’s given his side a decent total to defend.

They succeed in cutting out the boundaries, but a string of ones and twos bring seven off Elenbaas’s 47^th, posting Quick’s 200. Then Van Gigch can’t get on top of a steep Braat bouncer, Ostling taking the catch at midwicket. Ubaid Ahmadzai joins Mol, who’s still struggling. Elenbaas unleashes a nasty bouncer at Ahmadzai, and it flies off the back of his helmet for two leg-byes. No concussion procedures, it seems. He bounces Mol as well, who pulls him in front of square for a single. Everything short now, not terribly smart bowling. The last one’s fuller, and Mol drives him to long off for another single.

Woermeijer returns from the Pavilion End, and Kothari finishes off with three for 39 from the other. Again just one over for Woermeijer, as Braat comes back with three overs left. He will presumably bowl out, with Elenbaas to bowl the last two from the Metrolijn End.

Chaudhary from the Pavilion End, and Mol is definitely showing signs of discomfort as they run a couple and then amble a single. He’s playing a crucial hand, but it’s taking its toll. No such problems for Trappenburg, who lofts Chaudhary back over his head for six. But when he tries to do the same to Kothari he finds Numair at long on and departs for 16. Mol’s on 36*, joined now by  Bobby van Gigch.

Zaffar Chaudhary on from the Metrolijn End, three singles coming from his over. And Braat switches to the Pavilion End, Numair having completed his spell with figures of one for 30 from his ten; Trappenburg drives him through extra for four. Just the one over for Chaudhary, Kothari returning ar Braat looks for another breakthrough.

Numair back from the Pavilion End, just a single coming from the over, and then Braat returns from the other. Brand, who’s been very patient so far, drives Numair through mid-on for four, but it’s still Mol who’s doing most of the scoring. A visibly disconsolate Braat gets away rather with a waist-high full toss, which Mol pulls away for a single. But then Numair has Brand, who drives a little uppishly to backward point and is caught by Ralph Elenbaas. Govert Trappenburg joins Mol, who’s on 27*.

Braat in under the helmet at bat-pad for Mol, whose response is to smack him over mid-on for four and then six, the first of the match. Then he cuts a lifting delivery from Elenbaas through point for another four. Struck on the pad next ball as he plays forward defensively; it looked to be going down leg, but Elenbaas remonstrates vociferously with umpire Van Liemt.

And finally, Hermes get their man – Vierling down the pitch to Kothari, beaten, and well stumped by Statham. He made 51 from 84 deliveries, and as Henk Mol joins Brand Hermes are getting back on top.

Olivier Elenbaas back from the Pavilion End, and from Kothari’s next over, after yet another appeal for leg-before as Vierling sweeps, the opener gets his fifty with two off a misfield at point. Not a flawless innings, you’d say – Hermes might put it a bit more strongly than that – but an immensely valuable one.  

That’s a big wicket, as Wheeler Greenall, who’s shown himself ready to take on the bowlers, hits a rather tame head-high return catch to Kothari and goes for 21. Jeroen Brand in at five.

Wheeler Greenall gets going with a lovely cover drive for four off Woermeijer. Kothari now switches to the Metrolijn End, and there’s another unsuccessful appeal as Vierling sweeps and misses. That’s the hundred up as we approach the halfway mark in Quick’s innings, Vierling now on 40*.

Kothari off after just one over; Davey Verweij replaces him, conceding just a couple of singles. They take a drink, after which Nicky Woermeijer replaces Braat and promptly gets a wicket: Stokkers pulls him to wide mid-on, where Braat takes the catch. Beckham Wheeler Greenall the new man.

Was that a half-chance? Vierling clips Braat straight back low, and the bowler just got a hand to it – his reaction suggests it might have been,  but it came back fast and very low. There’s a change at the Pavilion End, Sahil Kothari to bowl his left-arm spin, and Vierling lofts him back over his head for four. And another of those moments in Braat’s next: Vierling down the pitch driving, Statham takes it, there’s a big appeal, but umpire Prabhudesai is again unmoved. Disbelief reigns, but Vierling survives again. Stokkers rubs it in by driving sweetly through the covers for four. Another boundary makes it 11 off the over.

Sebastiaan Braat into the attack from the Metrolijn End, Jackson hitting him over extra for four. Numair continues, but it feels as if it’s starting to get a little easier for Jackson and Vierling. Vierling’s getting well forward to the seamers (which may have saved him with that first Elenbaas appeal), and he drives Braat uppishly through the covers for a couple before Jackson cuts him wide of slip for another boundary. And then Jackson goes, slashing at a Braat delivery and caught in front of slip by Statham, diving to his left like a man half his age. He goes for 26.  Lesley Stokkers in at three.

Jackson lofts Numair over mid-off for the first boundary of the day, and when he overpitches again despatches him over mid-on for the second. One wonders how expensive that first-over drop may turn out to be. Then Vierling adds to Elenbaas’s misery by pulling him to the midwicket boundary, before being struck painfully on the shoulder by a bouncer a couple of balls later. No quarter asked or given out there at the moment. And the powerplay ends with honours just about even: no wicket lost, but a relatively modest total.

A second slip comes in for Elenbaas to Jackson, a fair reward for the way he’s bowling, bringing the ball in to the left-hander and troubling him with lift. There’s a little delay, as Jackson needs to replace a broken bat; the new one’s got plenty of edge, the next Numair delivery running down to third man for three. Then things get a little heated: Elenbaas convinced he’s got Vierling leg-before, and even more convinced next ball, when he runs down the pitch celebrating before turning to see umpire Prabhudesai shaking his head. Hermes are not happy, but Vierling’s still there.

Numair’s right on the spot, starting with a maiden to Vierling in which he catches the edge a couple of times. Elenbaas is getting good lift from the other end, causing Jackson to joust with a couple, and that’s a maiden as well. Vierling finally breaks the drought with a single to mid-on, but Hermes have started very well indeed.

They’re out in the middle, Olivier Elenbaas starting to Cameron Jackson, who’s immediately off the mark with a square drive for a couple. And then he’s put down! Edges to Davey Verweij at slip, but he can’t hold on to it. The next one’s full and wide, squeezed down to third man for a single. Daan Vierling on strike and he’s off the mark as well, tucking the ball to midwicket. Roy Numair to bowl the second from the Pavilion End.

Quick skipper Jeroen Brand has called correctly, and elected to have a bat.

We’re told that the toss will be at 11:15, with an 11:45 start.

It looks as if the start will be delayed at the Loopuyt Oval, but the covers are off and the creases have been marked. The season of mists has started; let’s hope for some mellow fruitfulness!