Topklasse Live | Grand Final | As it Happened

And one is all it takes, Klein takes the top of off again, Venter defenceless. Klein finishes with 6-15 to deliver Voorburg their first title in two decades.

Another for Shariz as Overdijk becomes the latest bat to play around a googly, just misses the stumps but he’s way too late getting back as Croes takes the bails. Crowley in and survives an enthusiastic appeal as he misses the reverse sweep. Doesn’t survive a straight one into the top of off from Klein though. Five for Klein, Venter in, Voorburg one away…

Klein takes over from Kingma and again the change pays off, gorlee chasing one down leg and feathers through to Croes. Charumbira in. Charumbira out. Bowled first ball. Daniel Doram in to face the hat-trick ball, back of a length and blocked on the back foot.

Klein takes over from Kingma and again the change pays off, gorlee chasing one down leg and feathers through to Croes. Charumbira in. Charumbira out. Bowled first ball. Daniel Doram in to face the hat-trick ball, back of a length and blocked on the back foot.

Kingma’s return has the desired effect as Floyd is comprehensively cleaned up by his second delivery. VCC look keen to get the party started, baffling appeal for obstructing the field presumably as Boissevain gathers in his run up and whips it back at the stumps behind new bat Overdijk, who looked to be well in his crease to me. Overdijk looks unrattled as he drives Kingma hard and straight for four down the ground. Nieuwoudt back.

Hundred up, but the runs aren’t coming fast enough to disturb the celebratory mood here. Wristspin at both ends, Boissevain and Shariz still for VCC. Nelson up after 29 overs, 185 still needed. HCC need to more than double their run rate from here. Kingma back.

Floyd beaten on the inside edge by van Vliet, does some gardening, then walks back to the crease before taking a seat. Cramp is our guess here, takes a drink and back on his feet soon enough. Game drifting toward nowhere at the minute Asking rate up over eights now. First boundary in some time comes courtesy a misfield on the midwicket rope by Nieuwoudt. Boissevain on from the Paddock end.

Shariz on from the pavilion end and near-immediate result, Kloppenburg plays outside one that turns back into his stumps, bowled for 3. Floyd in and survives and enthusiastic LBW shout first ball. Still van Vliet from the Paddock end.

Van Vliet still going short, Staal happy to take him on, but when he tries the pull at a short ball from Klein he picks out Musa Ahmad in the deep in front of square first ball of the over, held and gone for 36. Teun Kloppenburg to the crease, two new bats in the middle, and HCC up the proverbial creak…

An interminable over from Ryan Klein yields two runs and a half chance as Staal top edges a cut twoard deep third, who lets it drop short to Klein’s evident irritation. Van Vliet continues, short and widish first up and pulled over midwicket for a couple by Alphonse, but the asking rate is only climbing. Klein still from the Pavilion end and four balls into the 17th brings about drinks as he spears one through Alphonse’s defences, gone for a laborious 8 off 32. HCC in something of a hole as skippper Boris Gorlee makes his way to the middle..

Another shout on Staal for LBW and a pretty good one as Klein spears it in full and straight and it skids on into the pad in front of middle and off, did sound like two noises here though, has a hint of bat saved hime there? Well something has. Van Vliet replaces Nieuwoudt at the Paddock end.

Staal off the mark creaming Nieuwoudt over the covers for four, but Kingma and Nieuwoudt doing a decent job of keeping the HCC openers quiet. Maiden for Kingma on Staal with a speculative LBW appeal, two off Nieuwoudt’s next, but Vandiar takes advantage in the fifth as Kingma strays too straight to glannce him fine for four. Looks to have found some fluency as he drives Kingma confidently through the covers for four on the second ball of the seventh, but perhaps overconfident on the next as he punches then next hard and flat to midwicket, where Engelbrecht takes it knee-high. Huge wicket! Alphonse in.

Very nearly another as Staal offers a tough chance at midwicket off Nieuwoudt, where Boissevain does well to get to it really, would have been a screamer. Nieuwoudt still for the final over of the powerplay, and is put over the sight screen and into the water second ball by Staal. HCC need rather more of that, they’re off the pace as it stands. And first bowling change as Klein takes over from Kingma.

And we’re back, Vandiar and Staal for HCC in pursuit of 296 for the win, Kingma takes the new ball for the hosts. Two dots to start and then four leg byes as it clips the pad down leg and evades Croes, first runs off the bat come as Vandiar punches through the on side field for a couple. Nieuwoudt will share the new ball.

Overdijk bowls the last, Klein repreived first ball as Doram runs under a swirling top edge, and insult to injury as the next one is swung away over deep square for six. Overdijk goes into the wicket again next ball, extracts another top edge and takes it himself this time. Boissevain in for the last, and hard running with Nieuwoudt takes them to a 295 at the break..

Croes was doing a fine job forcing the pace, but tries one shot too many as he miscues Overdijk high and wide of id off where Charumbira makes good ground to take a leaping catch. Nieuwoudt in for the final stretch.

Momentum seems to be ebbing rapidly away here, as Shariz picks out long on off Floyd. Klein in at seven to join Croes, who’s becoming increasingly adventurous as he scoops Overdijk over his shoulder and Vandiar at short fine for four. 250 for VCC, four overs to go,

And two brings three, Engelbrecht back and across his stumps to Doram, no bat and pinned in front. Shariz in, could late wickets see HCC spike the hosts guns here? Overdijk back.

And one brings two, Levitt across his stumps to Doram and down to sweep, bowled behind his legs. Engelbrecht in and shows no signs of surrendering the momentum, inside out with a flourish over extra cover for four..

Levitt pulls Crowley behind square to the rope to go to 99*, then carves Charumbira over point for a single to bring up his ton off 113 balls. But HCC finally find their breakthrough next over, as Musa cuts Charumbira hard but high to backward point, where Floyd palms it up and then takes the catch at second attempt. Croes at four, brings up the 200 with a bunt into the off side.

Closest thing to a chance in a long while as Ahmad tucks Doram to leg and sets off for a swift single, Vandiar’s on the ball early at midwicket and whips it in to Alphonse who’s quick to take the bails. Levitt diving, HCC think they have him, square leg umpire disagrees. 150 up for the hosts in the next, left arm spin at both ends still. Four off Floyd’s next, then Levitt’s down the track to Doram and sends him over the sight screen and into the paddock with a cracking straight drive. Next over and Floyd is treated to an effortless reverse sweep from Ahmad wich races away for four to bring up the 150-run partnership – VCC’s second highest of the season. Crowley returns, back to the bouncers but the two bats are set and happy to take him on, an uncontrolled pull from Levitt falling safe out of deep square’s reach looked almost like a chance for a while, but the situation’s getting desperate for HCC. Charumbira on for the last over before drinks, but to no avail.

Seems they’ve succeeded in hitting Doram out of the attack, Overdijk back from the Paddock end now. Sun’s out, wicket looks to have settled down and the outfield’s quickening. Voorburg holding all the cards now. Floyd returns from the pavilion end and is immediately swept fine for four by Musa, who brings up his fifty pushing the final ball of the over out wide of cover for a single. And Doram’s back, HCC looking short of ideas.

Levitt brings up his fifty driving Venter out square to the cover sweeper, meanwhile at the other end Musa had looked like he was losing patience batting out dots at Doram, and so it proves as he twice gets low to slog him over midwicket for six and four, then sweeps behind square for one as the man goes out. Levitt gets in on the act too, picking the gap between deep square and short mid to pick up four more. 16 off the over. Rather spoiled his figures that.

Run rate’s slowed appreciably since the powerplay, thanks to Floyd’s discipline in large part. He’s replaced by Doram at the Paddock end now though as HCC look to force a breakthrough before drinks. He starts with a maiden on Musa. Still Venter from the other end, smattering of singles as Levitt closes in on fifty. He’s on 48, Ahmad on 25 as we go to drinks.

Double bowling change after the powerplay, Venter replaces Overdijk and Floyd comes on from the Paddock end. Another pose-holder from Levitt last ball of the 14th, on the front foot this time driving through extra, not even this cloying outfield can stop it, and he’s into the forties.

Shot of the day from Levitt as he meets a back of a length ball from Overdijk on the up to unleash a glorious back foot drive through the covers, follows it up with the streakiest boundary of the day edging between keeper and slip. Final ball rears up and over him and almost clears the keeper, been a bit up and down this morning. Musa rides the bounce beautifully in the next over to cut Crowley fine for four in the next, VCC on top now after the early setback.

Crowley overpitches rather wide of off and is put away through point by Ahmad for his first four runs, next ball is almost a cabon copy. Expensive over already as Crowley goes short to Levitt on the final ball and is hooked for four more, not the cleanest hit but VCC will be happy enough with 14 off the over. Overdijk still from the Paddock end, four off the 7th.

Overdijk strikes, Gigani clean bowled on the drive between bat and pad, middle stump askew. Musa Ahmad to the middle, first blood to the Lions.

Levitt leaves the first two outside off, then works one off the hip for the first runs off the bat. First boundary next ball as Overdijk veers too staright and is flicked for four through third by Gigani, but the wisdon of Levitt’s caution outside off is then demonstrated as Overdijk twice beats Gigani, past the outside edge on the drive and then under the bat on the cut. Crowley from the Paddock end. Four dots including anpother past the outside edge on the drive, but Levitt connects with the next – through the covers for a couple but holds up in what looks a still soggy outfield.

Hidde Overdijk takes the new ball for HCC, two slips in, Gigani and Levitt opening for the hosts as the crowds begin to drift in.