Topklasse Live | Round 18 | As it Happened

Wild slogs justified now, but the results no better. Etman is caught in the deep, Ralston manages four off his first but can’t make anything of the rest of the over. Excelsior fall 12 runs short as HBS win by 11 runs, VOC have hope from nowhere, they are headed to an unearned chance at redemption against ACC next Saturday, while Excelsior to the Hoofdklasse.

Verhagen goes now, high and straight off Rossouw, but not long and held behind the bowler. Van Troost goes two balls later, again in the deep straight. Excelsior wilting under pressure, and now facing an all but impossible final over. Niels Etman and Joost Kroesen need 19. Botha to bowl it.

Naqvi last just one ball, another needless slog off Klein miscued straight up. Pressure on Excelsior now, van Troost in but just one run off the last four balls.

Asking rate just creeeping up but not enough to justify that, Van Tonder goes to slog-sweep Rossouw from outside off and top edge, caught in the cddep to leg. Naqvi in.

Asking rate sstill under a run a ball, Verhagen and van Tonder still looking well in control.

Asking rate under a run a ball, Verhagen and van Tonder looking well in control. Boddendijk into the attack now but HBS seem to be going through the motions, understandably.

Fifty for van Tonder too as he sends Botha over the rope for four.79 to get in 14 overs, Excelsior on course for a shot at survival.

Verhagen and van Tonder continue to build steadily, chase has taken on an air of inevitability at this point.

Rahaley goes top edging a reverse sweep off Barresi, but Verhagen’s pressing on with van Tonder. The Excelsior skipper’s got his half century but it’s van Tonder driving the scoring on 24 at better than a run a ball. Excelsior about half-way there at the halfway stage with 9 wickets in hand…

Still de Mey and Rossouw looking for a way this partnership, but no joy. Rahal\ey and Verhagen both closing in on half centuries, Excelsior have a platform. VOC stragglers here on the VRA balcony looking increasingly glum…

Fifty up for Excelsior, Rahaley and Verhagen both in the twenties, De Mey and Rossouw for HBS.

So we’re left with one going concern, and a simple equation. If Excelsior can chase this target of 244 they will earn a place in the play-off at the expense of VOC, if not they will be headed to the Hoofdklasee. Rahaley and Verhagen taking an understanably cautious approach thus far. Thirty without loss.

And done at de Diepput too, Gorlee falls before the end for 78, but the result was never in doubt. Vrolijk and Brown finish it off as HCC win by 6 wickets.

And all over at Utrecht too, Buys lifts Malik over mid off for four to finish things off as Kampong win by six wickets

Her at the Bos the only question is whether Smal’s got room to make his fifty, and he won’t. Gouge finishes things off with a four, Smal left on 43* as VRA win by nine wickets. VOC will have to hope HBS do their work for them.

Ingram shepherding Kampong home meanwhile. Just ten to get.

Patel goes with the end in sight, but Gorlee is sprinting toward the finish. He’s on 78* off 50, but not enough room for a ton.

Fair to say that the day’s questions will be answered at Craeyenhout, probably long after everyone else is done. Second innings underway now, Rahaley and Verhagen for Excelsior. Botha takes the new ball, two off the first, Klein from the other end.

VRA racing into the final strecth too, Smal’s come out and stamped his authority on the chase. He’s going at better than a run a ball and this will be over before lunch too you’d think.

Fifty for Gorlee, still bullying Sikander. HCC two thirds of the way home.

Chaturvedi gone for 7 as Malik angles one in from behind his head and into the pads, finger up and vd Harten in.

White’s gone, caught off Tariq, bringing Yash Patel to the crease. Gorlee getting stuck into Sikander now though, takes him for 16 off the 11th.

Nidamanuru goes caught at gully off van der Meulen, Smal at three.

Back on for some overs before lunch, 17-odd I’d guess. More than VRA will likely need anyway. Gouge opening with Nidamanuru, who takes 14 off Jain in the first. This won’t take long.

Jacod reverses Klein for four but then walks past the next one, would have been stumped if he wasn’t bowled. Chaturvedi in.

Back on at de Diepput too, HCC have lost Tonny Staal early, but are going at a good clip. Gorlee and White in the middle.

Handy cameo from Vink lifts HBS past 240, then gets himself run out last ball chancing an improbable second. Commendable way to get out, really. Excelsior, in all likelihood, will need 244 to make the playoff.

Kampong lose their first, van den Berg pulling van Vliet into the hands of deep square. Ingram at three.

Five-fer for Turmaine, as he warpas up the VOC innings to finish with 5-14 in 20 balls. This could be over by lunch too.

Klein falls for 40 miscuing Ralston into the off side, Ferdi Vink in for the last couple of overs.

VOC in freefall now too, Turmaine removes van Wingerden and then, crucially, Jannet in the space of three balls. Another sub-100 score looking overwhelmingly likely. Make that three in four as Gurnam Singh goes next ball. Koppejan and Upadhyaya last pair.

De Mey falls for a very uselful 38 looking to accelerate and holing out to long off off Naqvi. Van Oosterom in for the last three, Klein still there on 37*.

All over at Bermweg, Asad and DDC knock off the requisite runs before lunch as Hermes win by 7 wickets.

VOC lose their fifth, Shariz traps van der Meulen in front. And their sixth now as Durrani comes in and spoons a high catch to long on off Turmaine.

Back on at Maarschalkerweerd. Van den Berg and Jacod off in pursuit. Solid start so far. Mumba and Klein with the ball.

Fifty finally up for VOC, van der Meulen’s started positively, two boundaries for him including a big straight six over the sight screen off Nidamanuru. Leon into the attack now.

De Mey and Klein putting together an important partnership for HBS, worth 41 now as they push toward the 200 mark.

They’re back on at Bermweg where Hermes are doing their best to make things interesting. Ralph Elenbaas at the top with a brisk 34 before falling to Snoep, having lost two partners along the way in Woermeijer and Ostling. Doyle down the order today, is joined by Asad Zulfiqar.

Nidamanuru ends a totured innings from Recordon, bowled for 4 off 33. Van der Meulen joins Jannet, who’s on 20*.

And Punjab’s innings is wrapped too, Musa Ahmad the last to fall. Pulls Brown over the square rope for six but holes out next ball trying to repeat the trick.

Punjab nine down now, Overdijk has Tariq caught misdwicketish off a leading edge. Sulaiman Tariq last man..

Another down at Craeyenhout as Rahaley has Boddendijk caught-and-bowled. De Mey in.

Jannet and Recordon still together here, slow going though. Nidamanuru and Singh operating for the hosts now.

Wickets continue to tumble in all of the just-for-fun matches today. jan-Wieger Overdijk gets Zulfiqar attempting some sort of sweep, before Brown finds the poles again to remove Kamal. Adnaan Tariq joins Musa.

And Voorburg’s collapse is complete, Roy finishes with 6-34 as VCC are skittled for 122 in exactly half their alotted overs.

Big wicket at Craeyenhout, Barresi goes for 60 wafting at a wide one from Edward that kicks up a bit, top edge through to the keeper. Boddendijk in.

Sparta all out meanwhile, Dutt finishes with 5-25, Braat 4-26 and one for Kothari. We’ll have an early finish at Bermweg by the look of it.

Punjab five down meanwhile, Brown has Shinwari caught behind. Saqib Zulfiqar is joined by Sikander. But not for long, Brown clean bowls him last ball of the 26th. Musa Ahmad in.

Fifty for Barresi but del Bianco falls two short as he looks to flick Edward to leg and is struck in front. Klein in at six.

Wickets continue to tumble all over, and Roy has his five-fer now, Nashier caught point and now Malik LBW. Mumba and Charumbira in the middle trying to salvage the innings. Scratch that, Mumba’s just nicked Jacod to the keeper. Van Vliet in.

Two down here, no make that three. Ruffel had Kooistra caught behind, and now Jain miscuing to backward point. Recordon in.

Another down at Bermweg as Braat has Malik caught in the slips. Singh joins Martina. But they’re not together for long as Martina top-edges a sweep off Dutt next over and goes for 28. Hoornweg in, and Hoornweg out two balls later edging to second slip. Ahmadi the new man.

Barresi and Del Bianco continue the reconstruction effort, Barresi lofts a drag-down from Kroesen over the covers for four and the hundred comes up later in the over. And it’s none other than Jens Balnkenstijn from the other end.

VOC lose their first as Fletcher takes de Kok’s off stump. Kooistra in.

Punjab very much looking to get into a T20 frame of mind it seems, but it costs Butt now. Slog sweeps white hard and high but not far enough and taken by Yash Patel at deep square. Afyaan Tarq in, but doesn’t last long. Trijzelaar nips one back to take his off stump. Shinwari in. And another for Trizelaar, outside off and keeps a bit low, takes Niaz’ bottom edge and Punjab four down.

And we’re underway here. Jannet and de Kok opening for VOC, Fletcher and Ruffel share the new ball.

Very much a bowler’s morning it seems. Down at Maarschalkerweerd Voorburg are collapsing too. Kaplan, Croes and Klein all fall in short order – two for Roy and one for Gopinath.

Make that five: Braat traps Umar Baker in front, and Sparta are in tatters.

Two more down at the Bermweg, Kyle Klesse bowleed by Braat, then Juandre Scheepers falls in the same way to Dutt. Martina’s a spectator to all this, having reached 14* at the other end.

Niaz gets going with two sixes, the first edging Leijer over cover (it’s a small square boundary), the second a much more authentic pull over midwicket off Bijloos. Butt’s on a comparatively sedate 27 off 29.

Start in the Bos at 12 noon, VRA having won the toss and elected to field.

Barresi and Del Bianco have started the fightback, Del Bianco lofting Rahaley over long on for six in what is a vital stand for the Crows.

Wickets at the Bermweg: Steenbergen lashes out at Dutt and is caught by Asad Zulfiqar, running a long way to square leg from behind the stumps. Three balls later he takes a more conventional catch to remove Lukas Boorer, although the batter’s visibly sceptical.

A sensational start at Maarschalkerweerd: Kertan Nana has Michael Levitt caught by at mid-off by Damien van den Berg – not keeping today – with the third ball of the match. Since then Henry Melville and Gavin Kaplan have made a good start to the rebuilding process.

Another for Rahaley, and this time it’s a massive blow: Walbrugh, on 7, gets himself into a tangle trying to work him defensively to leg and is bowled. Lucas del Bianco in with HBS in serious trouble early.

A flurry of boundaries at De Diepput, as Shoaib Minhas and Samir Butt take full advantage of a depleted HCC attack. And as I write that Minhas, having made 19 off 9 deliveries, miscues a drive off Teun Leijer and Yash Patel takes the catch at deep gully(ish). Burhan Niaz in to join Butt.

The toss has been delayed by a wet outfield in the Amsterdamse Bos. There will be another inspection at 11:30.

An early double strike for Excelsior: Sam Rahaley takes a return catch to remove Reece Mason, then has Lehan Botha caught behind. Barresi in to join Tayo Walbrugh.

Sparta batting at the Bermweg, having won the toss. Arjan Dutt starts with a maiden to Jochem Steenbergen, but Shaquille Martina takes a brace and a single off Sebastiaan Braat to get the scoreboard moving. Four leg-byes to fine leg and a wide complete the scoring off the second over.

Voorburg are batting first at Maarschalkerweerd, Alex Roy having won the toss and given them first use of the pitch.

Punjab have won the toss at De Diepput, and chosen to have a bat. HCC have reached back into the past as they replace five players who are in Scotland with the U-19s: Reinier Bijloos, Laurens-Jan Lagas and Jan-Wieger Overdijk all play for the first time this season

The news from Craeyenhout is that Roel Verhagen has won the toss for Excelsior and elected to field.