Topklasse Live | Round 3 | As it Happened

Ruan du Plessis (no relation) the last man with a very nice looking cover-drive entirely past the ball from Kooistra, which duly demolishes the stumps. HCC win by 124 runs. That was not close.

And we’re done. Van Luin pushes Singh out through the covers for the winning single. VRA win by 7 wickets with 17.3 overs to spare. That was not close.

Checking in on events at de Diepput and left arm spin has put this chase to bed, two for Doram and one for Floyd, Doram’s also got Lubbers, miscued slog-sweep and caught for a hard-scrabble 46. Won’t be long now.

HBS chance their 9th bowler, Manjinder Singh on and it doesn’t go well. A four in there for van Luin, a no ball too and five wides. De Mey back from the other end, smattering of singles, scores level.

Riaz moves into the 90’s with a throwback Marrilier-shot off Ahmadi for four over fine. 150 up for Punjab and 60 to get in 14. Tariq blocking at the other end, Riaz has time to farm the strike, chances a single with one to come. Regrets it. Tariq does his best to keep that out but loses his middle stump, Riaz left unbeaten on 90 at the other end. Sparta win by 59 runs

Lubbers loses another partner as Bartolomew looks to cut FLoyd and bottom-edges through the Alphonse. Elam Barathi joins his skipper in the middle. Lubbers is on to 42* now off 70-odd balls. A creditable knock but the asking rate is pushing tens now.

Smal dances past one from Barresi to go for 72, but he and Dutt have put the hosts in a commanding position, just 34 to get and almost half the innings to get them. Van Luin and Nidamanuru in, would take an epic collpase for VRA to mess this up from here.

Ahmadi and Malik continue to remove Riaz’ partners, Shafiq goes for 2 and then Hussain for a duck. Tariq last man comes out to join Riaz, who’s inthe 70s now but this game looks well and done too.

Naqash has fallen to Hidde Overdijk, another top-edged pull, but Salland are proving obstinate. Lubbers is on 29* having dragged his side toi three figures, Bartholomes in the middle with him. Will take some T20 batting to get close to the target from here though. 172 needed in 23.

Meanwhile at Bermweg Punjab are introuble again. Double strike from Ahsan Malik cleaning up Saqib with a slower ball and then pinning Mahmood in front with the next delivery, the Ahmadi has Usman caught behind. Riaz is still there on 63* but his task isn’t getting any easier. Shafiq in with him now.

Fifty for Dutt, tonking de Mey over long on then through extra for four two balls later. Boddendijk into the attack and narrowly avoids bowling a no ball as Barresi realises he has one too many outside the ring. And then oh my that’s a no ball regardless. Slips out and that would have cleared a second Aryan Dutt standing on this one’s shoulders. Yikes, and again. even higher. Bit of chat about whether he ought to be taken out of the attack, honestly would be a mercy to him. Certainly those deliveries weren’t dangerous to anything but low-flying aircraft, but still. Free hit is pulled away over backward square but then, well, bowl enough shit and you’ll get that wicket I guess. Next ball Dutt picks out de Mey at deep midwicket and gone for 59. What a profoundly silly passage of play. Nidamanuru in. Oh and it won’t end. Another sky high full toss inexplicably given a wide by the umpires. high farce here.

Meanwhile at Bermweg Riaz and Saqib are doing a fine job for Punjab after the early collapse. Riaz goes to fifty cutting Snoep out to the cover sweeper, then Saqib brings up the hundred driving Kroesen out toward long off.

Drinks here, Dutt and Smal were just starting to cut loose before the break, Dutt putting Adendorff high and handsome over long on, and Smal doing the same to de Mey in the next over. HBS may not mind the risk-taking but there’s two men back straight for Dutt as Wes Barresi takes the ball after drinks.

Naqash and Victor Lubbers out there still for Salland rebuilding, but runs are hard to come by. Lubbers still in single figures, Naqash into the twenties. HCC sticking with seam, Venter and Jan-Wieger Overdijk in tandem for the hosts.

Jelte Schoonheim into the attack, and Zaidi edges his second ball low to Fourie’s left and the keeper takes a good catch. It ends in tragicomedy, as Reddy lunges forward at Hoseinbaks, is beaten, and Fourie has ample time to complete the stumping. Three for 10 for Hoseinbaks, three for 15 for Hoornweg. 260 the winning margin.

Fifty up for VRA, attritional stuff at the minute but Smal and Dutt are finding the gaps from time to time, just two men out so there’s twos on offer but nothing’s reaching the rope. De Mey back and the first chance in a while as Dutt offers a tough retrun chance but de Mey can’t cling on.

Some enterprising tail-end batting from Zaidi, the first to go into double figures with a nice cover drive. But when Niaz induces a play-and-miss the bowler earns himself a fourth slip, O’Dowd coming in to second. Not something you often see in the Topklasse. ACC have avoided the biggest-ever losing margin since the advent of limited overs cricket, but when Kumar swings and misses at Hoseinbaks the bowler doesn’t; middle and off go flying.

Two for Overdijk now, Piyaranga caught off a leading edge and now Raxworthy top edging a pull off Crowley and gone for 19. The Salland chase is going nowhere slowly. .

Burhan Niaz and Asief Hoseinbaks have taken over the attack, and it’s the latter who breaks a defiant little stand between Hans and Buys, Hans edging the spinner to keeper Fourie, who takes a smart catch. Next over, a third catch for De Kok, as Buys plays uppishly to extra cover. Kumar and Zaidi now at the crease..

Punjab in all sorts of a sudden, Asad gone missing a wild pull on one knee and hit in front by Ahmadi, the Will Clark gets his first Topklasse wicket nicking the off bail to remove Sikander for a duck. Minhas goes for the same score, Clark again caught Bukhari at slip. Saqib in with Riaz now with a rebuilding job ahead.

Just the one over for de Mey, and a change of ends for Klein. Pote takes over at the City End, and a maiden Topklasse wicket for him, Balbirnie LBW for 4. Smal joins Dutt in the middle.

A quiet powerplay following that early wicket, Riaz just waiting for bad balls, he’s put four of them away but not much in the way of singles or twos.

Raxworthy looks to have found his mat-legs at de Diepput, twice putting Overdijk away for four through the off side, a back foot square drive followed by a sqaure cut. Salland could certainly use a score from him today.

Jain gets back into the act after Raza heaves him to the bovine boundary, trapping him in front. Buys joins Hans, the collapse now of record-threatening proportions.

Overdijk strikes an early blow for HCC, Ganesan picking that up off the pad looking to go over backward square but can’t clear the man. Raxworthy joins Piyaranga.

We’re back on at the Bos, Dutt and Balbirnie the hosts’ makeshift opening pair. Kyle Klein takes the new ball, and as expected a couple of nice shots hold up in the outfield, gonna be slow going. Spin at the other end, de Mey shares the new ball. Watchful start so far.

Potdar and Raza were busily engaged in trying to restore some sanity to proceedings, but then Hoornweg fires one in straight, beats Potdar’s bat and thumps into the pads. The finger goes up; Potdar stands a long time and then trudges slowly off. Mahesh Hans in at six, and deficit’s still 300-plus..

That’s a wrap at Westvleit, Englebrecht denies Croes his fifty by cutting Rens van Troost hard through cover point for four to finish the game. He finishes on 19*, Croes on 47*. VCC win by 8 wickets. That was not close.

Early wicket at Bermweg as Ahsan Malik has Rehmat Zulfiqar fencing outside off and nicked through. Riaz in with Asad Zulfiqar now, Bukhari from the other end.

Oh dear. Kuhn starts by clipping Jain wide of mid-on for four, but then he chips one high to mid-off, and De Kok takes another. Hobson in. Oh dear, oh dear! Hobson goes second ball, another skier, this time off Hoornweg and to keeper Fourie, and ACC’s situation is suddenly desperate. Raza joins Potdar.

Max Hoornweg starts from the Uilenstede End, and an early wicket as Ahmed gets himself in a tangle, spearing the ball to mid-off where Tim de Kok snaffles the catch. Heino Kuhn comes to the crease much earlier than he would have hoped.

Musa falls for 6 as VCC look set to again achieve the eminently possible, caught off Ingram to bring Engelbrecht to the crease. Croes still there and into the thirties, plenty of room for him to get a half century. Not much else in the balance.

They’re back out at ‘t Loopveld, Arnav Jain with the new ball from the River End to Rahil Ahmed, who turns him to fine leg for a couple. And a single, finer, to bring Shreyas Potdar to the business end.

VCC continue to make steady progress toward a third easy victory, the rain last week has been the only thing looking likely to deny them points so far this season. Croes on 22*, Musa on 6*.

Four for Batholomew as he continues to deprive Doram of partners, but a handy cameo from the tall Sint Maartener gets HCC to an imposing 278-8 from their fifty. He finishes unbeaten on 24 off 19. Very big ask for a Salland side short of form with the bat and more known for their bowling.

Adendorff goes for 17 popping a return catch to Nidamanuru as HBS struggle toward 200, Scholte joins de Mey. Visser from the other end for the death, and bowling at a fair clip as he has been all season. Hard running from de Mey and Scholte but they’re not finding the rope. They get the 200 though as Scully fumbles behind the stumps. 204 will be the target.

Ahmadi goes for 43, big outside edge going hard at Sikander and and held at deep third, he’s done a job though, Sparta finish on a respectable if probably still sub-par 211-8, something to bowl at at least.

Overdijk and Floyd have added a brisk 45 for the 5th wicket, Overdijk especially adventurous with four sixes in his 23-ball 33. Bartholomew’s returned to account for both however, Overdijk caught on the rope attempoing a reverse ramp over the shoulder and Floyd picking out deep midwicket. And three for the Kiwi now as Koistraa is caught for four, Doram in with Crowley for the last couple of overs.

O’Dowd’s next six is possibly the biggest of the lot, over the trees behind the scoreboard. They’re scoring at will now, ACC battered and bruised. Reddy gets to bowl the last, and finally one of O’Dowd’s blows both falls short and goes to hand, Hobson under it at deep midwicket and he goes for 186 two balls from the end of the innings. He faced 152 balls, and hit eight fours and eleven sixes. Brutal, absolutely brutal. The stand with Edwards, who finishes on 74*, was 204; we won’t talk about the ACC bowling figures, apart from Kumar’s relatively respectable one for 46 from his ten overs..

200 up for Sparta, but Bukhari’s gone. Looking to accelerate and down the track to Shafiq, tossed wide, misses and stumped. Next over Kroesen goes too, caught off Sikander Zulfiqar at deep point, and two balls later Balwantsingh has his stumps splayed. Ahmadi’s having fun at the other end though. four sixes to his name and 32 off 22. Get him up the order!

They’re back on at Westvliet and Voorburg are off in pursuit, they’ve just lost Levitt though, hint of swing for Hart maybe? Levitt’s forward to a fullish ball but it’s got through his defences and off stump’s askew, gone for 19. Looks like Musa heading out to join Croes.

Dutt back from the city end and does for Klien, ledaing edge and a fine low return catch to his right. De Mey in.

The slaughter continues, as O’Dowd pulls Kumar hard and flat through midwicket for six, then drives through extra for four to move past 150, clips him behind square leg for six more, and pulls to the midwicket boundary. 20 from four balls, and he settles for a single off the last to keep the strike. Two overs later, O’Dowd has 175 and Edwards 70, and the stand’s worth 191.

150 up for HBS but Turmaine strikes again, Barresi goes back to a fuller one and that’s through him and into the stumps, three short of a half-century. Adendorff joins Klein, van Luin from the other end.

Barathi gets his man, Vandiar takes a knee for the slog sweep but held at deep backward square, gone for 109. Floyd in to join Overdijk, .

Bukhari’s got his fifty but he’s lost Clark along the way, caught off Hussain for 24. Ahmadi in now and gets things going putting Shafiq out of the park for six, More of that needed for Sparta .

Back-to-back sixes for O’Dowd off Arya, followed by a mere four. Just a two to third man, but then another six takes him to his best-ever Topklasse score, beating his 131 against Dosti in 2021. 27 off the over in total. Edwards brings up his half-century with a pull to midwicket off Kumar, but only five come from that one, all in singles. The stand’s now worth 140.

Big wicket here as Turmaine strikes Walbrugh in front missing a reverse sweep, he’s a long way forward but it’s low and straightish and never a good look missing those. Finger goes up and gone 42. Kyle Klein in.

Vandiar has been hogging the strike expertly at de Diepput, but fair to say he’s made good use of it. He’s already on 97 by the time Alphonse finally sees the strike again and brings up his own half-century guiding Barathi behind point for one. Looks to put his foot down in the next over, taking six off the first two balls from van der Molen, but holes out on the next. Gorlee in to joing Vandiar, who brings up his ton with a risky single to short third off Barathi, but then loses another partner as Gorlee misses a slog sweep and is castled. Overdijk in.

They’ve had another drink, but O’Dowd and Edwards weather the interruption, relentlessly taking the total past 200. Edwards has begun reversing, and after trying unsuccessfully to reverse ramp Kumar does it in exemplary fashion to post another boundary. O’Dowd now 110*, Edwards 49*, and the acceleration has started.

Shariz “the scythe” Ahmad has harvested another five-fer meanwhile, Kroesen the only other bat to make double figures as Excelsior’s tail is cropped like a house of dominos – Yahtzee.

Drinks again here and this has the feeling of the defining partnership for HBS, nothing wrong with the deck but outfield’s looking slow and risk-free runs aren’t coming easy. Barresi’s accumulated 34 off 53 all shuttling between the wickets, Walbrugh has a six and a four to his name but isn’t scoring any quicker. 200 will be a tough chase though if they can get there, and one or other of these two will have to bat on a while to capitalise at the death. Wickets now could take a lot of runs off the eventual target one feels.

And O’Dowd brings up his seventh Topklasse hundred, this one off 116 deliveries, with four fours and five sixes. And he runs another three! The stand is worth 65 now, with Edwards on 22*. Twelve overs, and this could get very messy indeed

Speaking of lots left to do, Sparta will need to make good use of the wickets and overs they have leftif they’re to get to a competitive score. They’ve lost Tarr for a circumspect 41 off 89, across his stumps and pinned in front of leg by Mahood, but they’ve seven wickets left and only 15 overs. Clark’s in with Bukhari now, the latter on 36 off 66, the former in the teens.

As you might expect, O’Dowd and Edwards bat like men who’ve spent a lot of time at the crease together, great understanding between the wickets, although that’s hardly needed when O’Dowd puts Raza onto the pavilion roof. Hobson back from the River End, and a little misfield at backward point gives O’Dowd two to move to 95; a single takes him to within a boundary of his hundred.

Vandiar brings up his fifty sweeping Ganesan over backward square for six, then goes again next ball for six more. Alphonse hasn’t seen much of the strike, he’s still one shy of a half-century, but things looking ominous for Salland. 19 overs left for HCC to capitalise, though they’ve left themselves a lot to do if they want to win this with the bat. Expect Vandiar at least will be looking to kick on in a big way from here.

Shariz gets the big fish, Ingram going back looking to cut but a bit of extra bounce and that’s edged through to Croes, who makes no mistake. Ingram gone for 20, van Troost in with Kroesen now. Excelsior in shambles.

O’Dowd clubs Raza over midwicket onto the concrete in front of the clubhouse and then, somewhat less typically, sprints back for a third when Edwards drives Reddy to long on. Then the opener drives to the long on boundary to move to 75*. VOC starting to motor now.

Modest uptick in the scoring rate at Bermweg as Tarr and Bukhari settle in. A brief excursion down the wicket to tonk Mahmood for a straight six a few overs back looked more like the Bukhari of old, but otherwise he’s looked an uncharacteristically gritty top order bat again.

Lubbers cycling through his options at de Diepput, Gopinath and Naqash now for Salland. Not making much headway against this pair though, hundred up, both closing in on fifty. Alphonse has caught back up to Vandiar, he’s on 48*, Vandiar on 42*.

Nelson strikes, although it might have been the conversation between me and Pierce Fletcher about how good Lane Berry was looking. He drives Kumar cleanly, but straight to Reddy at long off, and he takes the catch. Berry gone for 35, and succeeded by Scott Edwards..

Wheels flying off in all directions for Excelsior now, Ryan Klein spears one through Hart on the srive and into the stumps, Niels Etman pinned LBW in his next. Kroesn in to join Ingram, who’s on 18. Could be in for a short game at Westvliet.

Raza on the from the River End, and O’Dowd takes to sweeping as appropriate to the last day of Spring. Kumar comes back from the Uilenstede End, but he can’t prevent O’Dowd bringing up VOC’s hundred with a fluent drive to long off. We’re in accumulation mode at the moment, but the platform is there for a big total, and at the halfway point ACC are in serious need of some wickets. O’Dowd’s 60*, Berry 33*.

Manjinder Singh goes right after drinks, a second for Visser, driving into the hands of Turmaine at mid-on. Barresi joins Walburgh, who has reached double figures. Turmaine himself into the attack now.

Over at HCC Vandiar and Alphonse have done some good work for the hosts, targetting Hashim Khan just before drinks to bring up the half century stand. Elam Barathi from the other end, Salland need a wicket sooner rather than later, one feels this pair are gearing up to accelerate.

Excelsior in real trouble at Wesvliet now, Shariz Ahmde into the attack and has Stan van Troost swiping across the line, outside edge floats to backward point and four down. Ingram still there though.

Drinks here at the Bos and fifty up here too, Turmaine’s turned to spin for the last couple of overs from the Mulders End, Dutt his usual economical self.

Fifty up for Sparta after 19 overs, Bukhari rather becalmed on 5 off 25, Tarr on 22 off 53.

Berry has the air of a man who doesn’t see why he should be denied a hundred every time he comes to the crease, although Arya does manage to get a couple past his bat. Spin from both ends now with Mahesh Hans on from the River End, and Berry’s down the pitch to loft him high over mid-off and over the rope. O’Dowd meanwhile continues serenely on, and has made his way to 41*

First down at the Bos, Mason down the track to Jain but skies the drive, Smal under it coming in from mid on, misjudges the flight but dives full length to cling on one-handed. Visser into the attack from the other end and last ball of the over uproots Pote’s woodwork. Singh and Walbrugh now.

Berry announces his presence by driving Hobson chest-high through the covers for four. Hobson and Reddy, though, have settled into a good rhythm, and O’Dowd is mostly content to keep the scoreboard moving with singles to deep cover. When Hobson goes fuller, both batters clip him neatly off their toes to deep midwicket for singles. Heino Kuhn turns to Devanshu Arya in place of Reddy, and O’Dowd greets him by thumping him into the jungle beyond midwicket to bring up the fifty..

Mees van Vliet has arrived at Westvliet and looks to be enjoying it. Has Heggleman driving straight to mid off, then traps Butt LBW in his next over..

Another for Tariq, just floated up on leg stump really and Ferguson looks to help it on it’s way and struck in frontish. Doesn’t look thrilled with the call but he’s on his way without complaint. Bukhari in.

Short from Jain and Pote swivel-pulls, high over backward square, there is a man out there under the tree but he seems very late picking up the trajectory of the ball, bounces just inside the rope and over for four.

No sooner written than O’Dowd cracks Reddy through cover point for four – no problem with the outfield there! And not if you clear the fence as well, which O’Dowd does with a slog-sweep behind square, sending the ball into the drink at deep 45. Deep in more senses than one . . . And Hobson gets the breakthrough! Jain edges him high to shortish third man, where Reddy takes a head-high catch. He goes for 11, and is succeeded by Lane Berry.

Meanwhile here at the Bos Reese Mason and Swapnil Pote are constructing a handy opening stand, Mason especially has played some attractive shots, two fours off Ashir Abid, who is now replaced by Aadit Jain. Jain fiinds Pote’s outside edge with his fourth ball but it doesn’t quite carry to the cordon. Van Luin from the other end still.

First blood to the hosts as Kingma has Etman caught behind, Butt in with Heggelman now.

Reddy tightens things up from his end, but O’Dowd and Jain are not in any serious trouble here. A couple of uppish drives from Jain, but nothing going to hand. Thomas Hobson on for Kumar from the River End, and he immediately gets one past Jain’s bat. Good first over, and at least VOC are not running away with it at the moment..

Sparta one down too, Raza LBW to Tariq. Tarr in with Ferguson now.

Tidy enough start from Kumar, but O’Dowd goes after Buys’s gentle slows, planting the last ball of his second over firmly into the long grass beyond long on. Nice straight drive off Kumar by Jain, gets two but the outfield is lush and slow. Joseph Reddy replaces Buys from the Uilenstede End.

First wicket down at de Diepput, Tonny Staal LBW to Victor Lubbers. Vandiar in early to join Alphonse.

Pienaar Buys opens from the Uilenstede End to Max O’Dowd, who sweeps the second delivery behind square for a couple. Drives the fourth to mid-off for a single. Arnav Jain plays out the rest of the over. Aryan Kumar from the River Amstel End..

Scratch that, batting first was Sparta’s idea we now hear.

Hosts win the toss and bat the Diepput we hear.

Voorburg win the toss at Westvliet and they’ll have a bowl first too. Engelbrecht and Nieuwoudt back today, Razzaqi and de Leede the even younger make way. Heinsbroek in for Excelsior, replacing Kroesen.

Punjab win the toss and invite the hosts to have a bat at Bermweg.

At ‘t Loopveld Scott Edwards has called correctly and elected to bat. Francois Fourie and Pierce Fletcher are in for VOC in place of Ramdas Upadhyaya and Pieter Seelaar, and for ACC Ammar Zaidi is in for Fergus Wegener.

The hosts have won the toss here at the Bos and elected to bowl, couple of changes from yesterday, Vikram Singh and Shirase Rasool are out injured, back and foot trouble respectively. Zaman Khan and Aadit Jain come into the side. One change for HBS, Yoran Visée out and Manjinder Singh in.