Topklasse Live | Round 7 | As it Happened

First ball of the 45th and Nidamanuru drives through the covers, doesn’t bother running and risky call that but it does beat the man to the rope. Rushed two off an inside edge and he’s just home. Looks pretty puffed out there. Hoseinbaks bowls his last, four off it, getting tense. Edwards still from the City End.

It needs only four balls: a four and a single for Del Bianco, a four by Walbrugh to level the scores, and then another single to make sure of the points. Walbrugh finishes on 81*, Del Bianco on 12*. HBS win by 6 wickets.

Edwards and Hoseinbaks turning the screw here, Peiris struggling to find singles until the final ball of each over, where he manages to steal the strike twice. Pressure tells and Peiris comes down to Hoseinbaks misses and bowled. Turmaine in, and VRA have batted themselves into trouble here, Nidamanuru still there on 70* but has been starved of strike. 45 needed from six overs. Edwards to continue, Hoseinbaks has one left.

Just ten required now. Rens van Troost to bowl to Del Bianco from the City End. No century for Walbrugh today, but this is as important an innings in the context of the season as any he’s played. He’s on 76*.

It is now, as the saying goes, as Overdijk lofts Hans over mid-on for the winning boundary. He finishes on 38*, with Doram on 15*. HCC win by 4 wickets.

Drummond tries to work Ingram to leg, fails to connect, and the umpire’s finger goes up as he’s struck on the pad. Del Bianco joins Walbrugh, who’s on 74*. 21 needed.

Balbirnie and Nidamanuru have started positively after drinks, Hoseinbaks and Edwards now for VOC but the score’s ticking up swiftly. 54 needed off ten. Conferences now but the upshot is Edwards to continue, and proves a good call as Balbirnie chases a wide one and is caught at gully. Peiris in.

Minhas and Sikander see their side home, but Salland fight all the way, Bartholomew returning from the Railway End and conceding only a wide. Then Minhas clips Naqash to the midwicket boundary to finish on 47* as Punjab win by 6 wickets.

Just when it seemed to be all over, Floyd falls to Hobson, top-edging a rising delivery outside off to Hans at deep mid-on. He goes for 17, Doram in to join Overdijk on 31*. 22 still needed.

A long conference among the Excelsior side as HBS continue on their way, and the upshot is that Hart bowls the last over before the final powerplay. Walbrugh drives him sweetly through mid-on for four, and there’s a definite air of disillusionment in the home side. 37 needed off the last ten.

“There’s no Peter Borren to save them” is the shout on the field. Scott Edwards into the attack for some left arm spin and well that’s a rank full toss shovelled down the throat of long on. Chat gets wickets. Dutt goes for five. Balbirnie in.

Ten overs left at Het Schootsveld as well, with 32 needed. Things looking grim for Salland.

Into the final powerplay with 52 needed, and Floyd and Overdijk still together. ACC have given themselves a chance, but they have to keep taking wickets.

Ganesan returns from the Pavilion End, and when Riaz, on 66, tries to pull him through mid-on he holes out to Naqash. Sikander, the Last of the Zulfiqars, in at six to join Minhas.

And one brings two as Van Luin is bowled for one. Dutt in at six. Bit of a wobble for VRA of a sudden. Wicket maiden, still Niaz from the other end.

That’s the wicket ACC so badly needed, and it comes in bizarre fashion: Zaidi bowls a wide, they come back for a second and the throw from Potdar on the fine leg boundary hits the stumps with Vandiar short! Overdijk in to join Floyd, and ACC can see a chink of light.

Fifty for Teja scooping Jain over his shoulder for three to deep fine, and here is Niaz now at Mulder’s end. And he finds the breakthrough at once, Smal forward to defend and is that an inside edge? Hard to tell from here but the stumps are a mess. Bowled for 54. 112 was the partnership, van Luin the new man in.

Fifty for Barresi as well, but when Heggelman returns he tries rather awkwardly to pull him and the umpire’s finger goes up. He’s out for 52; Walbrugh still there on 55*, joined now by Drummond.

Riaz brings up his fifty, and has moved on to 61* now. Minhas is on 17*, and Salland, too, are badly in need of a wicket. Ghulam Nasir on now from the Railway End.

O’Dowd’s second delivery is a drag down pulled to the rope behind square by Smal, more good running and nine off it. His next over goes even worse, Smal stepping in to slam him over long on for six. Ten off I., Still Schoonheim at the other end, Smal goes to fifty with a back foot punch out to long off for one. Nidamanuru at the other end closing in on a half century too, he’s on 48* now. Jain back, bit odd that Niaz hasn’t bowled yet.

HCC, likewise, look to be heading for victory as long as Vandiar’s still there, but Zaidi strikes an important blow when Kloppenburg clips him to leg and is caught by Mark Wolfe. Clayton Floyd in at six.

Yet another half-century for Walbrugh, this one off 81 deliveries. Barresi’s on 33*, and as long as this pair’s together HBS are well on top.

Smal and Nidamanuru warming to their work, Smal skips down to Hoseinbaks and drives through long off for four, Nidamanuru brings up the hundred next over cutting Schoonheim behind point for four more. Schoonheim seems irked at this and the next few balls are appreciably quicker, the third beating Smal’s outside edge, but otherwise has been going VRA’s way since drinks. Desperate times etc, Max O’Dowd’s going to have a bowl.

Umar Baker on for Hart from the City End, just two off his first over. Walburgh’s advanced to 47*, Barresi on 27*.

Saqib has been looking likely to cut loose, but Naqash gets a straight one through him and he’s bowled for 40. Riaz on 42* now, joined by Shoaib Minhas.

Schoonheim on after drinks and driven for four through extra by Smal. Good running for the rest of the over brings nine off it. Still Hoseinbaks at the other end, big shout on Smal for LBW but no joy, he didn’t hit it but can’t say much about the line from here. Four more to Nidamanuru driving through extra again last ball, good start after drinks for the hosts.

Aryan Kumar on from the Scoreboard End, with Hobson back from the other. Vandiar is looking pretty menacing, supported by young Teun Kloppenburg; he’s on 25*, and ACC need to get him if they’re to have any chance of a win here. 102 needed off 20.

Naqash’s medium pace replaces Ganesan’s spin from the Pavilion End, still Gopinath from the other. Riaz on to 41* now, Saqib on 28*. Salland badly need a wicket or two.

Drinks here at the Bos where Smal and Nidamanuru are steadying the innings. Hoseinbaks has bowled two tidy overs from the City End, and the asking rate is creeping up, but still manageable for now. 180 needed from 32.

Hart on for Ingram, but Walbrugh and Barresi, who joined him after drinks, have picked up where they left off against Salland on Thursday, and this is starting to look ominous for Excelsior.

Alphonse lofts Hans over long on for six, Vandiar hammering two more in his next to take the total into three figures, Then Alphonse, on 46, comes down the wicket to Arya, can’t get to the pitch, and hits a sharp return catch, which the bowler takes as he leaps to his left.

Spin from both ends now as Gopinath and Ganesan operate in tandem, but Riaz and Saqib have moved on to 33* and 17* respectively, keeping the scoreboard moving with singles and the occasional boundary.

Shot of the innings so far as Smal goes back and drives Jain hard through the on side for four, two balls later Nidamanuru cracks him through long off for four more to bring up the fifty. Hoornweg replaces Fletcher at Mulder’s End.

One brings two, as Gorlee slices Arya to deepish point, where Hobson takes the catch. Vandiar in at four.

Ingram on from the City End, Rens van Troost from the other. His first over’s a bit messy, starting with a no ball and including a couple of wides as well. Pote and Walbrugh now on 26* and 22* respectively. They’re gradually putting HBS into a . . . scrub that, Pote comes looking for a single as Walbrugh pushes the ball to midwicket, he’s sent back, and Hart’s return to Ingram is too quick for him. Cue drinks.

VOC keeping things tight in the field, fantastic stop from Jain at extra saves a certain four, and he himself profits from the pressure next over as Singh rocks back to pull, miscued high over mid on where Fletcher tracks back calmly and takes a fine catch as it drops over his shoulder. Nidamanuru at four, VRA rattled.

Mahesh Hans gets the much-needed breakthrough, Staal trying to loft him into Van Hogenhoucklaan and finding Raza instead. He made 33, and gives way to Gorlee, with Alphonse now on 28.

Tough chance as Rasool cuts Fletcher uppishly in front of point, where it’s just out of reach for Niaz and spins away for four. Fletcher has his revenge in the next howeever, Rasool playing across the line and struck on the pad, sustained appeal and up goes the finger. Smal in at three.

And it’s Lubbers who gets the second, as Asad Zulfiqar gets a tickle down the leg side and Ottachchige dives to his left to grab an outstanding one-handed catch. He goes for 17, with Saqib in at four to join Riaz.

Given the new ball in preference to Michael Hart, Heggelman too has bowled well up front, but Pote and Walbrugh are still there, building a foundation after the early loss of Mason.

Bartholomew is generating good pace, and his first five overs have yielded just 9 runs for Rehmat Zulfiqar’s wicket. Reinder Lubbers has been more expensive, but he continues from the Railway End.

At the end of the initial powerplay HCC look to be in charge, Staal lofting Reddy over wide mid-on for six. Kuhn turns to Arya as soon as the fielding restrictions are eased.

And after a rather lengthy lunch, we’re back. Singh and Rasool for the home side. VOC start with spin, Arnav Jain takes the new ball, and opens with a maiden to Rasool. Fletcher from Mulder’s End, Singh off the mark tuvking a back of a length ball to leg, Rasool pulling high over midwicket for three. One more for Singh to fine leg last ball, Jain to continue.

It’s been a while since HCC got off to a decent start, but this one’s looking promising, aided by some rather wayward bowling from Reddy in a stiff but fitful breeze.

Rehmat’s run of low scores continues, as he drives rather airily (and aerially) and finds Raxworthy at point. Mohsin Riaz in at three.

And at Thurlede, where Heggelman bowls Reece Mason with the third ball of the second over. Tayo Walbrugh in to join Pote.

The chase has started at De Diepput as well, Hobson opening with a maiden to Ratha Alphonse. Joseph Reddy from the Van Hogenhoucklaan End, and after a couple of wides Alphonse is off the mark with a lofted drive over mid-on.

They’re back out at Het Schootsveld, Reinder Lubbers taking the new ball from the Railway End and bowling to Rehmat Zulfiqar, who survives a big appeal for leg-before first ball and then drives the third just backward of square for four. The last runs off the edge to the third-man boundary. Fraser Bartholomew from the Pavilion End.

Visser wraps it up in the penultimate over, spearing one into the base of Fletcher’s stumps to complete his five-fer. He finishes with figures of 5-34, VOC falling six short of the 250-mark.

Another of the season’s pastings ends with Croes lofting Kroesen high over midwicket for six. With apparent injuries to Malik, Bukhari and Snoep, Sparta were on their uppers by the finish, but in truth they lost it long before that, when the batting imploded against Voorburg’s leg-spinners. Gigani finishes with a 58-ball 71, Croes with 37 from 44. Voorburg win by 9 wickets.

Visser’s keeping up a hostile pace here, Hoseinbaks largely opts to evade anything short. Dutt back from Mulder’s end, and tidy from him again. Next over Visser offers Hoseinbaks a bit of width, flashes at it and caught Singh in the gully. Fletcher last man.

Kroesen into the attack as Sparta run through their options in search of wickets, but Voorburg need only 47 now. Gigani on 44* off 40, Croes on 25*.

Another for Del Bianco as Niels Etman slices him to Drummond at cover point, but Rens van Troost and Umar Baker play out the final overs, just reaching 200 off the final delivery of the innings.

It ends with a run-out, as Reddy comes back for a second and is beaten by a direct him from Doram in the deep. You’d think that ACC might have taken that total if they’d been offered it at 11 o’clock.

Nidamanuru back, and that’s the wicket they wanted, albeit rather later than they’d have liked. De Kok’s down the track and looking to slam that over midwicket, edged to backward point and Rasool takes a simple catch. He goes for 65 off 59 having done a fine job for his side, but clearly feels he could have done more. Hoorweg at ten, Visser from the City end.

De Kok still going strong, in the slot from Singh and thumped over wide long on for six, then the next ball guided through vacant third slip for a hard run three. He loses his partner soon after though, Schoonheim cramped on the cut and baloons out in front of point, Turmaine’s quickly round from gully and holds a diving catch. Hoseinbaks in.

Ingram loses Van Troost, who cuts extravagantly at Adendorff and is caught by Klein. But he reaches his century, the tenth of his Topklasse career, swinging Del Bianco high and handsome over the midwicket boundary to move to 103. Next ball he’s gone, slog-sweeping and bowled.

Snoep has used five bowlers already, but no breakthrough as Gigani and Croes continue to knock off the runs. It’s looking very much as if Voorburg will be back at the top of the table before long.

A promising little knock by Wolfe comes to an end as Crowley removes his leg stump. He made 20, and last man Reddy joins Arya in the middle.

And a run-a-ball fifty for Tim de Kok, passes the milestone driving van Luin out through extra. Much needed knock from him. Turmaine back from Mulder’s end now and swept for four by Schioonheim, who takes VOC past 200 three balls later sweeping fine for two more. Ten overs to go, could get a serious score if this pair stay in.

200 up for ACC, but then Floyd fires one in at Zaidi, he can’t get down on it in time, and he’s bowled for 34. Devanshu Arya in to join Wolfe.

Levitt and Gigani weren’t hanging around either, but then Levitt, on 14, goes onto the back foot to Bukhari, can’t get over his shot, and Maninder Singh takes the catch at point. Noah Croes in at three.

Saqib gets Raxworthy, who tries to hit him over the top and finds Shafiq at deep mid-off. He goes for 60, and Fraser Bartholomew replaces him.

It’s Doram who gets the breakthrough, Raza trying to hoick him away square and missing. Doram doesn’t, and Raza departs for a fine 67. Mark Wolfe joins Zaidi.

Van Luin from the City End after drinks and a reprieve for TdK, miscued up over mid off where Abid’s tracking back but spills a tough chance over the shoulder. Ball’s rather following him today. 150 up for VOC and this has been an impressive recovery, both bats in the thirties now, Nidamanuru still from Mulder’s End.