Topklasse Live | T20 Round 1 | As it Happened

Adendorff and De Mey knock the ball about merrily, hitting a succession of fours and sixes which could be very valuable at the end of the day. 19 come off one Sikander Zulfiqar over, and though it’s unlikely to change the result of the match, it could make a big difference to the respective NRRs. De Mey takes two more sixes off Saqib’s final over, then Adendorff another, and in the end Punjab win by 12 runs. A lot closer than seemed likely twenty minutes ago. Adendorff ends on 42* from 19, De Mey 28* from 12.

Little left to fight for at Craeyenhout now than net run rate, and Klein usefully thumps Shafiq over midwicket for six, occasioning another long delay. Two balls later Shafiq gets his revenge, squeezing one through Klein and into middle stump.

And it’s all over, Crowley getting Lubbers caught and bowled and then bowling Van Seventer next ball. HCC win by 34 runs.

Who have lost both Saini, caught by Gorlee off Crowley for 11, and Van der Molen, bowled by Charumbira for 16. Reinder Lubbers and Ruan du Plessis carry on the increasingly hopeless battle.

Aha, we’re back, and just in time to tell you that Walbrugh, having hit Sikander Zulfiqar for successive sixes, has holed out to Riaz and gone for 45, made from 30 deliveries. Barresi went earlier, and now Adendorff and Klein are in the middle. But HBS need 85 from five overs, an even bigger ask than that facing Salland.

Saini and Van der Molen are still there, but they’re running out of overs: 45 needed off 18 balls, a big ask by any standards.

We’d love to be able to bring you a meaningful update from Craeyenhout, but unfortunately the online scoring has stopped. Walbrugh is still there, having lost at least a couple of partners, and he’s just smacked Saqib Zulfiqar over midwicket for six. One’s sense is that HBS are well behind the required rate, but that’s only an impression at this stage.

Another for Charumbira: Gopinath bowled without scoring. Van der Molen in to join Saini.

Charumbira into the attack, and he gets Raxworthy, caught by Jan-Wieger Overdijk at deep mid-off for 18. Then Jan-Wieger himself bowls Bartholomew, and Salland are on the ropes. Saini and Gopinath at the crease now.

Mason goes, slicing a catch off Aaliyan Mahmood to Minhas at backward point. He made 42 from 34 deliveries, and he’s given his side an outside chance of chasing down this forbidding target. Benno Boddendijk in to join Walbrugh.

Another for Doram, as Lubbers goes back but succeeds only in spooning a straightforward return catch to the big man. Raxworthy’s started well, going to 17* off 12, but he’ll need some support if Salland are going to win this. Fraser Bartholomew joins him now.

Hussain gets the breakthrough, Drummond dancing down the wicket swinging and seeing his leg stump go cartwheeling. Mason’s on 34* from 22, joined now by Tayo Walbrugh. 

Jan-Wieger Overdijk replaces his big brother, and he gets Ottachchige, caught by Hidde at wide mid-on (let’s be kind). Raxworthy joins his captain.

Another six for Mason off Shafiq, this time over long off and the path and deep into the undergrowth beyond. Long delay. No particular urgency. They’ll need the floodlights if this keeps up. Further delay for subtle adjustments to the field.  

Overdijk’s first two overs go for 21; fortune’s not on his side, as Lubbers top-edges a bouncer over the keeper’s head for four. Doram into the attack from the Van Hogenhoucklaan End, and Talha Khan edges his second ball into his stumps. Goes for 20, with Ottachchige joining Lubbers in the middle.

Mohammad Shafiq starts from the Scoreboard End to Reece Mason, who smacks his second ball over long on for six. A delicate tickle to fine leg earns him two more. Mubashar Hussain to Tim Drummond from the Sportlaan End.   

They’re back at De Diepput, Talha Khan taking 10 off Clayton Floyd’s opening over. Hidde Overdijk from the other end, bowling initially to Victor Lubbers.

All over at the Hazelaarweg, Laurens Boissevain coming in to hit two fours and finish it off. Voorburg win by 5 wickets.

De Mey removes Rehmat Zulfiqar, caught by Adendorff, but Sikander and Asad of that Ilk power the total past 200. Although Asad is run out getting Sikander back on strike, they finish well. Sikander ends on 41* from 23.   

Bartholomew returned to remove Crowley, who got a leading edge out to Du Plessis in the covers, but since then the brothers Overdijk have put up some spirited resistance, Hidde going to 47* off 30 before holing out to Gopinath off Lubbers. He’s given his side something to bowl at.

Croes isn’t going to hang around, and neither is Van Beek. And VOC ultimately don’t have enough to play with.

Youth Day continues at Craeyenhout, as Riaz tries to smack Joris van Oosterom over long on and instead finds  on the boundary. He goes for 44 from 27, and Van Oosterom barely celebrates, being doing this all his life. But Punjab have plenty of batting for the last four overs.

Hidde Overdijk doing his best to hold things together, but Gorlee has been bowled by Gijs van Molen and Daniel Doram’s been caught by Lubbers off Gopinath. Daniel Crowley in with Overdijk, who’s gone on to 31* off 16.

Musa swings across the line at Asief Hoseinbaks, the finger goes up, and VOC celebrate again. They don’t believe they’re out of this. Logan van Beek joins Croes.

Kyle Klein uproots Saqib’s middle and leg stumps with a yorker, and he departs for an 11-ball 31. Sikander replaces him. Riaz on 29*.

Levitt goes, down the wicket to Jain and stumped. VOC needed that, because with back-to-back fours followed by five wides, they were leaking runs. Not to mention they’re defending 93. Noah Croes in at four.

Boendermaker strikes again, this time getting the priceless wicket of Minhas, caught by Azzam Khan for a 34-ball 53. Saqib Zulfiqar in to join Riaz, and they’re making the most of the platform Minhas built for them: Saqib’s on 30* from just nine deliveries, while Riaz is on 27* from 20. Another big score on the cards here.

Another one down at De Diepput, and another for Du Plessis: Charumbira caught behind for 14. Gorlee in at eight to join Hidde Overdijk. It can’t be said that messing around with the batting order has paid off for HCC.

Voorburg have begun their chase, Gigani and Levitt taking on Arnav Jain to start. Single for Gigani, then Levitt hoists the bowler over midwicket. But VOC strike back, a direct hit beating Gigani as they try for a quick single. Musa Ahmad in to join Levitt.

Ruan du Plessis has Clayton Floyd caught by Saini as Salland continue to work their way through the HCC batting. And Shirsak Banerjee is caught behind next ball. Hidde Overdijk in on the hat-trick, but he gets off the mark with a single.

Wicket for young Boendermaker, as Usman gets a top edge hooking and is caught by Kyle Klein. Mohsin Riaz in to join Minhas.

A double breakthrough for Salland’s spinners, Gopinath taking a return catch to remove Staal for 7, then Teun Kloppenburg is stumped off Talha Khan after hitting a couple of boundaries. Patient Charumbira in to join Alphonse, who’s now in 30* off 16. Well, he was, but he’s just been bowled by Victor Lubbers, and HCC have some work to do.

Minhas the aggressor at Craeyenhout, with 20* from 14 in the first three overs.

Schoonheim gets to 16, but then he slogs at Mees van Vliet, starts for a run and then just keeps on running as Nehaan Gigani takes the catch. Max Hoornweg to the crease.

Ratha Alphonse goes onto the warpath again, taking two fours and a six off Fraser Bartholomew. Staal happy to watch the mayhem from the non-striker’s end.

And at Craeyenhout Punjab have called correctly and likewise opted to have a bat.

HCC have won the toss and elected to bat first in the final game of the day at De Diepput.

Atse Buurman chops Shariz into his stumps and departs for 1, Jelte Schoonheim in to join Arnav Jain. VOC in all sorts.

VOC’s travails continue: Seelaar goes after Shariz Ahmad and pulls him to Laurens Boissevain at deep square leg, then Edwards falls to Philippe Boissevain, sweeping hard into his off stump. Those that live by the sweep . . .

It goes down to the wire with a vergeance at Craeyenhout: Peiris is run out off the last ball of the penultimate over, leaving seven needed off the last. Then Turmaine’s run out as well, and they can only manage four. Punjab win by 2 runs!

Kuhn and Anis Raza get it down to just four needed off the final over, bowled by Balwantsingh. With his second delivery he gets Raza caught and bowled, and Hans joins Kuhn with four now needed from four deliveries. Hans’s job is surely to get Kuhn on strike, which he does with two balls left. Three off two. Kuhn only needs one ball, hitting the winning boundary and finishing on 73* from 52. ACC win by 5 wickets.

Van Luin run out, bringing Peiris to the crease to join Smal. 19 still needed of 18 deliveries, Punjab need four wickets. Having batted at three in the 50-over competition, Smal is, you’d think, the key.

We’ve hardly had a moment for the game at the Hazelaarweg, but VOC are in early trouble, Ryan Klein having removed both Tim de Kok and Max O’Dowd, and Van Beek having had Lane Berry caught behind. Scott Edwards and Pieter Seelaar, national captains both, have the task of turning things around.

Just when all seems lost for Salland, Bartholomew returns to get Verhagen, immediately after being dropped at long off, caught by Victor Lubbers at deep point for 62 off 45. Too little, too late, one feels, but you never know!

VRA in trouble now, with Shafiq having removed both Dutt for 14 and Luke Scully for 5. The Amsterdammers’ hopes now rest with Smal and Van Luin.

Tom Hoornweg gets the wicket Sparta so desperately needed, Hobson trapped in front for a 40-ball 69. Buys in to join Kuhn, now on 52*.

What is arguably the big game of the day is just getting under way at the Hazelaarweg, with VOC having won the toss and elected to bat. Tim de Kok opens with Max O’Dowd.

Kuhn and Hobson get to the halfway point with 68 needed off the last ten. Hobson goes to 50* off 30, while Kuhn’s on 43* off 26. Sparta really, really need to break this stand.

Nidamanuru gone, hitting a return catch to Aaliyan Mahmood and departing for 19. Dutt in to join Khan, who’s on 31* from 16.

Chasing a relatively low total, Verhagen and Etman can afford to wait for the bad ball, and Etman has no hesitation in lofting Talha Khan back over his head for six. That puts them back on track, just about the required rate.

Likewise, Nidamanuru and Zamaan Khan rebuilding for VRA at Craeyenhout, and going at nearly ten an over in the process. Ominous for Punjab.

Kuhn and Hobson are putting together a very valuable partnership after that early wicket; Kuhn on 30* now from 16 deliveries, Hobson on 18* from 15.

Excelsior make a steady start to their chase, but then Hart chases a wide one from Gopinath, misses, and is smartly stumped by Ottachchige. Tim Etman joins Verhagen.

Seriously, cricket is a weird, weird game. Singh could walk on water in the first match; this time he falls second ball to Mohammad Shafiq, caught by Minhas without scoring. Zamaan Khan in to join Nidamanuru.

An early wicket as ACC reply at the Bermweg: Rahil Ahmed caught by Balwantsingh off Joost-Martijn Snoep’s first delivery. Hobson in to join Heino Kuhn, who’s leading from the front today.

Last pair Sulaiman Tariq and Mubashar Hussain manage to get the total up to 154 before Hussain is run out looking for a third off the final delivery of the innings. Moderately competitive at Craeyenhout, provided they find a way of stopping Vikram Singh in his tracks.

Bartholomew’s run out by a fine throw from Niels Etman, and then Baker adds the scalps of Gijs van Seventer (first ball) and Ruan du Plessis to leave Salland reeling. And it ends with another direct hit, this time from Ingram to remove Om Sakthiyan Sankara Subbiah and end the innings.

A second wicket for Balk, Bukhari bowled for 12, and it’s left to Kroesen and Manminder Singh to bat through the final overs. ACC pulled that back well, but they’ll to bat equally well to chase down this total against the Sparta attack.

Wickets tumbling everywhere, with first Asad Zulfiqar caught and bowled by Dutt and then Mohammad Shafiq caught by Abid off Nidamanuru. Rehmat Zulfiqar is still there on 14*, joined now by Aaliyan Mahmood. And as I write that, Rehmat’s gone as well, caught by Nidamanuru off Dutt.

Umar Baker removes Van der Molen and Mitul Saini in the space of three deliveries, with Bartholomew little more than a spectator at the other end. Akhil Gopinath joins him, with Salland now in real trouble.

A useful little stand between Ahmadi and Bukhari comes to an end as the former falls in a very similar way to Raza, holing out to Thomas Hobson off Reddy’s bowling. Joost Kroesen in to join Bukhari.

Talha Khan makes to sweep Ingram and is bowled for 58, made from 44 deliveries. Gijs van der Molen in to join Bartholomew.

Sikander out for 30, caught by Abid off Nidamanuru, and Saqib soon follows, caught behind by Sachin Peiris off Singh for 19. Two more Zulfiqars replace them, Asad now on 7*, Rehmat on 4*.

Two crucial wickets for ACC: first Raza hammers a Pieter Buys delivery down the throat of Zinesh Master at deep mid-off and departs for 47, and then, next ball, there’s a wicket for Balk as Tarr holes out to deep midwicket. He goes for a 39-ball 53, and Mudassar Bukhari joins Khalid Ahmadi, who has yet to face a ball.

Lubbers gone, caught by Shankar off wicketkeeper-turned-spinner Verhagen for 22. Fraser Batholomew in to join Talha Khan, now on 44*.

On a day when youth is getting a place in the sun, ACC’s Tibo Balk is the latest into the attack. And Tarr reverse laps him to the boundary to move to 52* off 37; Raza’s on 42* from 23 at the other end, and Sparta look to be in the box seat.

Minhas gone, caught Van Luin off Singh for a 13-ball 25. A pair of identical Zulfiqars now at the crease, Sikander decidedly the more aggressive with 28* from 14 deliveries, Saqib on 9* from 11.

Ingram had Raxworthy caught by Tim Etman for 18, but Talha Khan’s still there on 40* off 30, batting now with skipper Victor Lubbers.

Clark went to 16 off 11 before he tried to hammer Raza away once too often and was comprehensively bowled, since when Tarr and Ali Raza have been making hay, Raza racing to 26* off 14 and Tarr moving to 35* off 28.

We’re similarly flying blind at Craeyenhout, where there’s also been a run-out, Usman beaten by Aaditt Jain and Dutt. Mohsin Riaz has gone as well, caught by Dutt off Jain’s bowling for a 13-ball 21.

Apologies: it turns out that Punjab are batting. Three boundaries off Abid’s first over, two for Shoaib Minhas, the other for Yasir Usman.

Garnett Tarr and Sam Ferguson open for Sparta, facing Anis Raza and Joseph Reddy And with the first ball of his second over Raza gets Ferguson, who swings across the line and is bowled. Will Clark in at three.

And – no rest for the wicked, or indeed, the virtuous – VRA will be straight back into it, Sulaiman Tariq having won the toss and chosen to field.

At the Bermweg the hosts have won the toss and opted to have a bat.

There’s no let-up today: at De Diepput Excelsior have won the toss and put Salland in. The start’s about ten minutes away.

Singh’s 150 comes off off just 60 balls, and by the time he hits the winning run he’s gone on to 161* from 64, with 19 fours and 11 sixes. That was utterly mesmeric, and you can only feel sorry for a young and inexperienced HBS attack which could do nothing to stop it. VRA win by five wickets.

Klein back, but Singh pulls him high over midwicket for his ninth six of the innings. Then a little wider for the tenth. A single keeps him on strike, and now on 148* off 57 deliveries. 16 needed off 24.

Azzam Khan’s first ball gets Dutt caught behind by Walbrugh, and then Zamaan Khan is leg-before next ball. The thought occurs: might Singh run out of partners? Tyler van Luin in on a hat-trick, but he plays safely enough to mid-off. If Singh was unsettled by those wickets he doesn’t show it, pulling Khan square for four, then trotting through for a single.

No relief for HBS meanwhile: their total was quietly adjusted to 223, but VRA look to be cruising. Singh has taken his six count to eight, with 17 fours, and his score to 128* from 49 deliveries, and VRA need 37 from 36 balls. As long as Singh’s there that shouldn’t be a problem, and from here they could almost do it in singles.

Alphonse and Gorlee knock off the remaining runs without undue difficulty; Alphonse finishes on 82* from 56 balls, and HCC win by nine wickets.

While all that was going on, Alphonse and Staal were proceeding in comparative stateliness towards an HCC victory. Both had passed fifty, but Staal eventually holed out to Roel Verhagen at long on and departed for a 44-ball 51. Alphonse still there on 77* from 52, and Boris Gorlee joins him.

Klein returns from the Sportlaan End: a single apiece and then Nidamanuru launches him over long on and far away. A wide which Klein thought had caught an edge produces a nasty, quick delivery, which Nidamanuru goes after but can only hit to De Mey on the long on boundary. Aryan Dutt in at five. A single off a no ball gets Singh on strike for the free hit, and he cuts hard and high to bring up a 37-ball century!

We’ll stay with this for the moment, but something remarkable is happening at Craeyenhout. Singh takes three fours and a six off Van Oosterom, and is now on 96* from 35 deliveries. We don’t have full statistics for the Dutch T20 Cup, but there can’t have been many innings as destructive. One Mudassar Bukhari onslaught at the Spanjaardslaan comes to mind, but if you can remember others . His last two boundaries, off Boendermaker, were outrageous ramp shots of which Peter Borren would have been proud.

11 fours and three sixes now in Singh’s 26-ball 68*, and he’s giving his side a real chance. The teenage attack continues, with Joris van Oosterom now into the attack.

Just three off Ingram’s second over, but HCC are cruising at this stage. Alphonse 44* from 30, Staal 25* from 18. And there’s a surprise: Roel Verhagen into the attack. Staal despatches his first ball over long on, but other than that (and a wide) his over is tidy enough. 45* and 33* the batters.

Young Elmar Boendermaker removes Smal, cutting at a lifting delivery and caught by Mason at point. Teja Nidamanuru in at four.

Alphonse is dominating the strike and the bowling, Staal content for now to play the secondary role until he gets one in the slot from Rens van Troost and belts it over long off.  A very good start by HCC, with Alphonse on 33* from 21 and Staal on 14* off nine.

They’re back at Craeyenhout as well, Barresi starting from the Sportlaan End and conceding nine off his over. Singh has opened with Luke Scully, and proceeds to go after Kyle Klein, hitting his first ball to the point boundary and following it up with a glance to fine leg, a fortuitous edge to third man, a lofted drive over mid-on, a glorious cut in front of point, and a lofted drive over extra cover. Literally hitting him all parts. You don’t often see six fours in an over, and Singh is on 32* off 10.

Barresi in more aggressive mode now, with Adendorff playing his part as well. Barresi brings up his fifty with an over to go, from 31 deliveries, and HBS have powered past 200. Abid manages to limit the damage to eight off the last with some exemplary death bowling, but 223 will take some getting, even at run-rich Craeyenhout. Barresi finishes with 54* from 32, Adendorff with 32* from 23.

Etman plants Charumbira back over his head for six, and Van Troost chips in with a boundary. 15 off it in all, but then Hidde Overdijk gets Etman, caught at cow corner by the dependable Staal for 26. Sanjit Shankar in at eight, and Overdijk does Etman with a shoulder-high bouncer, pulled hard, high and not particularly handsome to Jan-Wieger Overdijk, now in the same spot. Shankar skies the last to Doram at long off, so Overdijk has three for 3 in his final over, five for 25 in all, and Excelsior have to settle for 155.

Stan van Troost holes out to Tonny Staal at long off off Hidde Overdijk and departs for 31. He, too, is succeeded by his brother, Rens coming in to join Niels Etman. Two overs left, and Excelsior could do with at least another 20 or so.

Barresi’s content to keep pushing singles, giving the strike back to Drummond. But he can’t get Teja Nidamanuru away, his first over conceding only six singles. Then Turmaine gets him, as he swings half across the line and slices the ball to Zamaan Khan at deep point. His 68 came from 38 deliveries, and included six fours and three sixes. Nic Adendorff in to join Barresi.

A pretty good spell from Jan-Wieger Overdijk, conceding just 29 runs from his four overs. Floyd has done even better, just 12 from his first three as HCC turn the screw.

Halfway at Craeyenhout, and HBS seem to be on for a very challenging total. Drummond’s still there on 44* from 26, with Barresi settling in at the otber end. Dutt back into the attack.

Etman cuts Floyd, uppishly and into the hands of debutant Shirsak Banerjee at backward point. Gone for 29, and brother Niels joins Van Troost.

And a big, big wicket for VRA at Craeyenhout, where Ashir Abid returns from the Scoreboard End, Walbrugh tries to hit him into the trees beyond long on, and finds Johan Smal on the boundary. He goes for 6, and Wesley Barresi’s in to join Drummond, now on 35* from 18.

A wicket for Doram at De Diepput, as Verhagen swings across the line and is bowled. He made 37 from 23 deliveries, and now Stan van Troost joins Etman, who has 26* from 21.

Just when it seemed that VRA might be getting things back under control, Singh produces an over of rare messiness, 29 coming from it, with a a couple of no-balls, two fours and two sixes, all by Drummond. He’s taken up where Mason left off, and now had 32* from 15 balls.

Mason goes to 52* from 20 deliveries with a four to long on off Jain, having taken a six and three fours off Leon Turmaine’s previous over. But that’s as far as it goes, as he swings at the next one, which gets too high on him, and top-edges it to Ashir Abid at deep backward point. Benno Boddendijk a slightly surprising no. 3, but he goes first ball, caught by Tyler van Luin as he skies Jain to deep square leg. Tayo Walbrugh in next.

Ingram starts purposefully, taking a four and a six off Charumbira, but then he chops on to Hidde Overdijk and departs for 11. Tim Etman in at four, with Excelsior making a terrible start.

Three fours for Reece Mason off Ashir Abid’s opening over. Tim Drummond is Mason’s partner, and he will face Aryan Dutt from the Scoreboard End.

A wicket first ball at De Diepput, where Michael Hart swings fairly wildly at Patient Charumbira and succeeds only in skying the ball out to Hidde Overdijk at deep midwicket. Lorenzo Ingram in to join skipper Roel Verhagen.

HBS batting first at Craeyenhout, Vikram Singh having won the toss.

.At De Diepput Boris Gorlee has won the toss and invited Excelsior to have a bat.