Asides

Voorburg and Rotterdam take it down to the wire

Rod Lyall 28/06/26

Voorburg and Rotterdam took their battle for the Topklasse title down to the final blockbuster weekend with comfortable victories on Saturday, while HCC gave themselves at least a mathematical chance of overtaking them both with a win in the day’s shortest encounter.

But to snatch the championship the Lions would have to win both their matches next weekend, against Kampong and Rotterdam, while Voorburg would need to lose to both Hermes-DVS and Kampong and Rotterdam would need to be beaten by VOC as well as by HCC. Snowballs in Hell probably have better prospects.

Leaders Voorburg posted the day’s highest total on Saturday, their 282 for two at Westvliet overhauling VRA’s 280 for seven with 20 deliveries to spare.

The Amsterdammers’ top order had set them up for a solid total, Sam Cassidy (87) and Lovepreet Padda (57) putting on 122 for the first wicket in 29 and a half overs, and then Johan Smal (40 from 37 deliveries), jack Cassidy (33 from 19) and Ibaad Zaidi (28 not out from 15) pushed on to set their hosts a run rate in excess of five and a half an over.

Michael Levitt hit a brisk 40 when Voorburg replied, and then Cedric de Lange and Gavin Kaplan took over, adding 161 for the second wicket as VRA’s bowlers suffered even more than their opponents’ attack had done.

De Lange eventually fell for 93, just missing out on his fourth century of the season, but Kaplan continued in company with Bas de Leede, hitting back-to-back boundaries to complete the win and finish on exactly 100, his second hundred in four innings, this one made from 93 deliveries with twelve fours.

At Craeyenhout, HBS battled their way to 208 for eight against Rotterdam, most of those runs coming from Tayo Walbrugh (49) and Lucas del Bianco, who continued his purple patch with an unbeaten 89 after coming in at a precarious 59 for four.

Most of the damage had been done by Muhammad Gondal, who removed both openers and the dangerous Lehan Botha and finished with three for 32.

Rotterdam were never in any real trouble in their chase, although the decisive contribution was a fourth-wicket stand of 106 between Mohsin Riaz (52 not out) and Saqib Zulfiqar (50), which took their side to within 11 runs of their target.

Sikander Zulfiqar then helped Riaz knock off the balance, and Rotterdam won by six wickets with 18.4 overs to spare, further enhancing their already-impressive net run rate.

Daniel Crowley recorded a career-best six for 31 at De Diepput as HCC dismissed relegation-threatened VOC for 142 in exactly 30 overs, Jason van der Meulen again the Bloodhounds’ top scorer with a defiant 42-ball 46.

Then Teun Kloppenburg effectively settled the issue with a remarkable 49 from just 16 deliveries, including four fours and five sixes, making opening partner Tonny Staal’s 20-ball 33 seem positively sedate, and although Ramdas Upadhyaya picked up three for 29 and Ahsan Malik two for 34, HCC raced to a five-wicket victory in 22.3 overs, boosting their NRR and keeping their slim hopes of a 48th men’s title at least theoretically alive.

VOC’s plight was further exacerbated by Hermes-DVS’s five-wicket win against Kampong at Maarschalkerweerd, which lifted the Schiedammers three points clear of their Rotterdam rivals and effectively clear of relegation.

VOC now need to win both their final games, against Rotterdam and VRA, and hope that Hermes are unable to pick up the two points they would require to stay ahead; in reality, given the teams’ NRRs, one point would almost certainly be enough for Hermes.

Kampong’s 228 for five on Saturday was largely built on a third-wicket stand of 91 between Dutch internationals Max O’Dowd (53) and Scott Edwards, who went on to end the innings on 96 not out, having added another 90 with skipper Alex Roy (34 not out).

But Daniel Doyle, who made made 49 before he was stumped by Edwards – taking over the gloves from Damien van den Berg for this game – and Ash Ostling, unbeaten on 74, steered Hermes to victory, Aryan Dutt chipping in with a useful 38.

Preview Round 12

Rod Lyall & Bertus de Jong | 24-06-2026

27 June may well prove to be the Day of the Banana-Skins, as the current top four all face bottom-four opponents in a round where any surprises could have a big effect on the final standings. It’s a pity that there are no play-offs this season, since with only two points separating third from sixth, all four games would have been crucial had the mid-table sides been battling for a place in the semi-finals. That’s a missed opportunity, but with three of the bottom four winning last week there’s still plenty to look forward to.

RL: This week’s leaders, Voorburg, are at home to fifth-placed VRA, who effectively ended Kampong’s remaining hopes of defending their title last Saturday. Their meeting back in May had a sensational conclusion when VRA lost four wickets for two runs and threw away a match they seemed to have in their pockets, but they have been much more consistent since then and will be aiming to topple their hosts at Westvliet. Even the loss of Vikram Singh hasn’t thrown them off their stride, with Sharad Hake providing a cutting edge with the new ball and Ibaad Zaidi and now Jack Cassidy giving greater strength to the middle order. No doubt delighted to have their internationals back, Voorburg recovered from a shaky start to chase down Rotterdam’s 320 last Saturday, and if there are questions about the efficacy of their bowling, their ability to bat deep and productively may stand them in good stead.

BdJ: Last week’s result at the Bos will have been a relief for the hosts, but it does make things a little less interesting at both ends of the table. VRA are effectively out of the woods and free to play spoiler in their next three games, which could all prove crucial to their opponents’ hopes of survival or, as is the case this week, claiming the title. Voorburg will likely prove a sterner test than an understrength and rather ragged-looking Kampong were last Saturday though, even if they haven’t quite worked out where to source their optimal fifty overs from. It’s worth pointing out that even on the bowling side of things VCC still have the likes of Aaditt Jain on the bench, who was a first team regular at VRA and would likely make the current team too. While the hosts are arguably spoilt for choice VRA have been getting the most out of dwindling resources, but both sides have looked better with the bat of late, and with scorching temperatures expected this (and indeed every match this weekend) may well come down to who can better endure a long day chasing leather in the baking sun.

RL: Relegated to second spot but hoping to take advantage of any slip-up by their rivals, Rotterdam travel to Craeyenhout to take on HBS. There is no doubt whatsoever about the power of the Rotterdammers’ batting line-up, but there may be some concern about the effectiveness of the attack as a wicket-taking unit after that defeat by Voorburg, especially when Sikander Zulfiqar is unable to supplement the pace of Carl Mumba and the economical seam bowling of Sulaiman Tariq. When they’re batting, however, the primary task of opposing bowlers is to keep them under 300, and that will be no easy assignment for Kyle Klein and his colleagues, the progress made by Joris van Oosterom notwithstanding. Of the regular bowlers only he and Benno Boddendijk have gone at under five an over this season, and while allowance must be made for the fact that they play their home games at Craeyenhout, they may have trouble containing their visitors to a total within the scope of a batting line-up which has largely been held together by Kent Goedeke and Lucas del Bianco.

BdJ: Given that they’re reliably making 300+ every time they get a chance, Rotterdam have rarely needed to bowl particularly well to rack up wins so far this season. Voorburg have been the only side to match them boundary for boundary so far, though it’s worth noting HBS did rack up a big 300-plusser of their own at home VOC early in the season, and have on occasion chased down substantial 250+ scores even without any substantial contribution from their run-starved skipper. Walbrugh staging a sudden escape from slumpsville could potentially shift the odds given an RCC bowling attack that has been somewhat off the boil, but fair to say the Crows start as outsiders.

RL: HCC’s defeat by Hermes last week pretty much put an end to any putative title challenge, but they will be keen to consolidate their position in the top half of the table when they take on VOC at De Diepput. The Bloodhounds have come frustratingly close in the last two games after beating a below-strength Kampong on 6 June, but they will need to be at their best against a HCC side no doubt smarting after throwing away what seemed like certain victory against Hermes. The experiment of switching Caleb Montague from keeper to bowler didn’t come off against HBS, and generally speaking VOC have had considerable difficulty in settling upon an optimal disposal of their admittedly limited resources. HCC, by contrast, have a very steady outfit, no fewer than ten of their squad having played in at least ten of their games. If the batting has something of a bits-and-pieces quality, the bowling remains the key to the side’s performances, Josh Brown now the leading wicket-taker in the competition and Justin Trijzelaar and Daniel Crowley giving him great support.

BdJ: Yep fair to say that, broadly speaking, the games where HCC collected points this season have been won with the ball rather than the bat. Tonny Staal has quietly had an excellent season in the opening slot, but the rest of the senior bats’ contributions have been more modest. Gorlee’s own role has arguably been limited by his dropping down the order, and a case might be made for the skipper coming in earlier, though there’s also plenty to be said for keeping young Kloppenberg and Banerjee where they are at this point in the season. For VOC meanwhile getting their combinations right is imperative, with the prospect of relegation looming and assignments only getting tougher from here.

RL: Similarly Kampong, top of the table four weeks ago, are now firmly in the middle, and will welcome to Maarschalkerweerd a Hermes-DVS side desperate to stay ahead of VOC and out of the relegation spot. The defending champions clearly missed skipper Alex Roy against VRA last week, but in truth the problems go deeper than that. Lorenzo Ingram’s contributions have been limited, especially since his return from injury, and with 226 of Max O’Dowd’s 313 runs having come in just two innings and Damien van den Berg yet to pass 50, the batting has tended to rely too much on Scott Edwards and the admirable Pierre Jacod. Hermes, one feels, are potentially a better side than their lowly position suggests, even if the batting is rather top-heavy and the bowling at times expensive. This game may well prove closer than the current table suggests, and if Kampong are at anything below their best it may be the most likely to provide an upset.

BdJ: The defending champions have admittedly been hampered by mounting injury and availability issues, but even accounting for at times enforced changes they’ve looked to be on something of a slide as the season wears on. They’ll be further hampered now by the loss of Lachlan Bangs, their stand-out bowler last week, who’s returned to Australia. Hermes will indeed have an opportunity on Saturday if they can take advantage, though the Sky Blues have also looked less than the sum of their parts this season. They will however be back to full strength again and, one imagines, the more motivated of the two sides in what is likely to be a grueling encounter in the heat.

RL’s picks: Voorburg, Rotterdam, HCC, Hermes

BdJ’s picks: Voorburg, Rotterdam, HCC, Kampong

Thrillers abound as Voorburg edge another runfest

Rod Lyall 21/06/26

With three of Saturday’s matches remaining undecided until the final over, one could scarcely ask for a more competitive Topklasse, or for more pulsating cricket.

The most significant result, perhaps, came at the Zomercomplex, where after a shaky start Voorburg successfully chased down Rotterdam’s 320 for seven, their fifth 300-plus total of the season.

On their previous encounter, at Westvliet on 14 May, these teams had smashed between them, in a match halved by rain, 461 runs in 50 overs for the loss of eight wickets; now, with the weather playing a more marginal role, they produced 641 runs in 99.4 overs.

Put in to bat, Rotterdam could thank Mohsin Riaz, who hit 90 at almost a run a ball, and Saqib Zulfiqar, whose unbeaten 86 required just 70 deliveries, for their relatively comfortable position at the innings break, and when Carl Mumba and Muhammad Gondal reduced Voorburg to 35 for two the leaders appeared to be heading for what would have been a crucial victory.

That was the cue, however, for a 172-run stand for the third wicket between Gavin Kaplan, whose 130 was his seventh and highest Topklasse century, and Bas de Leede, who contributed 54.

114 were still required from 80 deliveries when Musa Ahmad removed De Leede, and when Kaplan, too, departed, the equation was 95 from 61.

Rotterdam were seemingly back in the game, but a spirited stand between Noah Croes and Ryan Klein kept the scoreboard rattling along, and although Musa eventually removed Klein for a 26-ball 39 and Ahmad Shafiq dismissed Michael Rippon soon afterwards, Croes continued until the scores were level before departing for a match-winning 58 from 38 deliveries.

By now the match was in its final over, but Waseem Mohsen was able to conjure the winning single with two balls remaining, and Voorburg returned to the top of the table.

That excitement was fully matched by the relegation-zone clash on the other side of Rotterdam, where VOC achieved their highest total of the season, running up 253 against HBS before they were all out off the final ball of their allotted 50 overs.
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Caleb Montague top-scored with 78, Ethan Price contributed 40, and – not for the first time – Ahsan Malik hit a useful 35 in the closing stages; there were two wickets apiece for seamers Joris van Oosterom and Benno Boddendijk.

The Crows’ reply was in trouble at 78 for four withj Tayo Walburgh and Lehan Botha both among those back in the dugout, but Kent Goedeke and Lucas del Bianco turned the innings around with a fifth-wicket stand of 172, taking their side to within four runs of their target before Jason van der Meulen returned to bowl the final over.

With his first delivery he removed Del Bianco for 66, but Goedeke had reached a maiden Topklasse century, and from Van der Meulen’s penultimate delivery he struck the winning boundary, finishing on 108 not out, made from 105 balls with eight fours.

Of the three tight finishes, perhaps the most remarkable came at the Boudewijn Hoek Oval in Schiedam, where home side Hermes-DVS pulled off a last-minute, six-run victory over HCC.

With a delayed start after overnight rain, Hermes captain Sebastiaan Braat may have regretted his decision to bat first, as his top order struggled in bowler-friendly conditions against a disciplined HCC attack.

Batting at three, Ash Ostling made 96 for the Sky Blues, but he took 41 deliveries to get into double figures, and with his partners, including the normally-aggressive Olivier Elenbaas, also finding the going tough, after 27 overs the total was only 80 for three.

Ostling now accelerated, supported in the closing stages by a brisk 29 from Braat himself, and Hermes closed on 221 for six.

HCC had reached 22 for no loss in five overs when rain drove the players from the field, and after a prolonged delay their innings was cut to 34 overs, with a revised DLS target of 182.

They reached 92 before Shirsak Banerjee fell to an outstanding catch by Daniel Doyle-Calle, and two more wickets fell for the addition ofjust six runs, including Tonny Staal for a 47-ball 61.

The runs now began to dry up, and although Boris Gorlee worked hard with the middle order, with six overs left 32 were still required with four wickets in hand.

The Hermes bowlers maintained the pressure, and 12 were still needed with two overs remaining.

Kothari now dismissed first Daniel Crowley and then Thijs Vrolijk with successive deliveries, and HCC went into the final over with nine still required.

Two runs later Gorlee fell for 30, and although last man Teun Leijer managed to hit Mussayab Jamil to midwicket, the batters’ attempt to run a second proved in vain as Braat’s return to keeper David Rushmere was too quick for Leijer.

HCC had lost four wickets in six deliveries for the addition of three runs, and Hermes had completed a victory which lifted them off the bottom of the table.

An almost single-handed knock of 136 by Max O’Dowd was not enough to bring Kampong victory against VRA in the Amsterdamse Bos, as his side was only able to reach 249 for eight in reply to their hosts’ 284 for eight.

VRA had struggled early on, but their innings was turned around by a sixth-wicket stand of 116 between keeper Jack Cassidy (87) and Ibaad Zaidi (56), and although Lachlan Bangs claimed three for 58 and Saurabh Zalpuri three for 71, Lorenzo Ingram contributing an economical stint and going for just 27 from his ten overs, the home side passed 250 for the fourth time this season.

Kampong lost Damien van den Berg off the first ball of their reply, the first of three wickets for their seam spearhead Sharad Hake, who also had Scott Edwards caught behind for a duck and whose spell of three for 15 in eight overs set his side decisively on the path to victory.

Pierre Jacod (57 at a run a ball) helped O’Dowd add 93 for the fourth wicket, but the runs were coming too slowly, and when Jacod departed 157 were still required from the final 20 overs.
Even O’Dowd’s hitting was insufficient for that task, and although he struck six sixes and as many fours in his 136, when he was dismissed in the penultimate over Kampong were still 43 shy of their target.

The defeats for HCC and Kampong leave them four points behind leaders Voorburg with three rounds remaining, and barring an extraordinary denouement the title race now appears to be reduced to two contenders, Voorburg and Rotterdam, while at the other end of the table the relegation battle is effectively between Hermes and VOC.

Preview Round 11

Rod Lyall & Bertus de Jong | 17-06-2026

Just eight points apiece up for grabs now, with only three points separating first from fourth and fifth from eighth. From which you might conclude that (a) there are going to be quite a few four-pointers in the next three weeks, and (b) that there is, after all, a good deal to be said for the eight-team model. Teams should be back to full strength for this final run-in, and it’s all set to be an extremely interesting sprint down the home straight.

RL: For the second week in a row, leaders Rotterdam take on their nearest challengers, Voorburg having leap-frogged Kampong as a result of last Saturday’s matches. The visitors squeezed three points out of their two games without their internationals, and will be relieved to have skipper Noah Croes, openers Cedric de Lange and Michael Levitt, and middle-order batter Bas de Leede back in the side for what is certain to be their biggest challenge of the second half of the campaign. The sides’ previous meeting, of course, was that extraordinary 25-over game on 14 May, which produced 461 runs in 50 overs, including De Lange’s 63-ball 125, and the Rotterdammers’ first defeat of the season, and Sikander Zulfiqar’s side will be very keen indeed to avenge that defeat this time. Since then their already-powerful batting line-up has been strengthened by the advent of Abdul Rehman Niazi, and Voorburg’s bowlers will doubtless have their work cut out to contain the Rotterdammers’ top order, while their own, largely restored batters will have to deal with an extremely testing attack. In the absence of play-offs, this could well prove to be the match of the season.

BdJ: Indeed given the state of the table this looks the fixture most likely to prove decisive when the time comes to total up the points and dole out the silverware. After having to dip into the reserves over the last couple of weeks, Voorburg find themselves facing some tricky selection decisions now, with Waseem Mohsen having laid indisputable claim to his spot, Don Glover making runs last week and Tom de Leede also impressing on return. Conversely the international contingent are all a tad short of cricket, which of course is not a game one can reasonably expect to play at King City. De Lange nonetheless impressed after being thrown into the deepest of deep ends on ODI debut, and at full strength Voorburg are arguably the only side in the league that have batting to match the Rotterdammers. Questions remain about the bowling side of things for both sides however, with neither looking entirely sure of their best attack and, barring Saqib Zulfiqar and Jaynul Islam, both team’s front line attack rather upstaged by their part-timers. If Voorburg’s quicks can fire however, HCC’s seam section did show that RCC can be vulnerable early at home.

RL: Now in third place on net run rate and three points behind the leaders, HCC travel to the renamed Boudewijn Hoek Oval to face Hermes-DVS. Their hosts will perhaps be the happiest of all about the return of their internationals, who will add incisiveness to their attack and take some of the weight of run-scoring from the shoulders of David Rushmere, who carried the batting almost single-handed while they were away. The Sky Blues will have to face both Kampong and Voorburg before finishing their campaign against HBS, and they will breathe much easier if they are able to pick up two points here. HCC, however, have won six of their last eight games, and with a rejuvenated Tonny Staal scoring consistently at the top of the order and Boris Gorlee at his best against HBS last week, they will travel to Schiedam with plenty of confidence. We have repeatedly sung the praises of their attack, and even Rushmere will need to be in top form if Hermes are to have a chance.

BdJ: Hermes might be excused for wondering whether it was really necessary to deprive them of their captain and pace spearhead for the last two weeks given that Logan van Beek ended up getting flown in to play ahead of either of them, but will certainly be happy to welcome them back for what is indeed a must-win for them on Saturday. They’ll also be hoping Daniel Doyle-Calle’s ankle sprain won’t keep him out another week, and that what remains a formidable batting line up finally delivers on its potential. They’ll be coming up against an HCC seam attack that has consistently delivered, even in the absence of Hidde Overdijk. On form the hosts will start as underdogs on home turf, but may take comfort from the fact that despite their winning run HCC still have a losing record on grass this season.

RL: Straddling the gulf between top four and bottom four, the encounter in the Amsterdamse Bos is between VRA, for whom the priority is staying clear of the relegation zone, and Kampong, who cannot afford another defeat if they are to have a realistic chance of retaining their title. Centuries for both Sam Cassidy and Teja Nidamanuru against Hermes last week suggested that the Amsterdammers’ season is perhaps coming together despite the loss of Vikram Singh, and it was a bonus for them to see Sharad Hake getting among the wickets early. Kampong just squeezed home at Maarschalkerweerd on 14 May, and they will hope for a much greater contribution from their top order in this return match. It’s a fair bet that Max O’Dowd and Scott Edwards will find batting conditions in the Amsterdamse Bos a good deal more congenial than those in King City, and despite the four-point gap between the teams on the current table, this too seems likely to be a very even battle.

BdJ: VRA will doubtless be thankful that they were spared the loss of their skipper for the last couple of rounds, and doubtless Nidamanuru and Shariz Ahmad have been enjoying thier time at the Nordic Smash this week rather more than anyone has ever enjoyed anything at the jumped-up landfill that the (thankfully suspended) clowns at Cricket Canada are somehow still successfully passing off as an ODI ground. Ahem. On the assumption that VRA’s captain/manager at least will duck out early should Stockholm make Saturday’s final, the hosts will have a substantial advantage in terms of bats in form. Singh’s misadventure in Canada does still leave a hole in the bowling though, as despite already missing two rounds he still has more than twice the wickets of anyone else in the attack, at half the average. Kampong meanwhile will also welcome back their skipper, who himself impressed on debut for the Dutch. The recent run of results may not be on their side, but I’d still make the defending champions favourites at full strength on Saturday.

RL: One of the gilt-edged four-pointers will be at the Hazelaarweg, where VOC are at home to HBS Craeyenhout. Just a point ahead of Hermes, this is perhaps the best opportunity of their last four games for the Bloodhounds, who will have been desperately disappointed to miss out on victory over a below-strength Voorburg last week. VOC’s batters passed 200 for only the fourth time in that game, and while their top and middle order often get a start, they have seldom been able to bat on and make a truly significant contribution. There have also been selection issues, but the team looks a little better-balanced (and a good deal more experienced) with the return of Tim de Kok and of Pierce Fletcher. For HBS, the form of Tayo Walbrugh has been another recurring theme on these virtual pages: with just 180 runs at 20.00 he has been a shadow of the player who averaged 59 or better in each of the five previous seasons, and although Lucas del Bianco, Kent Goedeke and at times Lehan Botha have taken up some of the slack, the Crows will be hoping that their captain’s undoubted class is in evidence in the closing rounds.

BdJ: Walbrugh’s run of poor form has at least spared him the ordeal of a trip to the very worst international cricket ground in the world, but now that the threat of being picked for a tour to King City has passed one might suggest it’s a good time to start making some runs. Though currently three points clear of the wooden spoon spot, after the Crows only have games against frontrunners RCC and then VRA away at the Bos to come before a potential showdown against relegation-slot incumbents Hermes in the final round. The relegation tussle might thus be said to start in earnest this week, and though HBS have arguably underperformed all season while VOC have looked to be slowly strengthening, it would be a surprise to see them on equal points this time next week.

RL’s picks: Rotterdam, HCC, Kampong, HBS.

BdJ’s picks: Voorburg, HCC, Kampong HBS.

Rotterdam see off Kampong; Rushmere does it again

Rod Lyall 14/06/26

Not, perhaps, since the heyday of the legendary Nolan Clarke has the Dutch competition seen a player with the determination to post really big scores and both the skill and temperament to do so on a fairly regular basis, as Hermes’ David Rushmere is proving himself to be.

Having announced his arrival with 169 on the season’s opening day, Rushmere had a run of low scores before rediscovering his form with 118 (out of a total of 188) against Rotterdam last week.

And on Saturday he was at it again, producing a 124-ball 167 as Hermes chased VRA’s imposing 313 for eight and getting his side to within 38 runs of their opponents’ total.

The VRA innings was built on a third-wicket stand of 192 between Sam Cassidy and skipper Teja Nidamanuru, which enabled them to recover from a perilous 14 for two; Cassidy eventually fell for 103, but Nidamanuru continued to his own hundred – remarkably, his first in the Topklasse – before being dismissed for 104 as the Amsterdammers pushed on towards 300.

He eventually became one of four victims for Ralph Elenbaas, at a cost of 71 runs, but quick-fire cameos from Jack Cassidy and Udit Nashier took them past that milestone.

Opening in place of the absent Daniel Doyle-Calle, Rushmere saw his side slump to 43 for three, all three wickets grabbed by Sharad Hake, before he found a partner in stand-in skipper Nick Statham, who contributed 51 as the pair put on 117 for the fourth wicket, bringing Hermes back into the game.

Once Statham had departed Rushmere again watched as wickets fell steadily at the other end, but he continued the pursuit almost single-handed, going past his 150 and hitting a succession of boundaries before he was the last to fall, caught off Nidamanuru as he attempted another six to go with the 17 fours and six sixes he had already struck.

The defeat left Hermes still at the foot of the table, but they could derive some consolation from the fact that their rivals in the relegation battle, VOC and HBS, both also lost.

VOC’s 13-run defeat by Voorburg was the outcome of a seesawing battle at Westvliet, where the home side recovered from 52 for four to post 238 for seven, thanks mainly to Michael Rippon’s 69 and Don Glover’s 71, and the fifth-wicket partnership of 133 they shared.

Tom de Leede chipped in with an unbeaten 39, ensuring that VOC would need their highest total of the season to take the points.

Tim de Kok made 44 and Jason van der Meulen 38 when they replied, but at 145 for six they were again in trouble, and only a stand of 51 between Ahsan Malik (29) and Asief Hoseinbaks (27) took them to within striking distance of their target.

Then Jaynul Islam removed both in the same over, and Waseem Mohsen ended the innings, finishing with four for 41 as VOC were all out for 225.

At De Diepput, outside title contenders HCC were too strong for HBS, dismissing them for 178 and chasing down their target for the loss of just two wickets.

Kent Goedeke (41) and Lucas del Bianco (60 not out) were the mainstay of the HBS innings, while Josh Brown and Justin Trijzelaar were again the most effective of the Lions’ attack, taking three for 37 and three for 43 respectively.

Tonny Staal and Shirsak Banerjee gave HCC a bright start, and once they had gone Zac Worden and Boris Gorlee finished the job with an unbroken stand of 103, Worden ending on 46 not out and Gorlee hitting a 50-ball, unbeaten 70, which included seven fours and four sixes, taking their side home with more than 15 overs to spare.

The top-of-the-table clash between Kampong and Rotterdam was reduced to 38 overs a side after overnight rain, Sikander Zulfiqar’s side reinforcing their position as leaders with an emphatic 49-run victory.

They, too, started badly, Shirsak Kumar and Lachlan Bangs reducing them to 21 for three, but they were rescued, first by Shoaib Minhas and Abdul Rehman Niazi (37), and then by Minhas and Saqib Zulfiqar.

Minhas eventually fell for 61, but Saqib stayed to the end, making an unbeaten, 34-ball 50 as Rotterdam reached 197 for eight.

This always looked likely to be too much for Kampong, and although Bangs made 59 before he was run out, the defending champions were all out for 148.

Voorburg’s narrow win keeps them within a point of Rotterdam, although with a greatly inferior net run rate, with HCC and Kampong a further two points behind.

In the lower half of the table, VRA have somewhat eased their concerns about relegation, although only three points separate VRA in fifth spot from Hermes at the bottom, with HBS and VOC also in the danger area, and four rounds remaining.

Preview Round 10

Bertus de Jong & Rod Lyall

Distractions abound this weekend as we push further toward the business end of the Topklasse season; the Netherlands women’s team are set to return to the global stage for the first time since before the ICC ran women’s world cups, the men’s team are in Canada for their ongoing CWC League 2 engagement, and we’re told there’s even some soccer happening. That’s all none of our business here at TK of course, except insofar as the men’s team being forced to endure King City for another week continues to unevenly affect availability for our four fixtures on Saturday.

BdJ: Arguably the most significant result arguably attributable in part to the national team’s absence was VOC’s upset win over an understrength Kampong last weekend, and the defending champions will again be without their skipper and two senior bats when they take on frontrunners Rotterdam at Maarschalkerweerd on Saturday looking to reclaim the lead. Without Roy, Edwards and O’Dowd the hosts will start as underdogs against a Rotterdam side that boast four bats averaging well north of 40. Of available Kampong bats, only Pierre Jacod is averaging over 30 this season, and the off-spinning all-rounder will likely have a key role to play with the ball too if the defending champions are to stage an upset.

RL: Rotterdam don’t need any assistance from the national selectors to take the field brimming with confidence against any team in the competition, and although they have suffered the odd aberration, their batting line-up is one of the most powerful ever assembled in the Dutch top flight. But the bowling, while it attracts less attention, is also formidable, especially in the spin department. Apart from a bag of six against Hermes early on, Carl Mumba has perhaps been a less incisive spearhead than Rotterdam may have hoped, but Ahmed Shafiq, Saqib Zulfiqar, Shoaib Minhas, Musa Ahmad and Muhammad Gondal more than make up for that. For Kampong, Saurabh Zalpuri filled in admirably for the absent Alex Roy, The return of Lorenzo Ingram, too, could not have come at a better time for the defending champions, and although his contribution against VOC was limited, the mere presence of his vast experience is a considerable asset in a team deprived of its other senior players.

BdJ: VOC themselves will travel to Westvliet looking to strike again while the iron is hot, taking on a weakened Voorburg. The return of Gavin Kaplan has gone some way to mitigate the loss of four top order bats to Oranje, but it took a maiden century from Ryan Klein at five to get VCC to a respectable score against HBS last week before the rain put a stop to proceedings. Meanwhile VOC’s attack was bolstered by Vivian Kingma who took three wickets on debut for his new club last week, and may well be fired up on return to Westvliet. Paired with Roman Harhangi VOC could bring an incisive new ball attack to bear on Voorburg’s threadbare top order, and might just sense an opportunity to put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone.

RL: Voorburg will probably feel that they stood up pretty well to the loss of most of their top order against HBS, and perhaps a little frustrated that the adverse weather meant they had to be content with a point. A six-ball duck for Michael Rippon didn’t help their cause, and they will be hoping that he is able to make a more substantial contribution against VOC. Their attack, of course, is relatively intact, and while Mees van Vliet’s lack of form is a worry, they have sufficient resources to trouble a VOC line-up which added another to its list of disappointing performances against Kampong. The Bloodhounds’ bowling unit, on the other hand, was able to take advantage of their opponents’ slightly desperate and ultimately misplaced attempt to beat the rain, although it’s unlikely that Voorburg will display the same profligate tendencies. With the international experience of Kingma as well as Ahsan Malik, however, VOC won’t make life easy for the home side’s second string line-up, even with Kaplan added to the ranks.

BdJ: Meanwhile in the mid-table, HCC welcome HBS Craeyenhout to De Diepput. The Crows will be aiming to consolidate their place in the middle of the pack, while the hosts will be looking to catch up to the top three. They suffered a setback dropping points to VRA at the Bos last week, failing to fully recover from a top order collapse in the absence of skipper Boris Gorlee. With Hidde Overdijk sidelined, the Lions don’t have quite the same lower-order resilience that they once enjoyed, though their bowling reserves have covered for his absence admirably, young Justin Trijzelaar impressing when called upon to step up. HBS meanwhile will have to contend with the absence of seam spearhead Kyle Klein as well as, perhaps more worryingly, skipper Tayo Walbrugh’s alarming dip in form. They owe their current position of relative safety in large part to the batting form of all-rounder Botha and Del Bianco, coupled with new overseas Kent Goedeke finding his feet in the Topklasse, but will need more from their senior bats if they’re to avoid sinking back down toward the danger zone.

RL: With Voorburg and Kampong operating with one hand tied behind their backs, HCC really needed to capitalise if they are to launch a serious challenge for the title, and it was therefore a real blow that they were unable to beat VRA on Sunday. It’s not just a question of lower-order resilience, although that is important: twenties and thirties aren’t really enough from the top six, and although Tonny Staal features among the top ten batters in the competition, the Lions haven’t been able to build big partnerships and put opposing attacks under pressure. The Crows have been rather more successful with the bat, but the bowlers have conceded an average in excess of 250 in innings which have gone the full distance – home matches at runs-rich Craeyenhout admittedly pushing that figure up – and without Klein as spearhead and Botha not having bowled since 2 May, they have struggled to bowl their oppponents out. Benno Boddendijk has been consistently taking wickets and the development of Joris van Oosterom has been a bonus, but there have been occasions when the attack has seemed a bit threadbare.

BdJ: Finally VRA will be heading down to Schiedam to take on relegation spot incumbents Hermes DVS, well aware that defeat could see them slip into that undesirable position themselves. With word that stand-out seam all-rounder Vikram Singh has suffered a significant shoulder injury during preparations in Canada that will likely rule him out for a number of weeks, the Amsterdammers could find themselves staring down the barrel if they can’t get clear of the tail end of the table this week. For Hermes this four-pointer comes at an inconvenient time too however, with skipper Sebastiaan Braat still stuck at King City along with Oli Elenbaas and Aryan Dutt. That said, Ralph Elenbaas has now eclipsed his brother in the wicket-tallies this season, and spinners Kothari and Jabarkhail look a decent enough combo against VRA’s largely right-handed line-up. Newcomer David Rushmere also looks to have recaptured some of his early form, even if the opening pair continues to struggle. The absence of Braat leaves a tough hole to fill for the hosts though; the Sky Blues haven’t won without him since returning to the top flight. VRA meanwhile found a way to bank points last week even without Singh, and they’ll have to keep finding ways if they’re to pull clear of an ugly relegation fight.

RL: A classic four-pointer this, with both sides much closer to relegation than might have been expected at the start of the season and time beginning to run out. David Rushmere’s solo effort last week was a classic of a different kind, but it also pointed up how fragile the Hermes batting can be, especially without Elenbaas, Dutt and Braat contributing from the middle order. VRA’s bowling, it’s true, isn’t as testing as Rotterdam’s, but it has a similar spin component, and the Sky Blues will be hoping that Ash Ostling and Daniel Doyle-Calle will be able to give them a rather more solid start against their visitors’ seamers. Ibaad Zaidi’s mature knock in partnership with Shariz Ahmad made all the difference against HCC last Sunday, buoying up a VRA middle order which has also shown signs of vulnerability at key moments, but the Amsterdammers will need to do some serious rejigging at the top of the batting if, as feared, Vikram Singh’s injury turns out to be as significant as it appears.

BdJ’s picks: Rotterdam, VOC, HCC, Hermes

RL’s picks: Rotterdam, Voorburg, HCC, VRA.

Rushmere century in vain as Rotterdam go top

Rod Lyall 08/06/26

HCC missed an opportunity to move into second place on the Topklasse table on Sunday, when they lost to VRA by five wickets in a hard-fought, at times attritional battle in the Amsterdamse Bos.

Put in to bat in overcast conditions which clearly favoured the bowlers, HCC began confidently enough, but then Sharad Hake and Johan Smal grabbed three wickets in nine deliveries to break open the middle order, and when stand-in captain Teun Kloppenburg fell four overs later, the Lions found themselves on 52 for four.

The lower order was partially successful in digging them out of trouble, keeper Yash Patel top-scoring with 35 as Teja Nidamanuru turned to his four-man spin attack of Sharif Ahmad, himself, Darsh Abhinay and Udit Nashier, and a series of twenties managed to get the total up to 204.

Josh Brown removed both openers when VRA replied, but a 60-run third-wicket stand between Smal (29) and Nidamanuru (36) put the hosts back on track.

Then Justin Trijzelaar took a hand, dismissing both and adding the scalp of Jack Cassidy, and at 83 for five VRA appeared to be heading for defeat.

That brought Ibaad Zaidi in to join Shariz, and they slowly built up what eventually became the match-winning partnership, Shariz making 45 not out and Zaidi posting his second Topklasse half-century, going on to a career-best, unbeaten 70.

The pair’s cautious and extremely effective approach was highlighted by the fact that they only hit three boundaries between them in their stand of 125, before Zaidi finished it with a six with 20 deliveries remaining.

The scheduling of this match for Sunday meant that, although the start was delayed by 45 minutes because of a wet outfield, the teams were able to avoid the disruptions which the weather created the previous day.

At the Zomercomplex, Rotterdam withstood a remarkable solo batting performance by Hermes-DVS’s David Rushmere and a long rain delay before they could start their abbreviated reply, their five-wicket victory taking them back to the top of the table.

Coming in at 2 for one, Rushmere made 118 out of a Hermes total of 188 before he was last man out in the 39th over.

He received very little support from the rest of the batting, only Daniel Doyle-Calle, Zaffar Chaudhary and Ralph Elenbaas reaching double figures, most of the damage being done by Rotterdam spinners Ahmad Shafiq and Saqib Zulfiqar with three wickets apiece and Shoaib Minhas with two.

After a long wait the players were finally able to return to the field, with Rotterdam set a DLS target of 165 in 36 overs.

They did it in just over 27, mainly due to Muhammad Gondal’s 63-ball 70 and an unbeaten 34 from Saqib, and results elsewhere saw Hermes return to the foot of the table.

The most remarkable of those results was at the Hazelaarweg, where a depleted Kampong dismissed VOC for 141, but were then themselves dismissed for just 132, losing by nine runs

With rain clouds threatening to bring the match to a premature end and at least 20 overs needing to be bowled to achieve a valid result, Kampong’s batters were caught between two stools, trying to knock off the runs as quickly as possible, but losing too many wickets in the process.

Two brief interruptions heightened their anxiety, but in the end VOC’s bowlers were able to have the last word, despite Damien van den Berg’s 40-ball 47 at the start of the innings.

Kampong were, of course, withut key batters Max O’Dowd and Scott Edwards, but even so they will have been deeply disappointed that they were unable to capitalise on the efforts of their bowlers, Pierre Jacod claiming three for 26 and Lorenzo Ingram and Saurabh Zalpuri picking up two apiece as VOC slumped from 61 for one to 141 all out.

The national selectors had caused even greater problems for Voorburg as they took on HBS at Craeyenhout, but 59 from Gavin Kaplan, recalled to the colours for this eventuality, and a maiden Topklasse century of 100 not out by stand-in captain Ryan Klein, enabled them to reach 266 for seven in 50 overs.

The latter stages of the innings were not without controversy, as the umpires kept the players on the field during several showers and then, after an interruption and an early lunch, bringing them back to complete the innings.

A further long delay followed, before HBS were able to start their chase with the target 161 from 20 overs.

Only one over could be bowled, however, before the umpires ruled that after so much rain conditions were unsafe for play to continue and the match was abandoned, each side taking a point.