Dutch brewing concern United Dutch Breweries will become the first significant new sponsorship partner for the KNCB in a deal announced on Monday.

Under the agreement, signed by UDB managing director Stijn Deelen and Bond CEO Richard Cox last week, the company will sponsor the national side’s participation in the Clydesdale Bank 40 League and the A team’s involvement in the European Championships for an initial two-year period.

As a result, the logo of UDB brand 3 Horses Malt Beverage – a non-alcoholic beer – will feature on the playing and training kit of the sides in these competitions.

The agreement will yield significant funding for the national teams’ programme, according to the two parties’ media release.

Commenting on the deal, Cox said that it represented a major step forward for the Bond.

‘We are delighted to welcome 3 Horses Malt Beverage as our principal sponsor for the ECB and ICC Europe competitions,’ he added, ‘and we will now seek further complementary brand partners and sponsors to accompany 3 Horses for our other teams and development programmes, as we systematically raise the profile of cricket in the Netherlands and elsewhere.

‘It’s particularly pleasing that our new sponsor is a purely Dutch company, and we are looking forward to working closely with them over the next two years.’

Speaking for UDB, Stijn Deelen said that his company considered it a huge honour to become the principal sponsor of the Dutch teams in these competitions.

‘In many of the 95 countries worldwide in which we do business,’ he observed, ‘we see how popular cricket is.

‘3 Horses Malt Beverage is already a well-known name in many Middle Eastern and Asian markets, and we hope to link the brand to the popularity of the sport. Our association with the Dutch cricket team underlines the association of our products with its Dutch heritage.’

Established in 1967 and based in Breda, UDB owns a number of important brands, including Oranjeboom, Royal Dutch Post Horn and Breda Beer as well as 3 Horses.

The new sponsorship agreement with the company is a significant achievement for the KNCB, since for both Cox and the Board the attraction of sponsorship income is a vital factor in putting the game on a sound financial footing.

The fact that the deal is specifically linked to the CB40 League and the European Championships leaves plenty of room for further agreements with other sponsors with the World Cricket League, Intercontinental Cup, and the national women’s and youth teams still available, not mention the big prize of next year’s World Cup.