After a week of disputation it appears that the match between Excelsior ’20 and VRA Amsterdam, originally scheduled for 4 July, will be played on Saturday, 19 June.

The competition rules provide that matches may be rearranged if either of the participating clubs has three or more players absent on national team duty and asks for the match to be shifted, and the 4 July round falls during the World Cricket League Division 1 tournament. VRA has four players – Peter Borren, Eric Szwarczynski, Atse Buurman and Tom Cooper – in the national squad.

News of the rescheduling first broke last weekend, but it is understood that Excelsior objected to the match being played on 19 June, one of several reserve days written into the Topklasse calendar as a result of discussions over the winter between the KNCB and the Topklasse clubs, because they would be preparing their ground for the official inauguration of their new turf square at their derby match with Hermes-DVS the following day and because of a youth tournament, involving nearly 200 children, which would be taking place that Saturday.

As a result of these arguments the KNCB Board moved the match to a date in July, but VRA in their turn appealed against this decision and took the matter to the Appeals Committee.

The Committee, meeting on Thursday evening, overturned the Board’s decision and ordered that the match be played this Saturday.

It is believed that Excelsior are furious at this outcome. Chairman Koos Gouka declined to comment when contacted on Friday afternoon.