There may have been a question about the significance of some of the matches in the second phase of the Topklasse competition, but there can be no doubt that they are producing some extraordinarily exciting finishes - and they may yet prove to be vital for some of the clubs involved.
After Rood en Wit’s five-run victory over ACC last week, both sides were again involved in nail-biting conclusions on Sunday, Rood en Wit hanging on to beat VOC Rotterdam by six runs while ACC failed in their run chase by five runs for the second time in a row, this time at the hands of Quick Haag.
Meanwhile, Excelsior ’20 made sure that they would go into the play-offs in top spot with a 25-run win over Schiedam neighbours, and currently their closest rivals, Hermes-DVS. Whatever happens in the remaining matches among the top four, Excelsior will now have home advantage for as long as they remain in contention to retain their championship title.
Back in the lower half of the table, Sunday’s results throw matters into a considerable degree of confusion, with the possibility that should Quick beat Rood en Wit next week and VOC lose to ACC, VOC and Quick could end up on the same number of points, with a very remote possibility – it would require massive swings in their net run rates – that Quick could overtake their rivals.
But two factors complicate this issue. One is the pending decision, expected later this week, over the abandoned match between VOC and Quick, with the possibility that that game might have to be rescheduled.
That would, of course, give both sides a chance to establish a clear advantage, but should the No result be allowed to stand, how would their final positions be resolved, and with them the question of who meets Dosti Amsterdam in the promotion/relegation series? One view is that VOC would finish above Quick by virtue of having beaten them twice in the first phase, but competition director Alex de la Mar has ruled in another context that there can be no question of a ‘gesloten competitie’ between competing teams if one match has been rained off.
Whether that is a correct interpretation is something that needs urgent clarification, and it does not help matters that Mr de la Mar, together with most of the rest of the KNCB staff – including CEO Richard Cox – are on holiday at this vital point of the season. A decision is, however, expected to be made very shortly.
As for the actual cricket, the games at Spanjaardslaan and Nieuw Hanenburg on Sunday confirmed the widespread fragility of sides chasing even modest totals. VOC crumbled from 101 for three to 156 all out in pursuit of Rood en Wit’s 162, while ACC, although they were at no point quite so comfortably placed, were equally unable to chase down Quick’s 178.
That the Haarlemmers managed to get to 162 was largely due to Shahbaz Bashir, whose 75 came from 70 balls and included three fours and four sixes. He was supported in a priceless eighth-wicket stand of 60 by Vishi Sankarasubramanian, while earlier Enoch Nkwe had contributed a patient 26.
Michael Dighton was again VOC’s principal wicket-taker, although he came in for some punishment from Shahbaz and finished with three for 53. Reinout van Ierschot bowled well early on, removing both openers, and Andrew Hoogstraten and Jelte Schoonheim collected two wickets each.
The turning point in VOC’s reply, after Chris Smith and Dighton had given their side a positive start, came with the dismissal of Dighton, caught at long on for 33 to make it 101 for four. Maarten van Ierschot made 38, but with Jarrod Englefield varying the attack skilfully and wickets falling at regular intervals, VOC eventually fell just short. Nkwe took three for 27 in a splendid ten-over spell, and there were two wickets apiece for Shahbaz, Sankarasubramanian, and spinner Shahab Uddin.
Quick’s total of 178 was built on a partnership of 82 for the fifth wicket between brothers Geert Maarten and Henk-Jan Mol, who contributed 48 and 33 respectively. Earlier, Jono Boult had made 34, but the dismissal of Henk-Jan Mol was the trigger for a spectacular collapse, four wickets falling for just two runs.
Mudassar Bukhari and Mohsin Ghaznavi picked up three wickets each, at a cost of 21 and 32, with left-arm seamer Wajdan Alim claiming two on his Topklasse debut, and then Bukhari blasted 52 from only 32 deliveries, with four fours and five sixes, to give ACC a magnificent start to their reply.
But then they slumped to 121 for seven, and it took a fighting stand between skipper Ghaznavi and another debutant, 16-year-old Rehmat Zulfiqar (one of the son of veteran former international Zulfiqar Ahmed) to get them anywhere close to their target. 19 were still needed when Ghaznavi became a third victim for seamer Somesh Kohli, then keeper Wasim Ismail was run out 10 runs later, and with six required Geert Maarten Mol had Zulfiqar caught by Edgar Schiferli – back in the side as an opening batsman – and Quick had sensationally claimed the points.
Mol finished with four for 18, while Kohli had three for 48.
Opener Ed Cowan was again among the runs for Excelsior ‘20, hitting a steady 82 against Hermes-DVS and sharing a second-wicket partnership of 97 with Rifaiz Bakas (32). Daan van Bunge (36 from 41 deliveries) and Usman Malik (38 from 33) weighed in in the closing stages, and Excelsior reached an imposing 235 for five.
Hermes were in serious trouble at 60 for four 20 overs into their reply, but then Nick Statham and Jasper Beijer came together in a stand of 106 which gave their side hope of upsetting the leaders. They were beginning to run out of overs, however, and once Statham was bowled by Usman Malik for 68 the writing was on the wall.
Beijer continued to resist, reaching 62 before he was ninth out, but with Malik running through the tail to finish with four for 38 and Seb Gokke claiming three for 37 Hermes were eventually dismissed for 207.