Netherlands Cricket

CRICKET Australian and International Cricket
1

While I understand that this a parochially Australian website, and I understand that these segments won’t be popular, I think it’s important to show people in Perth how the game is growing, despite the best efforts of the BCCI who are trying to monopolise the financial direction of the sport. (Sometimes in cohorts with CA and the ECB)

The Dutch have a long history in the sport. Not as long as USA and Canada who played the first international match in New York City in 1844 but long nevertheless.

They have more than 40 clubs - remembering that the European system of sport including soccer - is that clubs are on the national stage rather than states/provinces.

Some of the most famous clubs include Amsterdam CC (1921), Bloemendaal (1910), Dosti (1978), Ajax (1892), Voorburg (1932), VVV (1902), Ghausia Feijenoord (2011), VRA Amsterdam (1882), VOC Rotterdam (1895), Groen en Wit (2014), HBS Craeyenhout (1928), Sparta 1888 (1888), Salland Deventer (2005), HCC (1878), Hermes DVS (1884), Kampong (1902), Rood en Wit Haarlem (1881), Excelsior 20 (1920), Quick Haag (1896), Punjab (1991), Qui Vive (1982), Quick 1888 (1888).

It is thought that British railway workers introduced cricket to the Dutch while at work in the Netherlands in the 19th century. The game received a further popularity boost in the 1960’s and 1970’s when the BBC televised cricket. These broadcasts were able to be received in Holland due to the close proximity of the two countries.

They have more than 40 clubs, comprising around 200 teams at all levels, around 90 fields including six which have turf pitches.

Although not household names in Australia - some of their legend players include Andre van Troost, Ryan ten Doeschate, Carl Posthuma, Peter Borren, Tim de Leede, Willem Glerum, Bas Zuiderent, Klaas Jan van Noortwijk, Paul van Meekeren, Roland Lefebvre, Paul-Jan Bakker, Pieter Seelaar, Roelof van der Merwe, Cees Ruskamp, Daan van Bunge and of course the Dutch passport holder Dirk Nannes who played for the Netherlands before being noticed by the Australian national selectors.

Currently ranked inside the top 13 out of 104 accredited members, coached by our own Ryan Campbell and due to play Australia as part of the ICC ODI Super League (Covid-19 depending) at some stage in the next cycle, be it in the Netherlands or in Australia.

Dutch cricket changed forever on this night in 2009 v England at Lords, which thankfully, the ICC have finally uploaded. From this moment they started to believe. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2555242424728716

2

and there’s an ancestral link with South Africa
I do recall the old fashioned matting type wickets that were used and that was in the 1980’s
Most of their real good ones played or currently play in the English County championship

3

Yes very true mate. They have about 8 or 9 currently contracted to English Counties. And some Afrikaner South Africans have migrated to the Netherlands for a better/safer life. That gave the Dutch a boost also. And of course immigration from places like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran (All cricket playing countries) has given them a few extra numbers…although not as much as Germany (Which took more migrants) who have gone from virtually nothing to moving up the rankings at record speed…almost entirely because of cricket playing migrants (Afghanistan especially). But Germany is an emerging cricket nation story for another week. Japan next week.

4

Thanks for your topic La Hincha..Didn’t know much about Dutch Cricket.But was aware they have been playing for a long time.Also know that that Holland is a very good sporting nation,Olympics-Team sports.

5

LH – good post. The Dutch beat the touring Australians in 64. The main problem, as you know, is that, it is played by the elites. The boers, have also, finally, taken up the game in full, avoiding it like the plague in the past. Wesseles meant what he said to Craddock in that interview, cricket made him an outcast amongst Afrikaners and the English took the piddle out of him and told him to go back to rugby.

Namibia is an interesting one, it would be the only country in the world where a home grown ethnic german speaking population plays cricket. There may be one or two people of German descent in PNG whose interest is following the sport, in addition. I don’t think we shot them all in 14.

Can anyone name the little place where they play cricket all year? Hint: it was awarded the ‘George Cross’.

LH and all: Do people like the new semi league format in the cricket? It seems to have some merit.

6

There has been some bloody good cricketers of a Dutch background/heritage here in Australia as well- Tim Zoehrer (WA) being the first one who springs to mind, Michael Swart (WA), Tom Cooper (SA), Dirk Nannes (VIC), Dirk Tazelaar (QLD), Tim Van Der Gugten (NSW) etc and dare I say it Bob Holland :stuck_out_tongue:
Former WA keeper/batsman Ryan Campbell was coaching the Netherlands at last recall.

7

BH: that bloke whom played for QLD in the early 80s, De Jong
Watching the tele, the other day, too, and there was a De Groen bowllng for NZ
I see the NZists also refer to de grandhomme as ‘Dutchie’, despite him, obviously. being descended from French protestants in South Africa. It seems the family must have moved to R-Z at some point in its history.

While we on things Dutch and Boer, in my last post I really should have given the Afrikaners credit for spreading the game to Namibia, not many poms moved there after the First World War.

8

There are a few Indigenous Germans who play but it’s less than 5% of the total. Phillip Bachstadt was one who springs to mind but he has since concentrated on sports commentary, including for the European Cricket Network which has become a bit of a live streaming sensation. Pretty much every day they stream a club match from somewhere in Europe. Today it is from Austria - not a great standard today but it is only Austrian club cricket afterall.

Their women’s squad has quite a few Germans but since the influx of migrants into the country, most of the men’s squad is of Afghan heritage plus a few passport holders like Deiter Klein. They certainly struck gold in terms of playing numbers - about 50 clubs grew to more than 300 overnight.

This is the new Europe I guess. I can’t think of many European countries that don’t play now - mainly because of migrants. I must admit, I prefer following the countries that produce homegrown players and most of the world has to - Most of Europe and North America are the exceptions. Netherlands, Jersey, Denmark, Ireland, Estonia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Gibraltar, Malta, Scotland, Greece, Russia, Guernsey, Czech Republic and a few others have homegrown players in their club comps. Others like Sweden, Norway, France and Finland, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Hungary very few if any.

Yeah I enjoy the new league system. Every match counts - promotion/relegation from the challenge league, to league 2, to super league.

9

AR & LH did either of you see the Netherlands celebrations in the changerooms after their win in the qualifiers to make the T20 World Cup from memory?
It definitely had Campbo’s (Aussie Rules) influence all over it.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/video/1474002

10

AR & LH did either of you see the Netherlands celebrations in the changerooms after their win in the qualifiers to make the T20 World Cup from memory?
It definitely had Campbo’s (Aussie Rules) influence all over it.
[/quote]

Yeah sure did. Cambo is doing a pretty good job I reckon. Yes he has his County stars but he’s also bringing through the kids.

Philippe Boissevain (19), Niels Etman (19), Bas de Leede (20), Vikram Singh (17), Boris Gorlee (19) are ones to watch apparently.

I’ve seen a bit of Singh on the live streams…captain of his Topklasse club already at 17…migrated over (from India I assume) at age 7 and was developed in the Netherlands. Really like Boissevain also…bowls leg spin, bats a bit…shock of white hair…can’t miss him.

Just thinking of their county players - van der Merwe, van Meekeren, Ackermann, Klaassen, ten Doeschate, Glover, van der Gugten, Snater…oh and plus van Beek who plays mainly in NZ.

Then throw in locally based stars, Visee, Myburgh, Kingma, Staal, Seelaar, Singh, de Leede, B Cooper, O’Dowd, Boissevain, Gorlee, Braat, Overdijk, Etman, Zulfiqar (Triplets), Edwards, van Troost and it’s bloody strong. Don’t reckon the Netherlands will get relegated from the ODI Super League this cycle

11

And Cambo doesn’t mince his words in the after match press conferences as coach of the Netherlands. He demands a high level of performance. Great vids here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twMxEg0UPoM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcwmbhgDpQE

12

great posts guys

I find the situation interesting in France: they play almost every British sport, including RL, to a pretty good standard, accepting cricket. Petain tried to ban RL during the war because it was working class.

Christian Vieri, the Italian forward, always loved his cricket; Border was his hero, apparently. He had to explain his significance to the press; remembering that Mlan was actually founded as a cricket club.

Malta is the country where they play all year.

LH, BH, Kenya? I still think Tikolo has been the best Bantu speaking batsman to come out of Africa.

13

Kenya played some decent cricket in a few World Cups going back to the 90s AR. Tikolo and a few others looked very good cricketers.

14

bease: they bloody did. I guess things go in cycles a little bit?

15

Sadly cricket is in decline in Kenya now, due mainly to maladministration, a lack of junior development and a seeming selfish attitude from the South Asian community, who appear determined to keep the sport to themselves.

But they did have some great players between 1995-2010. Steve Tikolo, Maurice Odumbe, Aasif Karim, Kennedy Obuya, Thomas Odoyo, Ravindu Shah, Collins Obuya, Alex Obanda, Hitesh Modi, Martin Suji.

Thankfully cricket is getting really strong in Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria, Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique. Even Mali and Cameroon are playing now. Plus of course the ever present Tanzania, Malawi, Lesotho, Zambia, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, St Helena.

EDIT - I forgot Ivory Coast and Liberia who are playing a little bit now also.

Rwanda and Mozambique are two that I’m going to feature later. Both are great stories.

16

Gee you really know your world cricket LH.
It is good to see it is starting to get great traction outside of the dozen Test playing nations.
On Fox Sports there used to be a good show called ICC World Cricket which had a lot of stories on the developing cricket nations.
I have never understood why cricket wasnt as popular in fellow Commonwealth country Canada as baseball is…possibly the neighbouring USA influence?

17

BH: yep, it is mainly the overbearing Americans with Canada. There is a cricket channel called ‘wllow’ from memory which also serves the USA. Interestingly, the French Canadians once did a movie about cricket called the ‘seduction of Dr Lewis’. The local ville needed a doctor, and, Lewis, as well as being a doctor, was a big cricket fan. The people got out there in appropriate attire as well as bat and ball and won him over.

It was actually on SBS.

18

AR remember Canada played in the odd World Cup in the 70s from memory, it is a pity it never became as big as baseball over there, for mine cricket leaves baseball for dead as a sport.

19

I am with you BH, there is no comparison between the two sports; these days, with the two shorter versions of the game, ironically, the sport would probably be liked in North America.

20

Netherlands topklasse is live streamed now … HBS v VRA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXXjb_rR0Mk