Netherlands A convincing winners over Jersey

The Netherlands A cricket team well and truly beat Jersey in their four (3x T20 and one 50-overs tour match) encounters played at Garon Park, Southend, UK.

Two T20’s were scheduled for the first day (19 August). In the morning Netherlands A, captained by Scott Edwards, batted first and reached 191/3, including a master-class century by Stephan Myburgh of 108 runs off 69 balls, 9x4, 5x6). Losing wickets very early on (Carlyon and en Ferraby within 2 overs) meant that Jersey could not take too many risks. Facing miserly bowling by Clayton Floyd (1-8 in 4 overs, 18 dot balls) Jersey ultimately finished on 120/9. C. Bisson (remember him) was the mainstay in Jersey’s batting with 63 off 45 balls. Vikram Singh took three wickets (3-34/4) and Max Hoornweg opened his international account with two wickets: 2-28/4.

In the afternoon’s match Jersey batted first and scored 192/3 which of course in the morning would have meant a winning score. Bisson, him again, scored 73 runs (7x4, 3x6). Floyd (2-34/4) and Viv Kingma, very economical with 1-23/4 bowled impressively. If Jersey thought this a winning total, they were quickly demoralised by the Dutch batters. Netherlands A reached the winning total just before the end with 194/7 in 19.5 overs. In the thrilling final overs Tonny Staal (top scoring with 57*) and Sebastiaan Braat (50*) saw their team through. Vikram Singh (47) and again Myburgh (34) added substantial scores to the score.

The tour match was less spectacular. Netherlands A batted first and a smart opening between Adam Wiffen (61, top scorer) and Myburgh (45) nearly put a 100 score on the board for the first wicket (92/1). Singh (57) and Floyd(24) also scored handy runs. Floyd then excelled with the ball (3-31/9.5) taking the scalp of Jersey’s last batsman (catch by Staal) en the Channel Islanders ended on 173 in 36.5 overs, aided a little bit by 42 extra’s.

In the last encounter, a T20 on Wednesday morning 21 August, Netherlands A nearly got to the 200-run mark: 197/4. Singh again in the runs, scoring a belligerent 75, Wiffen did the same with an exact half century (50) and Staal (15*) plus Edwards (11*) hit quick runs towards the end. MCC Academy cricketer Bas de Leede, who participated in the tour, scored 22 runs. Again Jersey lost Carlyon early on, for the third time being a victim of Floyd, but Bisson saved the innings slightly with a powerful 58 (4x4, 5x6). The other batsmen did not get hold of the ball and Jersey finished 142 a.o. in exactly 20 overs.

It turned out a successful tour for the Dutch, with quite a few of the younger members of the squad performing well. The KNCB will organise more tours like this to ensure their young talents face strong opposition regularly, to support them in their overall development.