Netherlands A starts Fancode ECI T10 tournament with big wins
Published at 08 April, 2023Netherlands A has started the T10 tournament in Cartaxo well on Saturday with simple wins over Portugal and Gibraltar. Thanks to tight and intelligent bowling, the host country only managed 85/4. The Dutch surpassed that total in the sixth over thanks to 53 unbeaten runs by Clayton Floyd. Against Gibraltar (155 – 59) Ratha Alphonse top scored with 66 not out. In the second meeting with Portugal (152-106), Tim Etman made 55 runs off twenty balls.
The KNCB has again sent a strong delegation to Portugal, as in 2022 when the Netherlands won the tournament under the leadership of Sebastiaan Braat.
In the first encounter against Portugal the Netherlands bowled first having won the toss. Offspinner Aryan Dutt started with a tight over. Olivier Elenbaas had more trouble with his radar (four wides in a row), but took the first wicket nonetheless. New VCC member Mees van Vliet also looked a bit rusty; his over went for fourteen runs.
Sharn Gomes and Conrad Greenshields, well-known in the Netherlands, took advantage of the uneven outfield before legspinner Saqib Zulfiqar got Greenshields (19) LBW (40/2/4.1) with his very first ball (a full toss). Saqib's brilliant over finished as a wicketmaiden and his spell with 1-8 off two overs.
Clayton Floyd wasn't that lucky; off his bowling, two – albeit difficult –chances were dropped. Yet Portugal only managed 85/4, thanks in part to the uncrowned king of variation, Sebastiaan Braat (2-8), who took two wickets in the final over.
Netherlands innings
The luck Clayton Floyd lacked when he was bowling, he did have as a batsman when a simple skier was dropped by bowler Junaid Khan. Floyd made the most of his second life. Tim Etman (19) was caught on the boundary (73/1/4.2), but Floyd continued with 53 not out off only nineteen balls (1x4 and 7x6). The Dutch team surpassed the Portuguese score already in the sixth over.
Gibraltar vs The Netherlands
Against the (on paper) not too strong Gibraltar, batting first seemed a safe option. After three overs, however, an unprecedented score of 38/4 was on the board. Four batsmen got themselves out to the seemingly not too difficult Gibraltarian attack. Braat (21 off seven balls) put things in order (although he was dropped) in the fourth, but the same fielder (Raikes) did not miss a second chance to catch the Dutch skipper.
Someone had to stand up to put a good total on the board against the cricket dwarf. Ratha Alphonse (66 not out off 24 balls) and Sikander Zulfiqar (23 off eleven) took up the gauntlet with a partnership of 65 runs for the sixth wicket. The end result was 155/6, Horrocks picking up 3-22.
Gibraltar could not overcome its weak start (31/3/5.2). Seamers Alex Roy (2-1) and Sebastiaan Braat (2-2) proved too difficult for the peninsulars. Freyone made 26 of the 59 Gibraltarian runs. Keeper Roel Verhagen picked up two catches, including a beauty.
Netherlands vs Portugal
The second match against Portugal was mainly Tim Etman's match. The big Schiedammer opened his shoulders from ball one and – although helped by some lucky strikes and terrible fielding – bludgeoned his way to an otherwise convincing 56 off only twenty balls (81/1/5). Clayton Floyd didn't time the ball well this time, but still came off the field with 27 (13) (90/2/5.3). Gorlee 22 (8) fell over in the eighth. Braat and Saqib set the final score at 152/4.
Thanks in part to some dropped chances, Portugal raced to 60/0/5. Olivier Elenbaas provided the double breakthrough (80/2/7, Gomes 39 off 17 balls, Gholiya 53 off 30). Towards the end Alex Roy took a fantastic catch in the covers. Portugal batted better than in the first encounter, but again came up well short. It finished at 106/5. Sebastiaan Braat took 2-9, Elenbaas 2-11.
Watch on youtube at 'FanCode ECI Portugal 2023'
Or follow the match via https://www.ecn.cricket/series/fancode-eci-portugal-2023-4010/scores-fixtures
Photo credit: europeancricket/diana_oros
