Razi
July 21, 2010, 03:40 AM
The men in orange continue to amaze us
Cricket Europe, 21 July 2010 (http://www.cricketeurope4.net/DATABASE/ARTICLES3/articles/000041/004186.shtml)
The Dutch team continues to amaze us. I still don’t quite understand it, but a few hours ago the Netherlands played Test side Bangladesh off the park in an ODI in Glasgow.
A week ago I was still asking myself if we were back to square one after the poor performances in the World Cricket League Division 1. I wrote earlier about ‘the glorious uncertainty of cricket’. This was just such a case. Apart from a few die hards like Peter Drinnen, no-one thought about a 6-wicket victory over Bangladesh. But it happened, and there’s no argument about that fact. How wonderful it is to taste the sweet after the sour!
In my thinking this win against Bangladesh is late revenge for the defeat against the same side, then not yet a Test country, in Kuala Lumpur in 1997, though which we missed out on qualifying for the 1999 World Cup in England. Bas Zuiderent can remember it exactly. Rain intervened then as well, and then too the players and officials of Bangladesh were able to influence the match with unlawful measures.
Since that time nothing has changed in Asian cricket. Today Bangladesh were entirely uninterested in playing – perhaps they could already see the cloud on the horizon. Last week they had lost to Ireland, and now another such game against the Netherlands? No thanks! They tried in all kinds of ways to persuade the umpires that conditions weren’t good enough for the match to start.
The groundsman, his staff and the umpires remained completely uninfluenced, and did everything in their power to get the game under way. It worked, and a 30-over match started at a quarter to three.
Mark Jonkman began with an over of 12 runs including a wide and a no ball, and Bukhari conceded 11 in his first over. Bangladesh’s intentions were clear: they wanted to show their superiority and set a big total.
In the following overs the situation didn’t improve much, despite the loss of the wicket of Tamim Iqbal, the ‘danger man’. The bowling remained poor, and it seemed as if the Dutch were suffering from nerves. After 13 overs there were 102 runs on the board.
They were batting outstandingly, until Peter Borren took his second wicket on 132 and from the next delivery his third. At a stroke the self-confidence of Bangladesh disappeared and they hauled themselves to a final total of 199 for seven. Still a useful score from 30 overs: 6.6 an over!
But then the miracle began. Eric Szwarczynski started with eight runs from his first over. He had expressed in advance his concern about the opposition, who were after all a Test side and would be sure to have good bowling. The first ball was a gift, neither quick nor testing, and it was despatched; another of the same kind two balls later was also sent to the boundary.
‘I can do that too,’ thought Kervezee, and hit two fours in the next over. The tone was established, and any anxiety dispelled. Szwarczynski took the lead, and by doing so set the Dutch on the path to victory. The runs came at a high tempo, everything came off. In international sport they call that being ‘in the zone’. Szwarczynski: ‘I was never in any doubt – I knew exactly what I had to do, and it all worked.’
Until the umpire made a mistake. He called ‘over’ with one delivery remaining. He realised his error and allowed the last ball to be bowled. The concentration was gone, and so was Szwarczynski. Nevertheless, it was the most important and the finest innings of his career, 67 runs from 53 balls!
The Dutch were shocked – what now? Cooper, the Man of the Tournament in the World Cricket League, didn’t come off. The achievements of the past count for nothing . . . . . Peter Borren had a go, but he too had to concede defeat.
And then came the miracle of Glasgow. Good old Bas Zuiderent and the newcomer Wesley Barresi came together at the crease. The old stager and the ‘new kid’ seemed to be the answer to the problem. How often has Zuiderent played a decisive innings for his country? Innumerable times, and again now, now that it really mattered.
He had flown in the evening before, having had to work, arriving late and getting little sleep, but he stood his ground. His first scoring stroke was a flat six over square leg which the fieldsman heard but certainly didn’t see.
And Wesley Barresi, until now not wholly successful in the Dutch side, played the innings of his life. The Bangladeshis began to recognise that it might perhaps go wrong for them. Barresi and Zuiderent had an answer to everything they tried. The Dutch had been ahead of their D/L target all through the innings, and that gave a positive impulse. This pair were also ‘in the zone’, and the win came off the fifth ball of the penultimate over.
The tears flowed freely. Peter Drinnen could scarcely speak. ‘You have to do it when it matters’, he managed to get out, referring back to those poor performances last week; and then he embraced another of his players.
Bangladesh trickled away while the whole world congratulated the Netherlands. The president of the ICC mailed Richard Done to compliment him on the success of the Associates. Richard Cox could finally return from his seat in a distant corner of the field. He had gone to sit there when, after the poor start by the Dutch, things began to go a little better. Superstitious as he is, he stayed there until the victory was safely secured.
‘Jolly nice game, well played’ said Peter Borren to his opposite number from Bangladesh, and then headed for the beer. The driver who had to bring the Dutch party back to the hotel took his tenth cola and said once more that he understood nothing at all about cricket. Football was his game, and Celtic his team. No-one paid any attention and the night wore on. Netherlands-Bangladesh 5-0!!
Cricket Europe, 21 July 2010 (http://www.cricketeurope4.net/DATABASE/ARTICLES3/articles/000041/004186.shtml)
The Dutch team continues to amaze us. I still don’t quite understand it, but a few hours ago the Netherlands played Test side Bangladesh off the park in an ODI in Glasgow.
A week ago I was still asking myself if we were back to square one after the poor performances in the World Cricket League Division 1. I wrote earlier about ‘the glorious uncertainty of cricket’. This was just such a case. Apart from a few die hards like Peter Drinnen, no-one thought about a 6-wicket victory over Bangladesh. But it happened, and there’s no argument about that fact. How wonderful it is to taste the sweet after the sour!
In my thinking this win against Bangladesh is late revenge for the defeat against the same side, then not yet a Test country, in Kuala Lumpur in 1997, though which we missed out on qualifying for the 1999 World Cup in England. Bas Zuiderent can remember it exactly. Rain intervened then as well, and then too the players and officials of Bangladesh were able to influence the match with unlawful measures.
Since that time nothing has changed in Asian cricket. Today Bangladesh were entirely uninterested in playing – perhaps they could already see the cloud on the horizon. Last week they had lost to Ireland, and now another such game against the Netherlands? No thanks! They tried in all kinds of ways to persuade the umpires that conditions weren’t good enough for the match to start.
The groundsman, his staff and the umpires remained completely uninfluenced, and did everything in their power to get the game under way. It worked, and a 30-over match started at a quarter to three.
Mark Jonkman began with an over of 12 runs including a wide and a no ball, and Bukhari conceded 11 in his first over. Bangladesh’s intentions were clear: they wanted to show their superiority and set a big total.
In the following overs the situation didn’t improve much, despite the loss of the wicket of Tamim Iqbal, the ‘danger man’. The bowling remained poor, and it seemed as if the Dutch were suffering from nerves. After 13 overs there were 102 runs on the board.
They were batting outstandingly, until Peter Borren took his second wicket on 132 and from the next delivery his third. At a stroke the self-confidence of Bangladesh disappeared and they hauled themselves to a final total of 199 for seven. Still a useful score from 30 overs: 6.6 an over!
But then the miracle began. Eric Szwarczynski started with eight runs from his first over. He had expressed in advance his concern about the opposition, who were after all a Test side and would be sure to have good bowling. The first ball was a gift, neither quick nor testing, and it was despatched; another of the same kind two balls later was also sent to the boundary.
‘I can do that too,’ thought Kervezee, and hit two fours in the next over. The tone was established, and any anxiety dispelled. Szwarczynski took the lead, and by doing so set the Dutch on the path to victory. The runs came at a high tempo, everything came off. In international sport they call that being ‘in the zone’. Szwarczynski: ‘I was never in any doubt – I knew exactly what I had to do, and it all worked.’
Until the umpire made a mistake. He called ‘over’ with one delivery remaining. He realised his error and allowed the last ball to be bowled. The concentration was gone, and so was Szwarczynski. Nevertheless, it was the most important and the finest innings of his career, 67 runs from 53 balls!
The Dutch were shocked – what now? Cooper, the Man of the Tournament in the World Cricket League, didn’t come off. The achievements of the past count for nothing . . . . . Peter Borren had a go, but he too had to concede defeat.
And then came the miracle of Glasgow. Good old Bas Zuiderent and the newcomer Wesley Barresi came together at the crease. The old stager and the ‘new kid’ seemed to be the answer to the problem. How often has Zuiderent played a decisive innings for his country? Innumerable times, and again now, now that it really mattered.
He had flown in the evening before, having had to work, arriving late and getting little sleep, but he stood his ground. His first scoring stroke was a flat six over square leg which the fieldsman heard but certainly didn’t see.
And Wesley Barresi, until now not wholly successful in the Dutch side, played the innings of his life. The Bangladeshis began to recognise that it might perhaps go wrong for them. Barresi and Zuiderent had an answer to everything they tried. The Dutch had been ahead of their D/L target all through the innings, and that gave a positive impulse. This pair were also ‘in the zone’, and the win came off the fifth ball of the penultimate over.
The tears flowed freely. Peter Drinnen could scarcely speak. ‘You have to do it when it matters’, he managed to get out, referring back to those poor performances last week; and then he embraced another of his players.
Bangladesh trickled away while the whole world congratulated the Netherlands. The president of the ICC mailed Richard Done to compliment him on the success of the Associates. Richard Cox could finally return from his seat in a distant corner of the field. He had gone to sit there when, after the poor start by the Dutch, things began to go a little better. Superstitious as he is, he stayed there until the victory was safely secured.
‘Jolly nice game, well played’ said Peter Borren to his opposite number from Bangladesh, and then headed for the beer. The driver who had to bring the Dutch party back to the hotel took his tenth cola and said once more that he understood nothing at all about cricket. Football was his game, and Celtic his team. No-one paid any attention and the night wore on. Netherlands-Bangladesh 5-0!!