Story Dutch's World League Pro40

[Dutch]

Today a new an exciting league involving many lesser know cricketing nations started at various venues around the world. Such unlikely teams as Fiji, France, Russia, Italy Singapore and many others will face each other in a 16 team league.

Each team will face each other twice and the top four will go to the final playoffs. 40 overs a side: there are batting and bowling points to be had and things are likely to change quickly throughout the games and as the season develops.

We will be especially following the Dutch in their endeavour to get off to a good start in the league. Newly appointed coach Rick Adams will have his work cut out to lift the Dutch after a couple of years in the wilderness.

There is much to play for as the winning team will be elegible to play a series of ODi internationals against the established teams.

Here is a listing of the teams and the schedule for round one.



The Dutch will play Uganda at the Melbourne Oval in the first round of matches. Other tasty ties see Italy facing Afghanistan and Canada taking on a newly formed German team looking to prove itself on the international stage.

In the Dutch camp Stefan Myburgh keeps his place after a strong showing in the Twenty20 competion whilst Bas Westdijk comes in for the injured Tim Grutjen. Whilst Westdijk doesnt quite have the pace of Grutjen coach Rick Adams hopes his extra accuracy will prove to bring some sense of control at he beginning of the innings.

As far as Uganda are concerend its business as usual as the batting line up shows a familiar pattern after last years good showing in the African League.

 

[Dutch]

Uganda win the toss and decide to bowl first. They are obviously thinking they can restrict the Dutch here to a score below 200. Its a pretty hard surface here at the melbourne Oval and expect plenty of the short stuff!

The Line-Ups




Match Conditions




So Uganda will open the bowling on a lovely sunny day here in Melbourne. Everything is set for a great opening match in this inaugural World League

 

[Dutch]

Round Up of Round One

Well the Dutch were thoroughly embarrassed by Uganda in their first round match of the World League Pro 40

As the scorecards show too many Dutch batsman threw the bat at the ball and were caught trying to slog their way to victory. The relative tame spin of Sempijja proved their undoing although he will be left wondering what he has to do to pick up the MOTM award.

Dutch Coach Rick Adams was unimpressed by todays showing but refused to comment on whether there would be changes: it's a new concept, the guys have to get used to this way of playing and they have to have patience. 40 overs is enough time to rack up a good score without thinking you have to do it in the first 15 overs!

There will need to be some major improvements in the batting department when the Dutch face Scotland next.



The sorry looking Dutch card: too many smash and grab players not learning to play themselves in:



An impressive display by the Ugandan team who kept their heads cool and batted out the match quite comfrotably despite a couple of wobbles.




A round up of the other games in the first round: good wins for France and PNG who picked up various bonus points in their wins to take them to the top of the table. More established sides like Afghanistan also struggled along with the Dutch. Canada made no mistakes with a tough tie against Germany. Dietrich Hamlein, the German coach would have seen enough positive signs to feel they can stage some upsets this year.

Russia close the table with a poor perfromance and will need to improve vastly to keep in touch this year.

 

[qpeedore]

Excellent presentation. Keep this story up, please.

 

[zimrahil]

Yep good luck with this

 

[Dutch]

Welcome back to the World League Pro 40 tournament now into it's second week.

Reaction to the tournament has been generally good though some of the venues failed to sell out. Also the staggering costs of shipping a team around the world for fortnightly matches is having a burden on the ICC Asscociate Support Fund. However ICC marketing strategy executive Tiango Massaban has already noted an increase in televison interest in the tournament and has hopes of finalizing a deal with a "major sports channel" in the near future. Most commentators are sure this will mean Sky will be dipping into the purse to obtain televison rights for the tournament throughout the countries it is played in. At the moment most funding is being supplied by a conglomerate of various wealthy cricket lovers from Singapore's Sammi Lin to Russia's Olev Banachov of Banachov Oil fame.

Well enough of the politics lets have a look at the second round games and in particular a look at the Dutch who struggled in their opening match against Uganda.

The Dutch struck back strongly after that defeat and put on a competitive score with Baresi scoring a wonderfully controlled but aggressive 81 ball 98 in Hollands 222 for 7, denied his hundred after being cleaned up by Taylor who had a wonderful spell of bowling, taking 4 for 16 and turning the screws on the Dutch who at that momnet looked likely to post something in the region of 250 or 270. Scotland will rue having overused the short ball as the Dutch cut and pulled themselves into a strong position. As always the Dutch struggled with spin and there is a lot of room for improvement there.

It left the Scots with a target that was certainly within their grasps but despite a valiant unbeaten 90 by Macleod he just didnt get enough support from his team mates to really allow the Scots to put in the late charge they needed to overhaul Holland's score.

Rick Adams was much happier of course with todays result and with the added batting and bowling points gained sees the Dutch rise up the table into the top 6.

The Dutch travel to face the Russians, who are still without a win and struggling to find any of the form that enabled them to do so well at last years Northern European Twenty20 tournament in St Petersburg when they lost out in the final to a Sweden team that suprisingly lost out in qualifying for the World League Pro 40.

Staye tuned for a round up of the round two games from around the world.

 

[Dutch]

Round Three and Round Four Preview World League Pro 40

The Dutch overcame Russia in a slightly onesided affair (simulated) with the Dutch easily seeing off the rather modest Russian total inside 30 overs. The win boosted the Dutch's position in the table sending them up to third while Russia are left to lick their wounds and stay propping up the table.

Stefan Myburgh and Mark Rippon proved solid with the bat both notching up half centuries whilst Adreij Vasilev looked accomplished for his well earnt sixty but received little support apart from Andras Tiagi. Bart Westdijk continued his fine form after being out injured at the start of the season. Rick Adams the Dutch coach will have seen enough to keep him confident in reaching one of the top four positions that will guarentee a finals place. But that is a long way off yet. Next up they will have to face Fiji on a typical green Wellington Park pitch with Fiji already proving a handful for other teams with their strong pace attack.






Lets have a look at the league table as it stands after three rounds and a look forward to the upcoming matches as round four peeps around the corner:







Hong Kong and PNG continue their strong start as Germany picked up an excellent win over Uganda in Kampala. Both Afghanistan and Fiji are starting to feel the cold at the bottom as they racked up successive defeats against the UAE and PNG respectively whilst the USA are still lead floundering down the wrong end of the table after an exciting draw with Bermuda. Bermuda ruing a last ball chance to take the game after failing to hit the stumps from a tight single that gave the USA an unlikely draw.

Looking ahead their are some tasty fourth round ties on the menu: Scotland face a rampant Hong Kong side and will have their work cut out whilst PNG will have an interesting encounter with a high flying German side that has taken no time at all to establish itself in the league. USA will be hoping that they prove too strong for an Italian side that has until now been able to punch above its weight whilst Afghanistan and Russia will hope their fortunes can turn with ties against Singapore and France respectively.


Lets have a look at all the facts that matter after round three:









And as the Dutch are our focus team this year lets see how they are fairing in the batting and bowling departments:

 

[surendar]

This is a monster league, am seriously thinking to do a team story after reading this.

 

[Dutch]

This is a monster league, am seriously thinking to do a team story after reading this.

Look forward to reading it!! I am still finding my way how to present this one and hope to devlop it further....

 

[Dutch]

Welcome to our detailed match report in the World League Pro 40 fourth round match between The Netherlands and Fiji from Wellington Park.



Fiji will be hoping that there defeat to PNG will not prove to be a bad habit and that they can overcome a Dutch side intent in pushing forward after their third round win against Russia in Rotterdam.

Well lets have a look at the weather for todays match and a look at the line ups:






Looks to be a great afternoon and evening here in Wellington and no chance of rain although the evening dew is likely to help the side bowling second if they can get the ball in the right places.






Timm van der Gugten comes in to the Dutch team to bolster an attacking bowling line up whilst Fiji stick to the team that lost to PNG: Vagana and Edwards proved on that occassion to be well worth their places in the team and will prove tricky customers on a green and fast track. Fiji captain Byron Lamming will be looking for some more runs from his top order who collapsed cheaply against PNG in their rather hapless run chase despite restricting a high-flying PNG to 150.

Lets take a look at the pitch and the toss: as we said a green pitch here at Wellington that should offer something for the bowlers but with a cloudless sky and a warm sun the ball should be quite true off the pitch. batters who are willing to get in will certainly feel they can get some runs today.









Well Fiji have won the toss and quite surprisingly have decided to have a bowl first. Lammings obviously hoping to hit hard at the Dutch batting frailty...will the Dutch have the bottle to sit tight?


I must say the ground is looking quite exceptional today: a beautiful place to play the beautiful game:





So it will be Myburgh and Szwarczynski to open the batting for the Dutch whilst Ashley Edwards gets to open the bowling for Fiji. Will their gamble pay off? Join us after the break for the start of the Dutch innings.

 

[Dutch]

Time to show off the brand new scoreboard here at Wellington Park:

 

[Dutch]

Our Five Over Update: a good solid start for the Dutch with Myburgh looking in good nick. Szwariczynski is struggling with the extra bounce and pace and hasn't looked comfortable. Edwards had a good LBW shout in the third over as he came acroos his crease.

The Dutch will have dreaded the sight of Fiji bringing on the spinner Fareedi so early: Fiji have done their homework: the Dutch dont like spin!

 

[Dutch]

Ooh commentators jinx: this looks close: and the umpire gives it! He's gone........ trying to flick it off his pads and beaten by a ball that kept low.......the Dutch lose their first wicket. A solid start. Can they stay calm and push on or will we see a typical collapse. Fiji have a foot in the door: can they smash it wide open?

37 for 1 of 8.3 overs.

 

[Dutch]

Oh my what a ball! Bowled him! Middle stump......thanks for coming! Edwards hits the spot right on the money with a 143 k ball angled in at the stumps and leaves Myburgh looking for his middle stump.....it's behind you mate, a long way behind you!

Myburgh trying to cut a ball and he completely misjudged the line. He was doing so well.........the door is wide open....can Tom Cooper steady an ailing ship??

 

[Dutch]

Is this another........?? Umpire says no......Fiji requesting a review......looks to be pitching outside and missing to my eye.......yup, waste of a review if you ask me.........the Dutch with a general sigh of relief!