Cricket in the Netherlands
Encyclopedia
Cricket
has been played in the Netherlands
since at least the 19th century, and in the 1860s was considered a major sport in the country. Many other sports (notably football
) have long since surpassed cricket in popularity amongst the Dutch, and today there are around 6,500 cricketers in the Netherlands, recent developments show that cricket
is growing in Netherlands. The first national association, the forerunner of today's Royal Dutch Cricket Association, was formed in 1883 and the Netherlands achieved Associate Membership of the ICC
in 1966.
(Royal Dutch Cricket Board) is the governing body of cricket in the Netherlands. It was formed in 1883 and received a Royal charter in 1958. The Netherlands achieved Associate Membership of the ICC
in 1966.
who played for Somerset
and Glamorgan
in English county cricket
as well as for Canterbury
in New Zealand
. The Essex
all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate
and Worcestershire
batsman Alexei Kervezee
are the only current members of the Dutch team to be playing county cricket.
Other Dutch players to have played first class cricket outside of the Intercontinental Cup are:
on 4 occasions; 1996, 2003, 2007 and 2011
, Also qualified for 2009 ICC World Twenty20
. The country has been considered one of the stronger "minnow" nations for some time. Netherlands beat England in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20
which is one of the biggest wins in Dutch cricket history . Although the sport is sustained by a small player base, some have won professional contracts in England. Netherlands is ranked within the top 20 teams in the world and has co-hosted the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1999.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
has been played in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
since at least the 19th century, and in the 1860s was considered a major sport in the country. Many other sports (notably football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
) have long since surpassed cricket in popularity amongst the Dutch, and today there are around 6,500 cricketers in the Netherlands, recent developments show that cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
is growing in Netherlands. The first national association, the forerunner of today's Royal Dutch Cricket Association, was formed in 1883 and the Netherlands achieved Associate Membership of the ICC
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
in 1966.
Governing body
The Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket BondKoninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond
The Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond is the governing body of cricket in the Netherlands. It was formed in 1883 and received a Royal charter in 1958.-See also:*Dutch cricket team*Dutch women's cricket team...
(Royal Dutch Cricket Board) is the governing body of cricket in the Netherlands. It was formed in 1883 and received a Royal charter in 1958. The Netherlands achieved Associate Membership of the ICC
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
in 1966.
Domestic competition
The premier division is called Hoofdklasse cricket, in which ten teams compete for the national championships.Famous players
Several Dutch cricketers have also played at first-class level elsewhere, the most successful of these probably being Roland LefebvreRoland Lefebvre
Roland Philippe Lefebvre is the most successful cricketer that the Netherlands has produced, and one of the very few players from outside the Test-playing nations to achieve a significant career in the professional game....
who played for Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
and Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
in English county cricket
County cricket
County cricket is the highest level of domestic cricket in England and Wales. For the 2010 season, see 2010 English cricket season.-First-class counties:...
as well as for Canterbury
Canterbury, New Zealand
The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate
Ryan ten Doeschate
Ryan Neil ten Doeschate is a South African-born cricketer who plays internationally for the Netherlands due to his Dutch ancestry. He has played cricket for Essex since 2003....
and Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
batsman Alexei Kervezee
Alexei Kervezee
Alexei Nicolaas Kervezee is a Namibian -born Dutch cricketer.Kervezee rose rapidly and smartly through age-group cricket in the Netherlands, and in late July 2005, aged only 15, he made his first-class debut for his national team against Scotland in the Intercontinental Cup...
are the only current members of the Dutch team to be playing county cricket.
Other Dutch players to have played first class cricket outside of the Intercontinental Cup are:
- Paul-Jan BakkerPaul-Jan BakkerPaul-Jan Bakker is a former Dutch cricketer. Bakker was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler.-International career:Bakker made his ICC Trophy debut in 1986, taking 5/18 against Papua New Guinea...
- who played for HampshireHampshire County Cricket ClubHampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
from 1986 until 1992. - Bill GlerumBill GlerumHerman Wilhelm Glerum was a Dutch cricket player. He played one first class game for the Free Foresters in 1957 against Oxford University. He took 2/16 and 1/16 bowling, and scored one run in the match....
- who played one first class game for the Free Foresters in 1957. - Dirk NannesDirk NannesDirk Peter Nannes is a Dutch Australian cricketer. A left-arm fast bowler, he plays for the Australian cricket team, the Victorian Bushrangers, the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, and Fitzroy-Doncaster in Victorian club cricket. He has also represented the Netherlands...
- who currently plays for Victoria in Australia, for Delhi Daredevils in India and also for the Australian National Cricket Team. - Carst PosthumaCarst PosthumaCarst Posthuma was a Dutch cricket player of the late 19th/early 20th century. He was a left-handed batsman and left-arm fast bowler....
- who played five first class games for London County Cricket ClubLondon County Cricket ClubLondon County Cricket Club was a short-lived cricket club founded by the Crystal Palace Company. In 1898 they invited WG Grace to help them form a first-class cricket club. Grace accepted the offer and became the club's secretary, manager and captain. As a result, he severed his connection with...
in 1903. - Daan van BungeDaan van BungeDaan Lodewijk Samuel van Bunge is a Dutch cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm leg break bowler.Van Bunge has represented the Netherlands at many age levels, including at the Under-15 World Cup in 1996, and on their Under-17 tour of England in 1997...
- who played for MiddlesexMiddlesex County Cricket ClubMiddlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
in 2004. - Andre van TroostAndre van TroostAdrianus 'André' Petrus van Troost is a former Dutch cricketer.A right-arm fast bowler van Troost represented his nation at ICC Trophy level between 1990 and 1997, taking thirteen wickets in nine matches at the bowling average of 17.38.-Playing career:Van Troost played for Somerset in English...
- who played for SomersetSomerset County Cricket ClubSomerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
from 1991 to 1998, and for Griqualand WestGriqualand WestGriqualand West is an area of central South Africa with an area of 40,000 km² that now forms part of the Northern Cape Province. It was inhabited by the Griqua people - a semi-nomadic, Afrikaans-speaking nation of mixed-race origin, who established several states outside the expanding frontier...
in the 1994/95 season in South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. - Bas ZuiderentBastiaan ZuiderentBastiaan Zuiderent is a Dutch cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler.At the age of 18, Zuiderent was selected in the Netherlands squad for their inaugural appearance at the Cricket World Cup in 1996...
- who played for SussexSussex County Cricket ClubSussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...
from 2001 to 2003.
National team
The Netherlands national cricket team qualified for the Cricket World CupCricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
on 4 occasions; 1996, 2003, 2007 and 2011
2011 Cricket World Cup
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It was Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup...
, Also qualified for 2009 ICC World Twenty20
2009 ICC World Twenty20
The 2009 ICC World Twenty20 was an international Twenty20 cricket tournament which took place in England in June 2009. It was the second ICC World Twenty20 tournament, following the inaugural event in South Africa in September 2007...
. The country has been considered one of the stronger "minnow" nations for some time. Netherlands beat England in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20
2009 ICC World Twenty20
The 2009 ICC World Twenty20 was an international Twenty20 cricket tournament which took place in England in June 2009. It was the second ICC World Twenty20 tournament, following the inaugural event in South Africa in September 2007...
which is one of the biggest wins in Dutch cricket history . Although the sport is sustained by a small player base, some have won professional contracts in England. Netherlands is ranked within the top 20 teams in the world and has co-hosted the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1999.