The Netherlands limbered up for the World Cricket League on Sunday with a 72-run victory over Nairobi League champions Kanbis SC, but it was a performance which raised as many questions as it answered.
Playing a side which was missing its three Kenyan internationals, the Dutch were thrown onto the back foot by the loss of both openers in the second over, Darron Reekers being smartly run out, soon followed by Bas Zuiderent who edged to the keeper.
The recovery was once again led by Ryan ten Doeschate, who made a chanceless century, finishing with127 off 113 balls, with 13 fours and three sixes. He was suppported by Daan van Bunge (36), Alexei Kervezee (31), and Tim de Leede (30), but once again the Dutch top order showed a worrying tendency to get themselves out when well settled.
The Kanbis attack stuck doggedly to their task, and once ten Doeschate had gone the innings subsided, the score going from 245 for five to 280 all out in less than ten overs. Left-arm spinner Jhijay Laxman was the most successful bowler, with three for 45 from his ten-over spell.
When Kanbis batted they were soon in trouble, Edgar Schiferli returning from injury to take three wickets in his opening three overs to reduce the home side to 8 for three. A century stand from opener Arvind Halai and Rohint Mepani restored their fortunes, with Schiferli, Mark Jonkman, Billy Stelling and ten Doeschate unable to secure a further breakthrough.
It was only when the Dutch spinners entered the attack that the Kanbis challenge was disposed of, with Adeel Raja bowling Mepani for 29 and leg-spinner van Bunge accounting for Jesani and Halai.
A wicket for Luuk van Troost made it 136 for seven, but another stubborn partnership between Rajesh Varsani and Hitep Vekaria saw Kanbis to 187 before Peter Borren bowled Vekaria. The batsmen saw out the final overs without further loss, the innings closing on 208 for eight.
Dutch national coach Peter Cantrell saw positive features in the batting of ten Doeschate and in the bowling of Schiferli, Raja and van Bunge, but described the rest of the batting as ‘very disappointing'.
‘The top order has to perform consistently,' Cantrell said, ‘and batsmen need to convert a good start into a match-winning innings. It's disturbing that experienced players are apparently unable to turn thirties and forties into decisive knocks of eighty and more.'
The later stages of the Kanbis innings were influenced by skipper van Troost's desire to give as many bowlers as possible a chance to bowl a spell, but the fact that the Dutch were unable to finish their opponents off was also a source of some concern.
The Netherlands will take on Canada on Tuesday in their opening World Cricket League encounter, and then face Kenya the following day. In a competition where sides need to win four out of five matches to be sure of going through to the final, these are crucial games for the Dutch side.
NETHERLANDS
B Zuiderent c R Varsani b Khetani 1
DJ Reekers run out (H Varsani) 1
RN ten Doeschate b Laxman 127
DLS van Bunge c Mepani b Rabadia 36
AN Kervezee lbw b Laxman 31
TBM de Leede run out (Laxman) 30
ES Szwarczynski c Khetani b Laxman 11
LP van Troost not out 10
PW Borren c Rabadia b H Varsani 4
WF Stelling b Mepani 17
E Schiferli b Kalyan 1
(2 b, 3 lb, 6 w, 0 nb) 11
(all out, 47.3 overs) 280
FOW: 1-5 (Reekers) 2-6 (Zuiderent) 3-78 (van Bunge)
4-148 (Kervezee) 5-221 (ten Doeschate) 6-245 (Szwarczynski)
7-245 (de Leede) 8-254 (Borren) 9-277 (Stelling)
10-280 (DSchiferli)
V Kalvan 7.3 0 50 1
V Khetani 8 1 43 1
P Rbadia 6 0 37 1
J Laxman 10 1 45 3
H Varsani 10 1 51 1
R Vekarnia 2 0 33 0
R Mepani 4 0 16 1
KANBIS
D Mepani lbw b Schiferli 4
A halai c Stelling b van Bunge 56
A Bhudia b Schiferli 0
R Hirani b Schiferli 0
R mepani b Adeel Raja 29
J Jesani b van Bunge 3
R Varsani not out 53
P rabadie c Stelling b van Troost 6
H Vekarnia b Borren 22
V Kalvan not out 8
V Khetani
(6 lb, 10 w, 1 nb) 27
(8 wkts, 50 overs) 208
FOW: 1-7, 2-8, 3-8, 4-108, 5-117,
6-124, 7-136, 8-187
E Schiferli 5 0 17 3
M Jonkman 5 0 16 0
W Stelling 6 1 33 0
R ten Doeschate 5 0 24 0
D van Bunge 8 0 38 2
Adeel Raja 5 1 15 1
L van Troost 5 1 16 1
A Kashif 6 0 15 0
P Borren 5 0 28 1