Tomorrow sees the Netherlands welcome Afghanistan to Voorburg for a much-anticipated 4-day Intercontinental Cup clash, with pole-position in the tournament notionally on the line. The two sides currently sit in second and third place on the table on 46 and 41 points respectively, trailing Ireland on a perfect 60. A full 20 points from the match would see either side jump to first place at least until the end of the month, when the Irish will have the opportunity to reclaim the position when they take on Hong Kong.
Both sides have been somewhat unsettled in their selections for the competition, though in the Netherlands' case player-availability issues have often made changes inevitable. Such issues are again at play for the Dutch, with Tom Cooper staying in Australia and a question mark still hanging over the availability of Timm van der Gugten even on the eve of the match.
Afghanistan's selection decisions are rather less scrutable, the biggest surprise being the omission of young leg-spinning all-rounder Rashid Khan Arman, who has yet to win a First Class cap for Afghanistan despite several stand-out performances in limted overs for his country.
Dutch availability worries are this time compounded by a series of injuries amongst the fast-bowling contingent. With Mudassar Bukhari, Vivian Kingma and Ahsan Malik only recently returning to action, the Dutch will have to do without the services of Canterbury all-rounder Logan van Beek as well as VRA's Quirijn Gunning owing to injury.
The biggest worry for the Netherlands, however, remains the lack of tested top-order batsmen - and especially openers - on the roster. The Netherlands have looked at least one opening batsman light throughout the competition, on average expending two or three wickets just to see off the new ball.
Michael Rippon, who's been averaging over 50 for Woolpit CC in the East Anglia Premiere league since being promoted to open alongside fellow Dutchman Ben Cooper, is more or less a certain pick for the first opener's slot. Rippon has turned in solid, if not exceptional performances for the Dutch since being promoted to open, consistently scoring at an average of around 30 despite it not being his preferred role. The question of who will partner him, however, remains open.
A series of single figure scores have seen Rahil Ahmed dropped from the squad, in truth at least a couple of seasons away from readiness for First Class cricket. Michael Swart, who has opened for the Dutch in the past, has parted ways with the national side under circumstances both acrimonious and mysterious whilst Stephan Myburgh, who invariably opens for the Netherlands in limited overs cricket and has been in excellent domestic form, remains vulnerable early and has of late been more effective down the order.
Wesley Barresi is another option, as is Ben Cooper, but both fit more comfortably into the role of middle-order hitters - taking advantage when the shine's off the ball. Cooper's vulnerability against the moving ball was underlined again during the recent NSPS 3-Day Challenge, whilst Barresi - arguably the most naturally gifted striker of the ball in the line-up - is likely too valuable to risk against the genuinely quick Afghan new-ball attack.
The truth is that the opener's slot is not the ideal spot for any of them, and the Dutch would probably even prefer to drop Rippon down the order if it were an option. In terms of technique and temperament the best option to partner Rippon at the top of the order may well be in fact be the recently recalled Tim Gruijters despite his lack of experience in the role.
Gruijters' return has been the most eye-grabbing story in the lead up to the match, though keen observers of Dutch cricket will not have been unduly surprised given his recent form and reconciliation with the national set-up as evidenced by appearances in the North Sea Pro-Series and Netherlands A.
The more significant story, however, is the continued absence of the man probably most suited to the number three slot in either format, VRA's Eric Szwarczynski. Szwarczynski has been out of favour with the team management - or the management has been out of favour with him - since World Cricket League Division 2 at the beginning of last year. No amount of Topklasse runs, however, seems to have been enough to prompt a rapproachement between the national side and the Netherlands' current form batsman.
In the absence of Szwarczynski and Cooper, and with Dosti's Netherlands-eligible Colin Ackermann also declining to make himself available, Netherlands coach Anton Roux is put in the unenviable position of having to pick middle-order batsmen and all-rounders for top-order roles. All told, there's ten currently active players with First Class hundreds notionally eligible to play for the Netherlands, yet for one reason or another, all but two are unavailable. The result is that former bowling all-rounders such as Rippon and Pieter Seelaar are asked to fill the role of specialist batsmen, of which the Netherlands arguably have only two in their 15 man squad.
That said, Afghanistan's top-order is little more settled than that of their opponents. The promotion of the talismanic Mohammad Shahzad to multi-day opener against Namibia payed off with a crucial knock of 139, and is an experiment the Afghans may well persist with. With Noor Ali Zadran out of favour, Shabir Noori's run in the side has seemingly also come to an end and Narwoz Mangal seeing his spot usurped by younger brother Ihsanullah, the tourists share their hosts' dearth of tried and tested openers.
The as-yet uncapped Ihsanullah's innings of 141 opening for the Afghan development squad against the Habib Bank invitational XI in May is likely what saw saw him leapfrog his elder brother and make his case for inclusion as an opener, whilst the same tour saw Javed Ahmadi make 149 from the top of the order. Neither is proven in European conditions however, Ahmadi in particular struggling during the recent ODIs against Scotland and Ireland. A return for Ahmadi combined with a debut for Ihsanullah to fill the openers' roles in unfamiliar conditions looks a gamble then, and it seems likely that the visitors will likewise be playing batsmen out of preferred position.
Skipper Asghar Stanikzai slotted in at three the last time Shahzad opened, though the visitors have options when it comes to first-drop, and are not averse to shuffling the order based on circumstance. Rahmat Shah's century against Scotland this tour probably makes him the man in possession, together with his generally solid record in European conditions. Hasmatullah Shahidi is another option however, called up after making 745 runs in 6 innings for the Amo Region during the 2015 domestic 4-day season and solidifying his place with a century against PNG, as is Nasir Jamal, whose double ton against Habib Bank fom number 4 warranted his call-up for the senior squad.
With the exception of Shah, however, most of the Afghanistan top-order's record in European conditions is either spotty or untested, and both the batting order and selection has been inconsistent. Their experience in Scotland highlighted that the Afghan side has still not shaken off the habit of batting collapses in this format, especially in unfamiliar conditions.
The Netherlands are no strangers to batting collapses either of course, though the hosts' middle order looks as strong as it ever has. Somerset's Roelof van der Merwe has looked in good nick with the bat and would be a certain selection even without the added value of his left arm spin. Likewise Pieter Seelaar, who began his career as a left-arm spinner and unapologetic number 11, could now hold his place in the side on the strength of his batting alone. With skipper Peter Borren coming into form after a tough start to the season, with a second Topklasse century and an exemplary showing in the 3-dayer in recent weeks. Add to that whichever of Cooper, Myburgh or keeper-bat Barresi is not called up to opening duties, and the Dutch middle order looks as solid as the top-order looks fragile.
Seelaar's transformation into a lower-middle order obstacle/finisher has been most judiciously timed, as given van der Merwe's qualification and the ever-more impressive left-arm wrist-spin of Michael Rippon rather crowding the spinners quota. Rippon's match figures of 11-88 in the 3-Day Challenge would make him a sure selection even were he not the Netherlands' first choice opening bat, and the Dutch are arguably fortunate that all three of their first-choice spinners would likely be first-choice batsmen as well.
Similarly for Afghanistan the middle order is the most settled section of the roster, with veteran spin all-rounders Nabi and Shenwari reliable performers with the bat. Shenwari's place in the side has been under pressure however, not only from the surprisingly unselected Rashid but also the equally young Zahir Khan, who gives Afghanistan their own chinaman option.
With Afsar Zazai, who recued the Afghans in their last encounter with the Netherlands, left out of the final squad, it is safe to say that Shahzad will also be entrusted with the gloves. Whilst Ahmed's absence similarly means that Barresi's position behind the stumps is assured, neither side having a true specialist gloveman in the squad.
The injuries to van Beek and Gunning simplify what would otherwise have been a trivky selection quandry for the Dutch when it comes to the pace attack, though it is a testament to the embarrassment of riches in the pace bowling department that Somerset's latest signing, Paul van Meekeren, who took three top-order Pakistan wickets on debut, is even now not a certain selection. Glamorgan's Timm van der Gugten, if available, is the only sure selection, closely followed by Vivian Kingma on his home ground. In contention for the remaining spots are van Meekeren, Mudassar Bukhari - who took 6-43 in the last match between the two sides, Ahsan Malik and newcomer Shane Snater - who impessed with the ball during the North Sea Pro-Series and with the bat during the 3-dayer. Bukhari likewise offers more with the bat than the alternatives, having made a belligerent 68 off 70 for the Seafarers in the one-off match. Malik is difficult to dismiss as an option however, offering control and variation and a proven record against top-class opposition.
Afghanistan are without the more celebrated quicks Hamid Hassan and Shapoor Zadran for the match - the pair generally conserved for limited-overs matches these days, but do not lack for seam options. Dawlat Zadran, the deceptively quick right-armer who has a good record against the Dutch, will likely be the first name on the sheet, whilst the canny medium pace of Mirwais Ashraf will also likely feature. Yamin Amadzai and Sayed Shirzad will be competing for the third seamer slot, and conditions will likely determine which gets the nod.
The latest word from Voorburg was that supervising groundsman Steve Rouse was very pleased with the wicket, and that it was harder and expected to play somewhat faster that the pitch for the Scotland match last season. Nonetheless with a heretofor unusually hot and dry Dutch summer reverting to type at time of writing, it is impossible to deal in certainties. On paper Afghanistan, especially given the selection constraints on the Netherlands, go into the match clear favourites. But then it is as underdogs that the Dutch play best.
Dutch coach Anton Roux said ahead of the game, "One special performance by someone will help swing the favour and momentum, hopefully to our side" and going on past form, that looks a fairly shrewd assessment. Though both the Netherlands and Afghanistan boast squads full of dangerous and talented players, neither have looked a complete or settled outfit in multi-day cricket. Both sides in truth retain an air of sides cobbled-together from players who mostly excel in other roles and, broadly speaking, shorter formats. A single partnership or destructive spell has often proved enough to turn matches in the tournament thus far, and this encounter seems unlikely to prove an exception.
Netherlands Squad
Peter Borren (c, VRA), Wesley Barresi (wk, Quick Haag), Mudassar Bukhari (Dosti-United), Ben Cooper (Woolpit CC), Tim Gruijters (Quick Haag), Timm van der Gugten (Glamorgan), Vivian Kingma (VCC), Ahsan Malik (Dosti-United), Paul van Meekeren (Somerset), Roelof van der Merwe (Somerset), Stephan Myburgh (Hermes DVS), Michael Rippon (Woolpit CC), Pieter Seelaar (VOC), Shane Snater (Rood & Wit).
Afghanistan Squad
Asghar Stanikzai (captain), Mohammad Shahzad, Rahmat Shah, Mohammad Nabi, Samiullah Shinwari, Mirwais Ashraf, Yamin Ahmadzai, Javed Ahmadi, Hasmatullah Shahidi, Nasir Jamal, Zahir Khan, Sayed Ahmed Shirzad, Dawlat Zadran, Ihsanullah Janat.
*with the notable exception of ACC and VRA's two day "Test Match" - an annual pre-season event at the recreational level.