Netherlands
Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond
(Royal Dutch Cricket Federation)
CRICKET IN THE NETHERLANDS
One of the few countries with a long, continuous cricket tradition, the Netherlands has been a presence in the game since the nineteenth century. Building at first on the ‘Corinthian’ spirit of gentlemanly amateur sport, Dutch cricketers toured England at regular intervals and frequently entertained clubs like MCC and the Free Foresters.
International teams touring England also played in the Netherlands, Bobby Simpson’s Australians suffering a notable defeat in 1964. Horizons widened after the Netherlands joined the ICC, and Dutch sides toured a range of Full Member countries in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as taking part in the ICC trophy. Clubs were allowed to hire a player-coach from 1979 onwards, and soon afterwards the domestic competitions moved to ODI rules.
Standards improved, and in the late 1990s the first turf squares were laid. More recently, the national men’s side has depended to a significant degree on players from the Dutch diaspora in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, although the KNCB is working to introduce more home-produced international cricketers.
Men's
First men’s international match: vs. Rambling Britons, Clingendaal, 22 August 1891
Major international victories:
vs. Australia, Den Haag, 1964 (one-day friendly)
vs. Namibia, Toronto, 2001 (ICC Trophy final)
vs. England, Lord’s, 2009 (World T20 championship)
vs. England, Chittagong, 2014 (World T20 championship)
Leading men’s international players: Carstjan Posthuma (1891-1913), Ernst Vriens (1952-72), Steven Lubbers (1972-96), Roland Lefebvre (1983-2003), Tim de Leede (1990-2007), Ryan ten Doeschate (2005- ), Peter Borren (2006-18), Mudassar Bukhari (2007-16).
WCL History: Division 1 2007 (3); WCQ 2009 (3); Division 1 2010 (4); Championship 2011-13 (4); WCQ 2014 (7); Division 2 2015 (1); Championship 2015-17 (1); WCQ 2018 (7).
World Cup appearances: ODI: 1996, 2003, 2007, 2011; T20: 2009, 2014, 2016, and qualified for 2020 which is postponed until 2021.
Women's
First women’s international match: vs. Australia, Overveen, 1937
Leading women’s international players: Pauline te Beest (1990-2008), Caroline Salomons (1995-2012), Helmien Rambaldo (1998-2017), Esther de Lange (2005-16).
World Cup appearances: (4): ODI 1988/98 (5), 1993 (8), 1997/98 (QF), 2000/01 (8)
Principal Grounds
De Diepput, Den Haag (no longer used for international matches)
Spanjaaardslaan, Haarlem (no longer used for cricket)
VRA Ground, Amstelveen
Hazelaarweg, Rotterdam
Westvliet, Voorburg
Het Schootsveld, Deventer
KNCB Links
Originally compiled by
