 Flag of the Netherlands | |
| Personnel | |
|---|---|
| Captain | Vacant |
| International Cricket Council | |
| ICC status | Associate member with ODI status (1966) |
| ICC region | Europe |
| WCL | One |
| International cricket | |
| First international | 1881 v Uxbridge CC at The Hague |
| As of 27 May 2007 | |
The Netherlands national cricket team is a national cricket team representing the Netherlands. It is administered by the Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond (Royal Dutch Cricket Association) which is based in Nieuwegein in the centre of the country and is older than many renowned cricket clubs in the West Indies, Australia, and New Zealand.
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 6,000 cricketers in the Netherlands, making it the 25th most popular sport. 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.
History
editEarly days
editThe first time a Dutch national side was formed was in 1881, when 22 players took on Uxbridge Cricket Club. Despite playing 22 men, the Netherlands still lost by an innings and 48 runs.[1] The national side would not appear again until 1892 when they played six matches in Yorkshire, England. The Dutch team drew two of the games and lost three with one match being abandoned.[2]
The Yorkshire Wanderers club side toured the Netherlands in August 1893, playing two matches against "All-Holland". The teams won one match each, with England Test cricketer Edmund Peate starring with the ball, taking 16 wickets in the first match[3] and nine wickets in the first innings of the second match.[4]
The "Gentlemen of the Netherlands" toured England in 1894, captained by Carst Posthuma. The matches were mainly played against club sides,[5] and the highlight of the tour was a match at Lord's against the MCC, though the Dutch lost the match by an innings.[6] The following year, the Netherlands beat the Gentlemen of Worcestershire by two wickets in Heemstede, with C Feith scoring 102, the first century for the Netherlands national side.[7] The Yorkshire Wanderers again toured in 1897, beating All-Holland by 36 runs.[8]
In 1900, the Netherlands were invited to take part in the cricket tournament at the 1900 Summer Olympics, but withdrew along with Belgium.[9] The following year, they toured England, playing three matches against the MCC, drawing two and losing one, also losing to the Gentlemen of Surrey and London County by an innings.[10]
In 1905, the first international match between the Netherlands and Belgium was played in Antwerp, with the match being drawn.[1] The Gentlemen of the Netherlands then toured England the following year, winning one match and losing one match with the other two being drawn.[11] A four-team exhibition tournament was played in Brussels in 1910 as part of the World Exposition. The Netherlands beat Belgium but lost to France and the MCC, who went on to win the tournament.[1]
Modern Era
editMatches against club sides and other European national sides continued over the next 40 years, and in 1953 the Dutch would play their first match against a Test playing nation, when Australia played in The Hague, winning by 157 runs. The first match against Denmark was played the following year.[1]
The West Indies visited in 1957, winning by 185 runs after a century from Garfield Sobers.[12] Australia were the next Test team to visit, in 1964, when the Netherlands won by 3 wickets,[13] the first victory by the Dutch over a Test playing nation.[1] New Zealand played a two-day game against the Netherlands in Haarlem in July 1965, with the match being drawn.[14]
ICC Membership
editThe Netherlands became an associate member of the International Cricket Council in 1966
- ^ a b c d e Dutch cricket timeline at CricketEurope
- ^ Netherlands in England 1892 at Cricket Archive
- ^ Scorecard of All Holland v Yorkshire Wanderers match, 11 August 1893 at Cricinfo
- ^ Scorecard of All Holland v Yorkshire Wanderers match, August 1893 at Cricinfo
- ^ Gentlemen of Netherlands in England 1894 at Cricket Archive
- ^ Scorecard of MCC v Gentlemen of Netherlands match, 10 August 1894 at Cricket Archive
- ^ Result of Netherlands v Gentlemen of Worcestershire match, 28 August 1895 at Cricinfo
- ^ Scorecard of All-Holland v Yorkshire Wanderers match, 9 September 1897 at Cricinfo
- ^ The ignorant Olympians by Martin Williamson at Cricinfo
- ^ Netherlands in England 1901 at Cricket Archive
- ^ Gentlemen of Netherlands in England 1906 at Cricket Archive
- ^ Result of Netherlands v West Indies match, 27 June 1957 at Cricinfo
- ^ Scorecard of Netherlands v Australia match, 29 August 1964 at Cricinfo
- ^ Scorecard of Netherlands v New Zealand match, 24 July 1965 at Cricinfo