2014 Nieuws

End of 2014 season – 29/10/14

Senior side finishes 4th but U15s take home the trophy!

After an up and down season, with plenty of twists, Antwerp CC finished 4th out of 9 teams in the 1st Division. We also reached the quarter finals of the T20 cup but unfortunately silverware remained out of reach.

But not for the U15s who managed to win the U15 league! Below is a picture of a very surprised and happy chairman receiving the trophy.

There is still plenty to do at the Antwerp Cricket Centre but our first year there has undoubtely been a success. Our membership has grown and we can call ourselves a proper club again. It only bodes well for the future.

During the winter there will be junior trainings at Pius X most Mondays between 18.00-20.00. Please keep an eye on your inbox and Facebook to stay up to date. The senior players will have to wait for the new year before trainings start again.

Seniors beat Arcadians, juniors beat Indians – 18/09/14

Antwerp CC end league season with convincing win

Antwerp batted first and got off to a good start reaching 100-1 in 20 overs. Jamie Farmiloe was eventually caught for 27 whilst Jaggy scored 41. Top scorer for the day was Benjamin who hit a fluent 44 before hauling out. Niaz chipped in with 27(no) at the end as Antwerp were all out for 207. A defendable target on a difficult track.

The Arcadians didn’t stand a chance once Sabir ripped into them, finishing with 5-21 off 6 overs. They were bowled out for 89 in 30 overs to give us a massive 118 run win. A great finish to a season that could’ve brought so much more had a few days gone our way.

Juniors beat Antwerp Indians

Last Sunday, ACC U15s beat AICC U15s for the very first time after three years of trying. This made up partly for the final ball defeat in 2013 when AICC beat us in a one day tournament that we looked destined to win.

We batted first and made 137-5. AICC could only manage 117-5 in reply after 20 overs. There were many performances of note. Hassan batted well. As did Jay. Saqlain went mad at times and scored a couple of sixes. Zulfiqar bowled well, although his last over was expensive. But that is to be expected from a spinner in a T20.

Saqlain was fast as was Kajan. Piri fielded well and showed us he has a good arm. Prem kept wicket well and Rajeenthan took two good catches. I’m sure I have forgotten someone. If I have then my apologies. Well done to all the players. You should be pleased with your victory.

Touring sides and quarter finals – 12/09/14

Willowherbs CC beat Antwerp in friendly

The opposition team arrived late on Sunday the 30th after driving down from Essex that morning. They batted first and got a few lives when some simple catches went down. They reached 180odd in 35 overs which was too much for an inexperienced Antwerp side. 

These last few weeks some juniors and fringe players have been given a good opportunity to prove their worth and gain experience. This will prove valuable next year when we hopefully start up our second team again.

Stag do gets messy

On Saturday the 6th of September we had 32 Englishmen over who were celebrating the upcoming wedding of one of their mates. A few of the touring party had been over with the Preston Grashoppers in the past so it was good to see some familiar faces again.

Many beers were consumed as we played a 4 team, 10 over a side tournament. Everyone in the team had to bowl one over and the batsmen retired at 15. Good fun and it kept the visiting team entertained.

Two of the highlights of the day involved young Burhan Niaz. At only 10 years old he opened the bowling and managed to take two wickets, his first one clean bowling the batsmen (shown below). He was also pushed up the order and once he got out, he was given a standing ovation by the 40 odd people sitting there watching the game. A great moment which will hopefully inspire him further.

A barbecue topped off a fine day for the club.

T20 QF ends in disappointment

As our first T20 QF was postponed, we rescheduled it for the 7th. We played Crescent and they were put in to bat. After being 42 off 3 overs we managed to restrict them to 133. Unfortunately, due to a slow over rate, we were penalised 6 runs so our target to win was 140.

Our batting threatened at times but wickets falling at the wrong moments, due to balls keeping low and batsmen not keeping cool, meant we fell short in the end. A disappointing end to a promising season but it will only bode well for next year. The team will come back stronger and hungrier for more success.

We have one more league match vs Arcadians this Sunday. After that we’ll have a few more friendlies before the season comes to a close. 

U15s beat Swiss touring side – 21/08/14

Mixed junior side chases down target

On a surprisingly sunny day, Prem won the toss and decided to field first in the 30 over game.

Gingins CC U16s faced a hostile bowling spell by Kaijan who finished with 5-13 off his 5 overs.

The other wickets were spread around, including 10 year old Burhan taking another wicket in his first over. Gingins finished on 130 ao off 27 overs.

The Antwerp team, supported by players from RBCC and Meise Wolverines, chased down the target in 29 overs, Prem and Taha batting sensibly and responsibly as we won by 3 wickets.

Another great day out for the kids who are getting to enjoy their cricket at the Antwerp Cricket Centre.

Special thanks must go to Benjamin Mukasa who has been down at the club every Tuesday to train the juniors. In his words the juniors “impressed him with their general attitude and improvement of their technique”. This bodes well for the future of the club.

Also Niaz Ahmed has to be thanked for his efforts with the juniors this year. The club appreciates the time both members have put in this season.

For more pictures from the game click here.

Summer update – 17/08/14

League matches disappoint

In June we had one more league match before the Ramadan break. We played 12 Stars at their new ground in Bilande.

After our top orde went cheaply, Wahid and Niaz rebuilt the innings to set 12 Stars a target of 169. 

Although they lost a few wickets, they never seemed likely to lose and eventually beat us by 3 wickets with 3 overs to spare.

Our next league match wasn’t until the 3rd of August and the break did us no good. After putting in a great bowling performance, we restricted RBCC to 124 all out. Sabir took 4 wickets on his return to the side and there were two wickets apiece for Zakir, Ashraf and Benjamin.

The latter got our innings off to a great start, smacking Brighton everywhere. But once Benjamin fell for 42 we faltered. Wickets kept tumbling and when the last recognised batting partnership was broken things seemed bleak. To top it off we had a player who, unprecedented in the history of ACC, refused to go out to bat. We ended up 8 runs short so any help would have been necessary.

The third league match, vs Ostend, was rained off. All this means that we will finish middle of the table, especially if we beat Arcadians in the final match on the 14th of September.

We do however have a lot to play for still. We are in the quarter finals of the T20 cup and will do our best to bring home the silverware where it belongs. Let’s litter our clubhouse with silverware, sounds like a plan!

The end of season brings quite a few touring sides over. Yesterday we had the Steamboat Willies over from London and beat them in an enjoyable friendly. A few beers after the match made it a good day for the club.

Also our juniors are playing a match vs Gingins CC next week, a team from Switzerland. Good luck to all our youngsters.

A friendly and junior action – 10/06/14

Antwerp fail to defend score vs Crescent

On a sweltering day, we won the toss and elected to bat. We had about 14 players, including

some new players and youngsters. Jamie batted for a while, opening the batting with Kishor,

before both fell. The middle order faltered a bit but Wahid and Niaz took control and started

hitting Crescent all over the place.

Wahid was eventually stumped for 58 and Niaz ended on 66 not out to set Crescent

212 to win in 35 overs.

Everyone got a chance to bowl. Hitesh, our captain for the day, changed it around nicely so those who hadn’t played for a while got some overs under their belt. Umar, who has done a lot of scoring for us this season, did well with his medium pace, as did youngster Sailan. Srini, one of our new members managed to chip in with a few wickets but eventually Nadeem (67*) and Faheem(30*) saw Crescent creep over the line in the last over.

Juniors lose to Optimists

The Optimists won the toss and took to the field. Their bowling and fielding was tight and Antwerp couldn’t get going. Only Burhan (13) and Prem (17) as we finished on 65-8 off 20 overs. The opposition managed to knock off the runs by the 14th over whilst only losing one wicket. After the wins against Meise Wolverines, this was quite a different experience, but one we must learn from and build on.

Match report of our victory vs Meise two weeks ago

Meise Wolverines batted first. Other than Jente who scored 22 and Channi who scored 17, Meise struggled with the bat. They were all out for 64 in 18 overs with Kajan taking 3 wickets, Burhan 2 and Prem 2. The other wickets were shared between Prashanth, Jay and Shahid with one each. ACC bowled reasonably at times but often try too hard. The bowlers must concentrate on line and length. Speed and variation will come later. First learn how to be consistent.

We reached the required 65 to win but it took us 19 overs to do it. Wickets were given away cheaply, often by playing across the line. Shot selection often happens before the bowler has started his run up. According to the scorebook only 28 runs came off the bat, the rest were extras, mainly wides. The lads must try to play with a straight bat more. Look at the professionals and especially the top order batsmen. See how they play their shots. Their bats are only ever perpendicular to the line of the ball when they cut, sweep, hook and pull. Also, when chasing small targets, use the chance to practice your batting. Anything under 100 is generally an easy target in T20 cricket. You don’t need to hit sixes to win the match. So use the match environment to improve your batting by firstly not getting out, secondly by playing each ball on its merits and thirdly learning to bat for a longer time.

Bar fully operational now

If the sun is shining on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon in the coming weeks, get yourself down to the Antwerp Cricket Centre. We have multiple beers, both on tap and bottled, wine, softdrinks and obviously quality cricket to offer. Where else would you spend your money?

Grand Opening a Great Success – 04/06/14

A day for celebration for the three clubs at the Antwerp Cricket Centre

The unpredictable weather Gods in Belgium smiled down on Wilrijk to produce a wonderful and sunny day.

The combined ACC/ACCB U15 team started off the day with a 20 over game vs Meise Wolverines. Meise won the toss and elected to field first.

Shahid and Jay gave us a perfect and solid start and they both retired after 8 overs. Burhan and Prem then took charge, smashing the balls to all parts of the ground, reaching 29 and 25 respectively before retiring. Kaijan then hit a quickfire 24* to lead ACC/ACCB to 157 without loss after 20 overs. An amazing batting performance and the first time we’ve remained wicketless.

Meise crumbled under the pressure and were bowled out for 36, a score that included 6 ducks. Mustafa took 3 wickets as did Burhan, Zain took 2 wickets and we won the match by 121 runs. A massive win. 

In the spirit of the game, Meise were allowed to bat again so all players got a chance to show their worth.

People started arriving between 12 and 2 so by the time the speeches started there  was a nice crowd gathered by the clubhouse.

Ludo Van Campenhout, the schepen for sport in Antwerp, spoke the words “Cricket is coming home” which to a lot of players at Antwerp CC is what this feels like. We finally have a home again and something to build on. 

Once the ribbon was cut, the crowd started to scatter. Something we were not going to let happen as we had a small surprise left.

Jeremy, vice chairman and secretary, took hold of the mic and thanked our Chairman for all the work he has put in the past years. After receiving a lovely gift from the first team only two weeks ago this was the last thing he’d expected. A select few from the committee had come up with the idea to name our clubhouse. And what better name than “The Dennis Newport Pavilion”? Simon and his wife Laura put in a few days work to hand craft a new wooden sign to hang up outside the clubhouse. And it was worth every minute. Hopefully now we’ve convinced him to stay on as chairman for a few more years ;-).

After all the speeches, the Asian food was brought out. Each team was asked to make food and the result were some lovely meat and vegetarian curries. Those curries are one of the benefits of playing cricket in Belgium, long may it continue.

As the local TV station had a deadline to hit, we had to start out mixed club T20 really quickly which meant the curries were bouncing around for a while. Antwerp/Crescent combined managed to smash 190 off their 20 overs, Simon topscoring with 70 and Hitesh contributing with a quickfire 32*.

Benjamin absolutely tore apart the Afghan/Crescent team, taking 6-25 off 4 overs. An easy victory to top off a great day. 

We hope everyone had a nice time and will remember the day for years to come. Thanks to everyone who helped out to make it a success.

Antwerp becoming masters of the chase – 25/05/14

Big score doesn’t worry Antwerp batsmen

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, Antwerp bowled first against the Antwerp Indians. After a steady start, wickets started falling regularly, with Benjamin putting in a great performance taking 3-30 off 9. Captain Ali also rolled back the years, bowling 9 overs and taking 1-39.

Nirvam Shah had other ideas though. Whilst wickets were falling around him, he scored an invaluable 81 before being caught by Benjamin off Ashraf.

The Indians almost batted out their overs, with the last pair running themselves out with the score on 235.

Ashraf chipped in with 2-38 off 9, and Wahid and Simon took a wicket apiece. It looked like a formidable score, with a RRO of 5.2 for Antwerp.

We started our innings well, with Ilyas (24) and Kishor(15) reaching 46 before the first wicket fell. 2 more wickets fell quickly which left Antwerp on 57-3. But this brought Wahid (79* off 55 balls) and Simon (58 off 41 balls) together, who took a liking to the Indian bowling. Sixes and fours were being smashed continuously, and when Simon was LBW to a ball that kept extremely low, the score had reached 172 off 24 overs. The partnership of 115 in 11.5 overs had completely crushed the Indians. The wicket didn’t stop Wahid and Hitesh joined in on the fun, chipping in with 30* as Antwerp cruised home with 14 overs to spare and 6 wickets in hand.

An absolute hammering, and the third match in a row where we’ve successfully chased down a target. Antwerp are on a roll and the rest of the league better watch out!

Statistics are updated and available here!

Antwerp U15s narrowly lose to RBCC – 21/05/14

U15s edged out in close game

ACC batted first. Prem and Kajan got us off to a good start but both had to retire on 20. They are both batting better than last season in terms of their technique. As is Jay who was unfortunate to be out LBW for 4. Unfortunately, not enough runs were scored by the lower order batsmen. Prashanth was out LBW for 5 and Burhan got in a mix up with Vaibhav and was run out. Shahid was also out LBW for 5. Poor Zain was out LBW when he was hit mid-stomach standing in front of his wicket. The umpire was very reluctant to give him out but really had no choice. 101 was the target.

RBCC lost their first wicket first ball to Kajan. There is a lot to be said for bowling straight. RBCC then settled down and were on 51 after 10 overs. Everything was set for a grandstand finish. Although wickets fell at regular intervals, too many wides were given away (23). With 2 overs to get RBCC needed 12 runs but we gave away 5 unnecessary wides in the penultimate over. Eventually RBCC crept over the line with 2 balls remaining.

It was a really exciting match. Congratulations to RBCC.

Plenty to learn still

On the positive side, our fielding was very sharp – there were 3 run-outs due to good returns to the keeper. Prashanth kept wicket well before Prem took over and the new ACCB boys did well in the field. But we must make sure we are on our toes more when fielding, we should try and bowl straighter rather than trying to bowl at 120 km/h and the lower order batsmen should go for their shots more rather than blocking at the end of the innings.

Finally, just three notes on safety. Do not stop the ball with your foot when fielding. You will break bones in your feet if you do. One of the lads complained about wearing a helmet yesterday. What he did not realise because he was not looking was that in the previous over the ball missed his head by a few centimetres when one of the fielders returned it to the bowler. Helmets are not a fashion accessory !   Do not shy away from taking a catch. You can get hurt more by taking your eyes off the ball and trying to avoid it than standing your ground and attempting to catch the ball properly.

A sunny and very fruitful day in Oostende – 18/05/14

Antwerp CC win despite wobble

Exiles won the toss and elected to bat on a glorious day in Oostende. Some big hitting meant they got off to a blistering start, reaching 50 in the 8th over. This was the point at which Benjamin and Wahid started to turn the screw. Wickets fell regularly throughout which slowed everything down. Wahid finished top of the bowlers with 3-31 off his 9 overs whilst Benjamin was extremely economical, taking 2-26 off his 9 overs. Captain Ali Banaras rolled back the years with a peach of an inswinger to bowl a young lefthander and Simon chipped in with 2-31 off 7. Zakir took the last wicket as the Exiles finished on 155ao after just 36 overs.

As their innings ended before lunch had arrived, Antwerp had 10 overs to negotiate before the break and did so brilliantly, reaching 47-0. A nice Pakistani curry in the sunshine was just what the doctor ordered. Kishor (36) and Ilyas (44) continued their onslaught after lunch, before Kishor became the first wicket to fall with the team on 84 after 16 overs. Unfortunately, Antwerp decided to roll back the years, with a typical Antwerp collapse threatening to undo all our good work. 6 wickets fell for 22 runs to leave the team on 106-6, still needing 50 to win.

But Benjamin (22no) and Wahid (37no) brought the calm back to the crease to ease our nerves, knocking the ball around with ease. Until Benjamin had had enough. He decided to take to Soheel, hitting him for 2 4s and a 6 in one over. The very next over Wahid hit 3 6s to win the match. So much for a nervous chase.

An easy win in the end for Antwerp, albeit with a slight wobble in the middle. After the disappointment against Greens, two good wins have got us back on track and the team is confident we can continue this trend. Next up are the Antwerp Indians on Sunday.

A lesson in how to set a target, and how to chase it – 11/05/14

Antwerp CC chase down 248 in 43 overs

On a windy and wet day, Antwerp won the toss and put Gent in to bat. It seemed a bad decision when they had reached 50 in the 8th over. But Benjamin, Simon and Wahid pegged them back with some tight bowling. Zakir took 3 wickets for 29 off his 9 overs opening the bowling. Bowling 9 straight overs he bowled very well. 

Simon took 4-44 off his 9 and Ashraf finished with 2 wickets at the end after an expensive opening spell. Unfortunately a quickfire 50 from Gent captain Amir made sure they set a very competitive target. Even though the middle overs didn’t produce many runs, they kept wickets in hand and batted through 43 overs. Just goes to show what batting through your overs can do.

Antwerp’s innings started badly, losing Jamie in the first over. Ilyas and Simon set the platform with the first partnership of the innings, Ilyas eventually hauling out for 22. That brought Wahid to the crease who hit 25 but more importantly batted 15 overs with Simon to peg away at the total.

Once he lost his wicket it became a very tight chase. The run rate never really got above 7 which meant we didn’t need to take many risks. But with only 15 needed and three wickets in hand we decided to make it interesting. Hitesh got out and so did Ali Usman, leaving number 11 Zakir at the crease with Simon, who had by then reached his century.

A few singles did little to ease the nerves, but the big 6 Zakir hit to win it did the trick. We won by 1 wicket with 1 over to spare, with Simon not out on 112.

A great day at the Antwerp Cricket Centre, with the obvious discussions regarding certain decisions marring it slightly. But that’s what happens when you play without umpires. We sincerely hope we get umpires for our next league match vs Ostend Exiles in Ostend next Sunday. 

But after last week’s loss against the Greens, this is exactly what we needed to get our season back on track. Bring on the rest of the summer!

8 May 2014, an historic day for Antwerp Cricket Club – 8/05/14

Chairman Dennis Newport signs 9 year concession with Stad Antwerpen

This afternoon our chairman met with the city of Antwerp for another meeting. This time though it was not to discuss anything but to finally sign the contracts that officially hands control of the newly named Antwerp Cricket Centre to Antwerp Cricket Club. 

The contract is for an initial 9 years and starts on June 1st.

Two other clubs have been involved and have signed 3 year rental agreements. Crescent Cricket Club and Afghan Cricket Club Belgium will have use of our facilities and will join us both financially and logistically to turn this into the best cricketing facilities of continental Europe outside of La Manga and the Netherlands.

Dennis Newport: “With three clubs and an ever growing membership, I am sure that the goals we have set for the new centre can be achieved. This also gives a fantastic foundation for the clubs concerned to grow ever stronger.”

A lot of people doubted it could be done but we’ve proved them wrong. After 10 years of searching for a new ground we finally have one and it’s a beaut. 

To see what we have planned for the next few years click here 

On the 31st of May we have the Grand Opening of the Antwerp Cricket Centre. It is going to be an amazing day, with junior and senior cricket matches being played, Asian food throughout and dignitaries from all communities confirming their attendance. Please come along to celebrate the official start of the newest chapter in Antwerp Cricket Club’s 122 year existence.

Friendly win on Saturday, 1st League loss on Sunday – 6/05/14

Antwerp defend Nelson vs Crescent

Antwerp played a friendly against Crescent on Saturday. Batting first, we reached 111 before being bowled out. Ilyas Zaheer top scored at the top of the innings with 43, whilst

youngster Prem Kokra and new guy Ali Usman both chipped in with 16 and 22 respectively. Although it was a very modest total, a tight bowling performance in which all bowlers chipped in, meant Crescent were restricted to 83.

A good win with lots of new players getting a first look at the club.

No umpires and dropped catches means trouble

In our first league 45 over league match vs Greens on Sunday we won the toss and elected to bat. Unfortunately we had no umpires, something which should not happen in a 1st division match. 

Ilyas Zaheer and Benjamin Mukasa opened the batting and batted through the first few overs with ease. Both players reached double figures before getting out caught. Simon Newport and Ali Banaras batted for quite a while to steady the ship. Simon ended up the top scorer on 41 before a leading edge brought his innings to an early close.

Niaz Ahmed and Ashraf Ahmadzai were next to the crease and started dominating the bowling. Once Ahsraf got out though the wickets kept on tumbling. Niaz was left stranded on 39 not out as Antwerp were all out for 219. A decent score but it could have been much more as we had 8 overs left.

After a steady start, Greens were 39-2 off 10, the pace of the batting picked up. A batting masterclass by veteran Amjad (77), supported by a couple of other batsmen, undid all the good work of the Antwerp innings.

We dropped a few catches which didn’t help our cause, but neither did the umpiring. As you can expect when you play a match with no umpires, there were dubious decisions which could’ve gone our way. Not a single LBW was given which was frustrating for all parties.

We ended up losing the game by 5 wickets in dismal fashion. The team seemed to give up once Greens got going properly. A real missed opportunity but we can only hope that it will pick up next week.

And that we have umpires. Let’s see if the new League Committee can sort this mess out that they’ve got themselves in because no team wants to play league matches without proper officials.

Catches win matches – 28/04/14

Two T20s: One win, one loss

Antwerp CC vs Ostend CC, 09.30

We were put in to bat and although we started well, we faltered at the end. Wahid scored 44 and others chipped in with contributions, but wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals, meaning we ended our innings all out in the 20th over for 141.

It was defendable but we dropped too many catches, giving key players too many lives. With 5 overs to go we were still in it but only just. One bad over was all it took for the game to slip away. Shame but not the end of the world as we still had one game to play.

Antwerp CC lost by 4 wickets

The second match was between Sint-Truiden CC and Ostend, but Sint-Truiden failed to turn up, not a great start for a team trying to prove themselves.

Antwerp CC vs Greens, 16.20

We were facing a chase after losing the toss. This didn’t matter though as wickets tumbled throughout. Even though they hit 39 off the first 4 overs Benjamin and Wahid pegged them back. Benjamin finished with 4-12 off 4 overs. Ashraf and Simon both took 2 wickets as Greens were bowled out for 108.

Benjamin hit 6 2 4 off the first three balls before hauling out to launch our innings. We were never in trouble and a wide in the 17th over got us over the finish line with 5 wickets in hand. A good day for Antwerp and we are confident these performances will take us to the Quarter finals!

Next week we have a friendly vs Crescent on Saturday and a 45 over League match vs Greens on Sunday. If you’re available, let Wahid and Simon know. Also don’t forget training on Tuesday from 18.00 and the Weekly Quiz!

This week the statistics will be uploaded too, so keep an eye on the website for updates.

Saturday farce, Sunday friendly vs ACCB – 21/04/14

Saturday

We had a friendly planned vs Mechelen CC which got cancelled at the last minute. A real shame for those who turned up and for the team who wanted to get some invaluable match practice.

Sunday

Sunday was a much better day. We organised a last minute friendly vs ACCB. The match started at 13.00 and Antwerp, who won the toss, elected to bat first in the 30 over 13-a-side match.

Only two batsmen stood out for Antwerp: Wahid, last season’s player of the year, scored a quickfire 52 and Ashraf hit 4 sixes in his 36 not out. Antwerp got up to 162 before being bowled out.

ACCB got off to a flying start, and even though Ashraf took 4 wickets and Wahid 2 wickets and 2 good catches, it wasn’t enough to stop them reaching their target in 23 overs. 

At least everyone got a bat and most people got a bowl. It was good for those who hadn’t gotten the chance to play yet this year, and with two important T20s next Sunday, getting practice in is important.

Make your way down to the Antwerp Cricket Centre for training at 18.00 on Tuesday!

Antwerp CC start the season with a bang! – 14/04/14

Two T20s, two wins 

Antwerp CC vs PCCB, 13.15

Antwerp won the toss and elected to bat. Benjamin Mukasa (26 off 13) opened the season by hitting the first ball of the innings for 6! PCCB never got into the game as Afghan teenager Ashraf Ahmadzai (62 off 31) and veteran and local legend Niaz Ahmed (35 off 21) smashed the opposition to all parts of the new Antwerp Cricket Centre.

Antwerp ended on 158/6 in their 20 overs and a much desired revenge for last year’s defeat looked likely.

Ajmal Oriakhez (3-10 off 3 overs) and Benjamin Mukasa (2-6 off 2 overs) opened the bowling in a twin spin attack. They blew away the top order, making the rest of the innings a procession. Niaz Ahmed (2-3 off 1 over) and Zakir Sianokhez (2-10 off 4 overs) completed the demolition of PCCB. 46 all out was the result and the team was on a high. Niaz Ahmed was the Man of the match.

Antwerp CC won by 112 runs

Antwerp CC vs Sint Truiden CC, 16.15

Again Antwerp won the toss and elected to bat. This time however, the top order wobbled and the start wasn’t as good.

Sabir Khan Mohammed (78 off 27) and captain Ali Banaras (38 off 21) took control of the innings and managed to get Antwerp up to 155/6 to set a formidable target, as the temperatures started to drop and light started to fade.

Sint Truiden never got going, wickets kept falling and maidens were pegging them back as their attempt to get close failed.

Even when 52 runs came off the last three overs it was far too little too late. Zakir was again successful with the ball, claiming 3-19 off 4 overs. Sint Truiden ended on 105/7 off their 20 overs.

Antwerp CC won by 50 runs

The league season could not have started better for Antwerp. With two T20 league wins under our belt, we have a great chance to progress to the next round. Thanks to Benjamin for the match reporting.

Next weekend we have a friendly vs Mechelen in Hombeek on Saturday. Let the captain and match manager know whether you are available. The week after we will play our two remaining T20 League matches, against Ostend and the Greens. Come down to support the first team!

For all the fixtures, click here

The mat is laid, our ground manager Andrew Scott tells the story – 05/04/14

The day started early, as I had to drive to Brussels airport to pick up the Notts Sport technician Simon Glover. I’d met Simon before whilst helping him lay the pitch at Ostend. Simon has visited most Belgian grounds and travels world-wide laying pitches for Notts Sport. Dennis was already at the ground, we had a bit of a chat whilst Simon got changed.

Then the work started. We began by finding the centre of the ground and then finding where North was, the two ends of the mat should face north – south. We then measured out the size of the hole we had to dig. 30m x 2.65m x 5cm. As we didn’t have a turf cutter we had to do this by hand. This took most of the morning and the first part of the afternoon. We did try to use the digger that the workmen were using but, the operator was new to the machine and either dug too deep or not deep enough.

There was good news though; the other workmen could not finish the taking down of the fences behind the goal posts as the high scaffolding had not arrived, which meant four of them could help us dig away the turf. One person cutting the turf, two people digging away the turf into wheelbarrows and four people emptying the wheelbarrows. The workmen helped us for about an hour and then they had lunch.

Without them work was much slower. When they returned we were nearly half way, 15 meters. Now we did have a problem, the mats had not arrived. After a few phone calls we found out that the mat was lifted onto the wrong transporter and would not arrive till the next morning at 9 O’clock. I think the phrase that ‘Dennis was rather annoyed’ does not quite cover how he felt! We spent the rest of the afternoon filling the trench with the lava dust and levelling it off. That was all we could do without the mat so we all went our respective ways.

The three mats did arrive the morning after; we unloaded them from the van and had them transported to the end of our trench. The base mat was laid out, pegged down and compressed. The underlying mat was laid from crease to crease and then stretched, pegged down all the way round and compressed again. The top layer, the artificial grass top mat was then placed on top of the two mats, pegged down at one end, taken up the tension and pegged down. The pegs were about 12cm apart, so this took a fair while to do.

The laying of the mat was finished.

The creases will now be painted on and the mat will be ready to play on. After a few games the mat should be watered and a heavy roller should be dragged over it. The mat will play low at first, but once it has settled and been rolled a few times (after rain is best), it will improve.

I knew most of the faces that helped but not all of the names, so I shall not name anyone in case I am incorrect. Many, many thanks to everybody that helped with the laying of the pitch, we could not have done it without you. But this is just the start, there is still a lot of work to be done before the ground can be called playable.

I hope that Antwerp CC, Afghan CC and Crescent CC all have many happy years at the Antwerp Cricket Centre.

For more pictures, click here

New Sponsorship Packages available – 28/03/14

With the development of the new Antwerp Cricket Centre in full swing, the club is seeking sponsors to help realize its ambitious projects for the future. Sponsorship packages are now available from as little as €50 for online advertising up to €2000 for the full sponsorship package which includes advertising opportunities on the club website, on all printed communications material, at the ground and on club clothing and equipment and naming rights for international tournaments and events.

For full details, see the sponsorship page.

2020 Vision Statement now online – 24/03/14

Following the appointment of a new committee by the Annual General Meeting at Nova on 26 February 2014, the Club has drafted a 5-year development plan for the club and ground as part of its 2020 Vision Statement. The Vision Statement defines the key objectives for five central pillars that make up the 5-year development plan:

1. Ground Development Plan
2. Junior Development Programme
3. Cricketing Excellence Programme
4. Community Outreach Programme
5. International Development Programme

View the 2020 Vision Statement here

Lease agreement signed for new ground in Middelheim – 17/03/14

Thanks almost solely to the efforts of Chairman Dennis Newport, Antwerp Cricket Club is one step closer to realising its long-standing ambition to become the premier institution for the sport in Belgium.

The new ground located right in the middle of the Koningin Astrid Park in Floraliënlaan in Antwerp will offer an unprecedented level of infrastructure and facilities with space for 2 full senior pitches and a third junior ground along with extensive clubhouse facilities including bar, change rooms, storage rooms and office space. As such, it has the potential to become one of the best cricketing centres in Europe, outside the Netherlands and La Manga.

Plans are currently being drafted for the further development of the ground, the installation of artificial pitches and other infrastructure such as a score box and boundary markers. Sponsors are also currently being sought to help fund the further development of the ground.

Antwerp finishes close second in 2013 first division league – 14/03/14

Antwerp Cricket Club can be proud of an incredible achievement in 2013, falling just a few points short of winning the Belgian Cricket Federation league championship in the first division. A huge congratulations to the whole team, the committee, volunteers and support staff for this fantastic effort.

For full results, scorecards and statistics for the 2013 season, see the club page on Teamsnap.

For the final league results and tables, see the Belgian Cricket Federation website.