Two of the Spanish National Team players plying their trade this season on foreign soil continued their rich vein of form to help their teams to victory last weekend.
In Holland, Yasir Ali was instrumental in Punjab’s rain restricted victory over Quick CC of Den Haag. Punjab won the toss and elected to bat in a game reduced to 43 overs because of the weather.
Punjab made 191 for 6 and in reply Quick were 187 for 9 off their over allocation, so consequently fell to a 28 run loss courtesy of the Duckworth-Lewis method.
Punjab now lie in 5th place in the table on 10 points, below Quick who have the same points but a superior net run rate, but eight points off leaders Excelsior. More importantly, they have a four point buffer over the two sides occupying the relegation places, so to date, Punjab can be very happy with their efforts in the Topklasse after gaining promotion last year.
Quick Haag v Punjab Rotterdam at Nieuw Hanenburg.
Punjab won by 28 runs (DLS)
Punjab won the toss and elected to bat, Early lunch taken. Match reduced to 43 overs.
Punjab Rotterdam 191-6 (43 overs) ZA Chaudhary 34, A Mahsood 46
Quick Haag 187-9 (43 overs) GJ Mol 64; S Tariq 3-50, SA Minhas 3-32, Y Ali 3-47 (DLS target 215 in 43 overs)
Meanwhile, in the UK, Kuldeep Lal was helping his side to the top of the table in the Essex County League thanks to a fine bowling performance against Ford CC that saw the Spanish all rounder take three wickets for 35 runs, including the scalps of the two Ford openers.
Grays are now 15 points clear of Barking at the top of Division One and prime candidates for promotion to the Premier League.
Grays opponents on the day, Ford CC, also have a Spanish connection. Levante player Orville Sennhouse played for them in the late 20th and early 21st century. He was their first team captain in 1998 and in 2000 he scored 769 runs at an average of 59 and took 11 wickets for a cost of 16.64. Orville has also helped coach the Spanish National team in the past, and continues to be a major player for the Valencia based club.
O. Sennhouse Ford CC (2000) Yasir & S. Billings Kuldeep Lal