KEEP SMILING
UITSLAGEN
Present state of Argentine cricket by Jan Balk
by Otecrrer
den. Een Falklandoorlog ten spijt. Hans Woudstra ontving van
Jan een brief met daarin een verslag van zijn wedervaren,
plus een krante-artikel dat u hierbij gereproduceerd ziet. De
roodharige ACC-er blijkt lid te zijn van een zeer oude en chi
que club genaamd Hurlingham, waar men benevens cricket
ook nog polo, squash of golf kan spelen, of zich kan verpozen
met lawn tennis of paddle. U begrijpt, een club waar ook veel
Argentijnse mijnarbeiders op de ledenlijst staan. Sommigen
van u weten misschien dat Jan in het dagelijks leven journalist
is. Regelmatig verschijnen er artikeltjes van hem, veelal over
cricket, in diverse bekende dagbladen. Maar ook in Argenti
nië legt hij de pen geenszins terzijde en geeft in het krante
artikeltje zijn visie op het Argentijnse cricket. En dat is niet mis!
Eén van zijn opmerkingen is dat het niveau laag is. Wellicht is
dat de reden dat hij nu al meer runs gescoord heeft dan in zijn
hele ACC-loopbaan. Bij ACC 1, zo moet u weten, is Jan voor
zijn bowlen in de ploeg en niet voor zijn batten. Maar naast zijn
goede bowlen (voorde kenners hoogste cijfers: 3 v. 5 in 6) blijkt
'Bruiser Balk', zoals hij gekscherend genoemd wordt, ook nog
eens topslagman te zijn (voor de kenners hoogste score: 64
not out). Het gaat dus goed met deze AFC/ACC-er. Maar oor
deelt u verder zelf door het Argentijnse sportpagina-artikel te
lezen, 't Is niet in het Spaans, dus dat scheelt.
NICKY HEKSTER
LOCAL CRICKET SCENE
JAN BALK is one of the
Three Dutch Musketeers
(who are obviously four!)
playing cricket on local fields
during the current season,
having arrived last October;
Balk is playing for
Hurlingham Club and so far
has shone ia all departments
of the game, with fast
bowling being his forte. Jan
is a free-lance journalist back
in Holland and these are his
views on the present state of
Argentine cricket and how
same compares with the
Dutch version:
a) Argentine cricket is
considerably below the
Dutch standard but each
local club has three or four
players who, with practice,
could secure a place in the
best sides in Holland.
b) Lack of discipline and
concentration appear to be
the main handicaps in
Argentine cricket, plus
insufficient competition. It is
hardly a coincidence that at
Lomas AC where
competition is fierce, the
First XI of that Club should
have carried off the First
Division Championship
earlier this year (actually, in
December 1990).
Admittedly, the keenness
shown by Cricket Captain
Mike Ryan and "senior
pros" Malcolm and David
Gibson plus the fact that the
Lomas AC is celebrating its
centenary are also
contributory factors. The
excellent wicket and outfield
provide the right framework.
c) There are plenty of
good, keen, youngsters
about, particularly in the 12
to 15 years of age bracket
(and even younger) and this
is the target to aim at. Paul
Parker's "cricket week" at
St George's College last
December was a huge success
and must be repeated, on an
annual basis. Youngsters are
very prone to "heroe
worship"1 and it is all a
question of providing the
right heroes. The prospect of
tours abroad also helps!
d) Cricket is an elitist game
in Argentina and club life,
though extremely pleasant,
hardly allows all potential
candidates to make use of the
excellent facilities afforded
to some.
Perhaps some form of
sponsonship by firms might
be attempted, to cover the
question of differential subs?
(perhaps Bols and KLM
might be approached, with
this aim in view?
"observer").
The presence of
professionals in the local
teams, as in Holland, would
do much to raise the standard
of local cricket generally.
Balk added that some
4,000 cricketers play
regularly each week-end in
Holland, at 40 different
clubs, situated mainly in the
Rotterdam/Amsterdam/
The Hague area. He himself
plays for Amsterdam Cricket
Club, relegated some three
years ago to the Second
Division and fighting to get
back up into the premier
league, which boasts ten
sides.
Colleague Teun Jansen
plays for V.R.A. as does
Rupert Gomes, in the First
Division; these clubs are
neighbours as both are
located in the Amsterdamse
Bos. ("Bosque" to you!)
The ACC has five sides
and the VRA four; all serious
Cricket takes place on a
Sunday, commencing at
11,00am Social cricket is
confined to Saturdays, as in
Argentina; there are actually
two leagues for '-'vets" (over
40's) and juniors and three
divisions, for Ladies cricket.
Juveniles play on Saturday
mornings. There is no doubt
about it, cricket is a "growth
industry" in Holland. But
the Argentine way of
(Cricket) Life is very civilized
and pleasant, admits the
"Dutch Destroyer"!
COLTS PUT THROUGH
THEIR PACES
A strong ACA XI
vanquished the ACA Colts
XI (Candidates for
Australasian Tour of 1992)
at Lomas AC last Saturday
in a limited overs match (50
overs apiece). On the really
excellent wicket provided
(congratulations, Johnny
Pentreath), the seniors ran
up the fairly satisfactory
total of 143 runs and' then
buffeted the youngsters out
for 106, with "shock
tactics."
DOUBLE DUTCH
The ACA XI, well
skippered by Pablito Roca,
opened their innings with
Dutchmen Jan Balk and
Teun "Van Trumper"
Jansen and these two players
put on a furious 57 in about
ten overs, Jansen being
particularly severe on the
bowling -and plundering 44
scintillating runs out of the
initial 57, with eight fours
and a six to his credit.
He was then beautifully
caught by Brian Elder/ at
extra cover. Sergio Ciaburri
also batted competently, for
a more sober 32. Elder
bowled well, for the Colts, to
return 9-0-39-3, and
Malcolm Keen posed his
usual metaphysical problems
with guHe and Finesse, to
register 9-2-18-2. The
youngsters fielded keenly
and were well captained by
Diego Bongiovanni.
SHOCK ATTACK
The youngsters never
recovered from Jan Balk's
ferocious first over, which
yielded two prize scalps, in
the shape of "Rolo" Dudzin,
caught behind very first ball,
and Belgrano Wonderbat'
Nick Ramayón, lbw.
The genial Dutchman
generated plenty of pace and
lift and his final figures
speak volumes: 6-4-5,-3,
Andrew Hine, temporarily
returned to these shores,
showed he is still a bowler to
be reckoned with, with 6-1-
18-2, and Ciaburri and
Richard Runnacles each got
a couple of wickets apiece, at
negligible cost.
ACA Colts' batsmen to
impress were Elder,
Shimamoto, Bongiovanni,
Robert Runnacles and
especially young Duncan
Macule, with a cultured 20,
but the early inroads effected
by "Bruiser Balk' were
impossible to reverse.
UITSLAGEN ZATERDAG 26 JANUARI
Kampong Vet. - AFC Vet.
ABN-AFC
Amstelveen 6 - AFC 2
AFC 3 - Uithoorn 2
AFC 4 - Middenmeer 5
4-0
1-3
1-10
6-1
2-5
De Germaan 2 - AFC 5
Amstelveen 9 - AFC 6
AFC7-Zeeburgia
AFC 8 - Sloten 4
VVGA9 -AFC 9
AFC A1 - Roodenburg A1
Buitenveldert D1 - AFC D1
Sloterplas D1 - AFC D2
AFC D3 - WA/Spartaan D3
AFC D4 - SDOB D/E
4-3
1-7
8-0
2-1
4-1
1-1
0-9
0-6
1-4
5-0
5
