[by the editor/MvO] Last week, cricket journalists Rod Lyall and Bertus de Jong got it wrong: not Sparta won at ‘t Loopveld, but, gloriously, ACC1 (see match report by Observer). This time, the couple cautiously predicts a win for ACC, again at home, against VOC. So come and watch again on Sunday. Ignore the weather forecast ;-). And, ACC1-youngsters: the left row in the Topklasse-table beckons, but do not ever underestimate VOC! Below follows the detailed ACC-VOC Match Preview by Rod and Bertus. All other Previews in Round 4 (Big Match at the top: HCC-VRA) can be found at Tkcricket here.
Rod Lyall’s tips: VRA, Punjab, Voorburg, ACC, HBS.
Bertus de Jong’s tips: HCC, Punjab, Voorburg, ACC, Sparta
Rod Lyall: ''Another outfit with plenty of youth is ACC, as seamer Mees van Vliet demonstrated last Sunday and batsman Shreyas Potdar the week before. They will take on a VOC Rotterdam side for whom national captain Pieter Seelaar showed renewed appetite for runs in the defeat by Punjab, and despite that loss the Rotterdammers looked a lot more competitive than they had in their first two games.
''Again on their own patch at Het Loopveld, ACC will be looking to repeat last week’s success against Sparta, a fine team effort by a side with half-a-dozen changes from last season. Bobby Hanif’s return gives the VOC attack a more stable look, but the batting is yet to cohere into a unit, and although they are capable of springing a surprise my guess is that ACC will have the better of this battle between two mid-table sides.''
Bertus de Jong: ''VOC have been struggling with player availability throughout the season and it has been reflected in their results, so the news of Seelaar’s sidelining (due to a back injury rather than a city break) will come as a still heavier blow. It was Seelaar’s unbeaten 93 that proved the backbone (sorry) of their first half-decent score of the season, and his absence will further unsettle an already unstable line-up, as well as depriving them of ten overs of quality left arm spin.
''ACC meanwhile, despite extensive personnel changes, seem to have gelled into something resembling a steady if unshowy side. In a competition where few teams can say the same, the Amsterdammers may yet give a better account of themselves than many predicted.''
