Bridging the Gap Holland have been at the forefront of Associate Member cricket for many years now, narrowly missing out on qualification for the 1999 World Cup. Here, Ren W. van Ierschot, President of the KNCB, outlines how Holland have got where they are, and what the next steps are. Although newspapers and radio cover cricket, television networks do not show much interest a great disincentive to potential sponsors. Dutch cricket is club based as school sport is not part of Dutch culture.
Cricket clubs are generally part of football or hockey clubs.
But there is also a substantial advantage because cricket recruits youngsters from the football or hockey divisions. A regional set up of scouting and close co-operation between KNCB and clubs ensures that the available potential is spotted early. The European Cricket Council competitions for most of these age groups and separate tours and other cricket events provide a firm base for the development of talented players. Women's cricket is an integral part of the KNCB activities. On a similar basis to men's cricket, the national ladies and U19 and U15 teams participate in various tournaments, helping the development of promising players.