Having not only achieved their major goal of participation in the 2007 World Cup but with it the Promised Land of official ODI status, the Dutch Cricket Union (KNCB) can look back on the 2005 season with a good deal of satisfaction. But a moment’s reflection reveals that their achievements bring with them a number of long-term challenges, which the Bond will need to respond to if full advantage is to be taken of the position the players have earned.

Coached by Bobby Simpson (right), Holland did well to win the fifth place in the Caribbean, but they gave their supporters some heart flutters along the way. The side confirmed their ability to crush weaker opposition, making more than 300 against Oman and Denmark and bowling Papua-New Guinea out for 69 in their opening game, and they recorded a fairly comfortable win against Namibia as well.

They were perhaps unlucky to lose a hard-fought, rain-affected match to Canada, but their aspirations to rank with the top non-Test countries were shaken a little when they were dismissed for 123 by Scotland chasing a total of 221. This was revenge for the Scots, who had themselves been bowled out for 81 by The Netherlands on a rain-affected wicket in the 2004 European championships.

It meant that the Dutch side were playing off for that final World Cup berth, but they held their nerve by beating Denmark and then, in the play-off for fifth place, recording a solid win against the UAE, who had kept them out of the 2004 Champions Trophy by defeating them in the final elimination game.

The core of the squad were players with experience outside The Netherlands: Man of the Tournament Bas Zuiderent, who made three centuries in compiling 474 runs at an average of 118, had several seasons with Sussex, while the South African-born all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate is currently on the books at Essex. The second most prolific batsman was Daan van Bunge, who’s had two seasons with the MCC Young Cricketers, while the all-rounders Billy Stelling and Darron Reekers have first-class experience in South Africa and New Zealand respectively. Although Stelling is 36 and Reekers 32, it seems likely that these five will play a key role in Holland’s preparations for the 2007 World Cup.

This season’s Intercontinental Cup, on the other hand, was a much less encouraging affair, although bowling Scotland out for 217 in Utrecht was the Dutch side’s best first-class effort so far. That game was rained off soon afterwards, and the match against Ireland in Belfast was also abandoned as a draw after the home side amassed 407 for four in 90 overs. Ryan ten Doeschate’s 84 in the Dutch reply showed the benefit of his first-class experience, while fifteen-year-old Alexei Kervezee revealed a precocious talent in making an undefeated 46.

It’s disappointing that the restructuring of the C&G Trophy has cost Holland its place in the competition, especially after this season’s hard-fought first-round match (again rain-affected), in which the Dutch went down to eventual finalists Warwickshire by just 23 runs. Van Bunge and Stelling were the heroes with the bat, making 89 and 46 respectively and putting on 91 for the sixth wicket after Warwickshire had done fairly well to compile 237 for five on a damp, low wicket.

One of the major challenges for the future will be ensuring that Holland gets regular games against high-quality opposition. Apart from the prospective ‘mini-World Cup’ involving the six non-Test-playing ODI nations, plans for 2006 include a couple of ODIs against Sri Lanka – The Netherlands’ first at home – during their tour of England, while European championship matches against Scotland and Ireland will in future also rank as official ODIs. But there’s also a need for an imaginative programme against sides of A-international or first-class status. The end-of-season visit of Antigua was a positive sign, although there were problems with the availability of many leading players and some games were played on matting rather than on grass.

Meanwhile, changes are afoot in the structure of the Intercontinental Cup: it is envisaged that matches will be extended to four days, and the regional system will be replaced by a more open, genuinely intercontinental, one. The word is that the Dutch will be playing Kenya in Kenya in March, with games against Bermuda and Canada later in the year at a venue yet to be decided.

In the second part of this article, we’ll look at some of the problems thrown up by this brave new future.