A thrilling one-wicket victory for Voorburg over Excelsior was the only result achieved in Saturday’s Hoofdklasse matches, as the other two games again fell victim to the weather.

The week’s rain meant that the fixture between VOC and HBS Den Haag in Rotterdam was abandoned without a ball being bowled, while there was time for only ten overs in Schiedam, where HCC reached 36 for two before two hours of rain brought proceedings to an end.

But further north, in Den Haag, the worst of the weather slipped past, and Voorburg took full advantage of the fact. Winning the toss and putting Excelsior in, their bowlers soon seized the initiative, with Tim de Leede having Mark Cleary caught behind in the first over. In difficult conditions for batting, Excelsior were quickly reduced to 24 for three, and although Daan van Bunge and Luuk van Troost rebuilt the innings somewhat with a 47-run partnership for the fourth wicket, when they were both removed by Mohammed Rafi the visitors were again in trouble.

Rafi finished with four for 26 from his ten-over spell, and with Adeel Raja picking up two wickets plus a run-out from a direct hit Excelsior were all out for 117.

Cleary brought his side back into the game with a superb six-over opening spell in which he took three wickets for 7 runs, and VCC were suddenly 27 for four. That became 46 for six, and it seemed that Excelsior were heading for an extraordinary win.

But Wilfried Diepeveen and John Sist had other ideas, and although their seventh-wicket partnership was worth only 33, it swung the balance back towards Voorburg. Not the least important factor was their successful defence against Cleary’s final four-over spell, probably the turning-point in the game.

With thunder rumbling around the ground and occasional flurries of rain, run-rate was a constant factor, and at the 35th over, Sist having departed just previously, Voorburg were one run behind the required rate. The next two overs went for a total of 16 runs, giving the home side a clear advantage, but then two more wickets brought Excelsior to the brink of victory.

Diepeveen was still there, however, and with Tamin Faqiri lending him valuable support they worked their way towards the target. Diepeveen hit a big six to bring them within a single stroke, and then Faqiri’s boundary settled the issue. After a series of defeats in such situations, Voorburg could finally celebrate a stirring, hard-fought victory.