Dutch club representatives took a large step towards the introduction of domestic two-day cricket at the KNCB’s latest consultative meeting last week, although the exact basis on which it will be introduced remains uncertain.

The original proposal from Top Cricket Nederland (TCN) was to develop a two-day element at club level as part of a restructured Hoofdklasse competition, but many clubs prefer the alternative of a new and separate regional competition.

On the central question, however, of whether the introduction of two-day cricket is desirable as a means of developing the strategic and tactical skills of Dutch players, a clear majority of those present at last Tuesday’s meeting voted in favour.

It remains to be decided, therefore, whether this should take place on a regional or club basis, and there were reportedly strong arguments adduced on both sides of the issue. The TCN leadership has undertaken to bring forward new proposals within two weeks, which will be discussed at a further consultative meeting on 11 November.

The choice now seems to lie between pressing ahead with the idea of a two-day club competition, and accepting a compromise outcome whereby club cricket continues to be based on a 50-over competition and two-day cricket is confined to the regional level.

In another positive development, the clubs appeared to accept the desirability of limiting the size of the Hoofdklasse, and by extension the other TCN divisions, to eight teams. Combined with a two-day competition in whatever form, this would go a long way towards achieving the principal TCN goal of a streamlined, more intensive structure at the top end of Dutch domestic cricket.

The clubs also favoured an expansion of the existing Twenty20 Cup to bring in all TCN clubs, and the introduction of Twenty20 competitions for all junior age-groups.

Opinion is more divided, though, over many of the questions posed by TCN’s parallel organisation, Recreational Cricket Nederland (RCN).

Over such issues as which competitions should be played on which days, for example, there was little consensus. But there was strong support for the idea of an RCN Twenty20 Cup, and widespread agreement that the expansion of youth cricket should be at the top of the KNCB’s priority list.

That will accordingly become one of four priority projects undertaken by the leadership of RCN, with the experience of clubs which have successfully developed youth sections being used to stimulate more to follow suit.

Other areas to which the RCN will follow up will be: development of women’s cricket; a system of ‘adoption’ of smaller clubs by the larger ones, with particular attention being given to the east of The Netherlands; and the formation of new clubs, in part, it is hoped, through co-operation with the Rugby Federation.