A somewhat makeshift KNCB President’s XI proved too strong for the touring Australian Crusaders in Amstelveen on Thursday, defeating the visitors by 65 runs in a 45-over match.

The KNCB side included three current internationals in skipper Peter Borren, Eric Szwarczynski and Daan van Bunge, plus squad members Adeel Raja and Berend Westdijk. Former Dutch seamer Ben Goedegebuur and youth international Floris Kingma also took part.

To these Dutch players national coach Peter Drinnen added four from overseas: exchange players Jayden Hoare (ACC), Brian Jurisich (VOC Rotterdam) and Emile Kriek (Kampong Utrecht), and Kampong coach Shaun de Kock. A third Kampong player, Andrew File, completed the twelve-man squad.

In conditions which should have been ideal for batting, the KNCB XI struggled a little to reach 201 all out in 43.5 overs, contributing considerably to their own difficulties with four run-outs.

Both Van Bunge and Borren ran themselves out when set, and despite a solid 39 from De Kock at the top of the innings it took a seventh-wicket stand of 67 between Kriek and Raja to get the total up to a defensible level. Raja made 33 from 47 deliveries, including one terrific six over midwicket, and Kriek 36 from 41.

Opening bowler Tim Knox again bowled well for two for 39, while Glenn Carlton was economical, conceding just 28 runs from eight overs and taking one wicket.

The Australian batsmen, however, found batting difficult on a pitch which, while true, was a good deal slower and lower than they are used to.

Apart from opener Jarrod Carlson, who made a patient 42 – the highest individual score of the match – they all struggled against the seam of Westdijk, Goedegebuur, Jurisich and Borren, and no less against the spin of Raja, De Kock and Van Bunge.

There were no fewer than three ducks among the top six, and only Knox, batting at ten, showed any real aggression, hitting 21 in 26 deliveries. Jarrad Fletcher was 22 not out when the Crusaders’ innings closed on 136 in 43.1 overs.