Voorburg Cricket Club (VCC) was founded on June 1, 1932. Since 1990, the first team has played in the national premier league, interrupted only by the year 1999, when the team operated at the first division level. In 2002, VCC became national champions for the first time in history! VCC developed spectacularly in recent decades. In the 1980s, the first team promoted no less than four times; in 1989 to the highest national league, the Nachenius Tjeenk Competition. The association also showed significant growth in breadth. Today, VCC is among the largest clubs in the Netherlands with six senior teams, three youth teams and one women’s team.
Internationals
Since 1990, VCC has regularly supplied players to the Dutch cricket team: in addition to record international Tim de Leede (237 internationals), and the now departed Adeel Raja, Ahmad Zulfiqar, Daan van Bunge and Atse Buurman, Hans Boerstra and Marc Nota were also part of the Oranje squad in the past. Currently, Wilfred Diepeveen is VCC’s player for the Dutch National Team.
Advance
The rise of VCC1 began in 1980. Then the team became Class 2B champions. Gradually, the association took on a more professional appearance. The club was growing and a youth coach was hired to handle the influx of youth members. The advancement of youth members to the senior teams was proceeding well. In 1983, VCC again became champions, this time of Class 2A. In 1985 they won the championship of the Transitional Class. The convincing manner in which that happened and the results achieved the following year proved that VCC1 was slowly maturing for the highest level of cricket in the Netherlands. Establishing a youth policy and attracting a main sponsor and a paid player/coach also pointed this out. Yet it took four more seasons before VCC promoted to the top division. Many successes were achieved, but never was VCC more than a dangerous outsider.
In 1989, the crowning glory of training work finally followed. Although for a long time it looked like Amsterdam’s ACC would take the honor, VCC managed to clinch the First Class championship. After two difficult first seasons in the big league, VCC turned in the top five for several years. The best performances in the national competition were second place finishes in 1993 and 1997. In addition, VCC captured the National Cup in 1991 and the team was winner of the Sri Lanka Ambassador’s Cup in 1995.
In 1994, the C youth became national champions for the first time in VCC history. The revived women’s team managed to seize second place in the fourth division and successfully applied for promotion to the third division. Meanwhile, the women’s team is among the better teams in the first division. In 1995, VCC1 won the six-a-side competition and VCC2 became champions of the Transitional Class, promoting to the reserve premier class. The C youth again reached the final match for the national championship, but this time was a losing finalist.
Almost champion
In 1996, the board decided not to hire a foreign player/coach, but its own player Tim de Leede. In 1996, VCC1 finished third. In 1997, VCC was in the race for the national title for a long time. In the end, however, as in 1993, Schiedam’s Excelsior drew the longest straw. That year, for the first time in VCC history, a cricket international was played at Sportpark Duijvesteijn: Netherlands-Pakistan. This match, won by the Pakistani professionals by only a small difference, attracted over 1,000 spectators.
Degradation
Although VCC looked strong on paper in 1998 – the departure of star player Zulfiqar was offset by the arrival of Australian player/coach Steve Shaw and former international Floris Jansen – poor play, dumb luck and a series of injuries led to relegation to the First Division on the very last day of play. Bright spot: the A youth wins the prestigious Flamingo junior tournament. In 1999, VCC welcomed wicketkeeper/batsman Glynn Howell (New Zealand) and became undefeated First Division champions, proving that the 1998 relegation was an unfortunate incident. In the year 2000, New Zealand wicketkeeper/batsman Robbie Hart who joined the Voorburg ranks. VCC finished shared sixth. A non-playing trainer/coach was chosen in 2001: Australian John Bell (52). Bell previously played as a professional for Tasmania and in the Netherlands for Kampong. His compatriot Chris Smith came over from Kampong. Although Smith performed well, Bell’s coaching was not perceived as an improvement by the players.
VCC National Champion!
In 2002, VCC became national champions for the first time in the club’s 70-year history – very convincingly, with ten points ahead of No. 2. Beforehand, it did not look like it: VCC had to do without Chris Smith and Job van Bunge, who sought refuge with Quick Haag. But some good players of Pakistani origin reported. Beforehand, it was unclear whether VCC would be able to settle into the middle ground. However, VCC was leading from the start. Rivals Quick Haag and VRA were both defeated twice. Only Excelsior “away” resulted in a loss. The Pakistanis proved to be excellent cricketers. In addition, youth players Daan van Bunge and Atse Buurman broke through. These good performances added together, combined with the captaincy of Tim de Leede, resulted in a deserved national title.
In 2003, Marc Nota left for HCC to become a coach. Daan van Bunge plays for the MCC Young Cricketers in London in hopes of turning professional. Although five players disappeared from the squad, VCC seized third place. As in 1996 and 1997, Tim de Leede was player/coach. In 2004, Marc Nota returned and Australian Brett Crichton became player/coach. The following year, with New Zealander Marcel McKenzie, VCC did not play for prizes and the team finished in the lower reaches of the premier league. Things look better for 2006; young Australian Ryan LeLoux was contracted as player/coach and international offspinner Adeel Raja also came over from VRA.
Playoffs
In 2007, VCC inaugurates its new main field at Groene Zoom and Ryan Leloux returns as player/coach. Raja leaves; Atse Buurman is contracted as youth coach to succeed Marc Nota. On June 1, 2007, VCC will celebrate its 75th anniversary. Australian John Sist takes over the captaincy from Tim de Leede. Initially, VCC bivouacked in the lower regions, but managed to recover well in the second half and even qualify for the Playoffs.
On Saturday, September 1, the semi-final will be against VOC, a match that would go down in the history books: VCC needed one more run in the last over for the win, VOC three more wickets for a tie. Coach Xavier Doherty takes a hat trick and so this semifinal ends in a tie. A day later is the replay and, despite the blowout the day before, VCC wins in an almost equally exciting match, again deciding the match in the last over.
In 2008, some fifteen members will transfer from the Kieviten. VCC inaugurates its beautiful new clubhouse and locker rooms. VCC 2 and VCC 3 unfortunately relegate, but VCC 1 holds its own with Steve Nottle as coach. 2009: a square of seven grass pitches will be constructed and put into use in 2010. VCC 1 is relegated after three p/d duels against Red and White and thus will not be part of the new Top Class to be formed. Coach is Muhammad Hafeez.
In 2010, the grass wicket will be put into use and international matches will also take place. VCC 1 sees no chance of qualifying for the playoffs, which offer the prospect of promotion to the Top Class. With a fifth position, VCC 1 with Brandon Hiini as player/coach is “best of the rest. The VCC U10 and U11 youth teams both became national champions.
Summary of results Voorburg Cricket Club 1980-present
- 1980 Class 2B champion
- 1983 Champion of Class 2A
- 1985 Champion of the Transitional Class
- 1989 Champion of the First Division
- 1991 National Cup winner
- 1993 Second place major league
- 1994 C youth national champion
- 1995 Winner six-a-side competition
- 1996 Third place major league
- 1997 Second place major league
- 1998 A youth wins Flamingo junior tournament
- 1998 Degradation to First Division
- 1999 Undefeated champion of the First Division
- 2001 A youth again wins Flamingo junior tournament
- 2002 National Champion!
- 2003 Third place major league
- 2005 U10 youth becomes champions of the Netherlands
- 2007 Second place big league, after surprisingly qualifying for the Playoffs. VCC 3 becomes undefeated champion
- 2009 U10 youth national champion; VCC 1 relegated from big league
- 2010 U10 and U11 youth national champions
- 2011 Shared 3rd place major league, 1st place Twenty20 league major league and promoted to Top League.
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