High visitor on the cricket field of Cricketvereniging Amsterdam. The Dutch cricketers will play three matches in the Amsterdamse Bos against four-time world champions in the West Indies. Great powers England and Pakistan come to the Netherlands in the summer. And it’s also about something. “Normally we don’t get these kinds of games.”
The last time the West Indies played against the Orange in the Netherlands was 31 years ago. Yesterday, Goliath and David met again on Dutch soil, in front of almost empty stands. Because cricket hardly lives here. The fact that it concerns a weekday working day and that severe weather is forecast does not help either. Tim de Leede is there. He is a former international and his son now also plays in Orange. “We normally don’t get these kinds of competitions. Those top countries have such busy programs that they can earn a lot of money with, so this is a great opportunity for the Netherlands.”
The busiest corner of the stands is dark red. The color of the West Indies. Here are the diehard fans. They come from London, Jamaica and Barbados. “It’s in our hearts. Whether we lose, win or draw, we are there,” says a supporter from London. but she cheers for the adversary.” My father is from Barbados. I have played here with the ladies myself, but my heart is in Barbados.”
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Cricket is the second largest sport on Earth. While the stands in the Amsterdamse Bos could be fuller, many hundreds of thousands of people worldwide follow the match via a live stream. Calimero Netherlands can suddenly join the big boys, thanks to the win in a two-year (!) qualifying tournament. Now it is a World Cup ticket. This week the Dutch cricketers will play a one-day match against the West Indies three times (which was lost yesterday by the way), followed by England and Pakistan. In August it will be clear whether the Netherlands can participate in the world championship.