European Cricket League (“ECL”) is the Champions League of European cricket. Founded by Daniel Weston, Roger Feiner, Frank Leenders and Thomas Klooz and hailed as a cricketing equivalent of the UEFA Champions League, the second-staging - ECL21 - will be played in May and June in Spain.
Formed in 1883, the KNCB (Royal Dutch Cricket Board) is the governing body of cricket in the Netherlands.
KNCB can boast two teams with the honour of representing the Netherlands at ECL21 - the second-staging of the European Cricket League.
V.O.C. Rotterdam have been basking in the glow as “Kings of Europe” ever since winning the inaugural European Cricket League – ECL19 – at La Manga Club in Spain.
Naturally, the federation boasting the reigning Kings earns the right to have two teams representing them in the ECL the following year. Therefore, with V.O.C. also claiming domestic T20 honours, runners-up HBS Craeyenhout sealed the second available spot for the Netherlands at ECL20.
HAPPY HBS!However, both V.O.C. and HBS were cruelly denied a shot at winning the trophy because of the inevitable ECL20 postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a press conference, Prime Minister Rutte announced that no domestic cricket would be possible in the Netherlands until September 1 this year, “leaving no room for a meaningful T20 competition in 2020,” the KNCB announced on their website.
The KNCB announcement provided some early clarity for the Netherlands participants ECL21 which is scheduled for May and June next year in Spain.
