Dighton to play for Holland in NatWest Trophy

Western Australian batsman Michael Dighton is the new overseas face in Holland's team to face Lincolnshire in the NatWest Trophy next week.

Dighton was among thirteen names announced by national coach Emmerson Trotman on Tuesday. Roland Lefebvre will again lead a side which contains four veterans of the 1996 World Cup (de Leede, van Noortwijk, van Oosterom and Lefebvre).

Dighton has played eleven first-class matches for Western Australia, scoring 605 runs at 35.58. His form in the limited-over Mercantile Mutual Cup interstate competition in Australia has been more modest to date, however, with 28 runs in five innings. Dighton scored 47 last weekend in his first outing for Excelsior in the Hoofdklasse (Premier League), when they defeated VCC by 24 runs.

Holland will play Lincolnshire in Grantham next Tuesday in their second round NatWest Trophy tie, having received a bye in the first round. Lincolnshire advanced to the second round by the narrowest of margins. Their match with Cheshire finished in a tie, 204 runs apiece, Lincolnshire qualifying by virtue of having lost nine wickets to Cheshire's ten.

The winners of the Holland-Lincolnshire clash will get a home fixture against Lancashire, one of the favourites for the tournament, in the third round on June 16.

The Holland squad is: Roland Lefebvre (VOC, capt), Roger Bradley (HBS), Tim de Leede (VCC), Klaasjan van Noortwijk (VOC), Michael Dighton (Excelsior), Ben Goedegebuur (VOC), Nick Statham (Excelsior), Robert van Oosterom (HBS), Ahmed Zulfiqar (VCC), Asim Khan (BCC), Dick Kramer (Quick Hg), Ejaz Nawaz (Gandhi), Jeroen Smits (HCC, wk).