New Zealanders battling in English and Dutch leagues

New Zealand cricketers in England and Dutch club cricket are having a lean time of it at the moment.

Aucklander Rob Nicol has no batting form at all for Rishton which is in 14th and last place in the first XI competition of the Lancashire League.

In his side's 146-run loss to East Lancs he took three wickets for 95 and a week later in the 104-run loss to Nelson he took three for 114.

Matthew Bell is playing for fourth-placed Esher in the Surrey Championship league. He scored 53 in a drawn game with Cheam and 52 in a winning draw against Weybridge.

Luke Woodcock, like Bell from Wellington, is playing for eighth-placed Purley in the second division of the Surrey League but has not yet made an impression among the top performers.

Canterbury's Brendon Donkers is playing for ninth-placed Leigh in the Liverpool and District competition's premier league.

He retired hurt in a recent game against New Brighton, having scored nine, but then came back two days later in a 70-run win over Newton le Willows scoring 20 not out and taking one for 18. He followed that with 49 not out and two for 39 in a 27-run loss to Bootle.

Otago's Warren McSkimming is playing for sixth-placed Lytham in the same league. He scored 62 and took two for 46 in a draw against Huyton, took two for 62 in a five-wicket loss to New Brighton and then scored 66 in a 106-run win against Newton le Willows.

In the first division of the Liverpool competition, former Aucklander Aaron Barnes is playing for fourth-placed Colwyn Bay and James Marshall of Northern Districts, is playing for twelth-placed Formby.

Marshall hit 112 in a no result game against St Helens Recs and a week later his 76 in a five-wicket loss to Highfield.

Barnes hit 74 and took one for 16 in a seven-wicket win against Liverpool and then hit 49 and took four for 52 in an eight-wicket win against Caldy.

But his best effort to date was 117 not out and two for 83, despite his team losing by four wickets to Formby. In that match he claimed Marshall's wicket for a duck. Marshall took two catches and had the satisfaction of seeing his side win by four wickets.

In his most recent appearance last weekend, Barnes hit 45 in a seven-wicket win against Orrell Red Triangle.

Michael Parlane is playing for Swardeston in the East Anglia League, the side is fifth of 10 teams. He scored 52 not out in a nine-wicket win over Bury St Edmunds and 28 in a five-wicket loss to Norwich.

The New Zealanders in the Netherlands cricket competition have also been battling.

Former internationals Shane Thomson and David Sewell are playing in the first-placed side VRA. Sewell took two for 24 in a 23-run win over Quick Haag, and four for 48 in a 24-run win over VCC while Thomson's most significant hand in recent weeks has been 64 against VOC in a match lost by 13 runs.

Andre Adams and Alex O'Dowd are playing for second-placed HCC. O'Dowd scored 109 against Excelsior and Adams scored 11 and took three for 29 in a six-wicket win.

In his most recent appearance against Quick Haag when HCC successfully defended a total of 132, Adams scored 26 off 27 balls, with three sixes before taking three for 25 from his 10 overs.

Greg Todd is playing with the third-placed Hermes DVS side. Against Rood en Wit he took two for 35 in a 36-run loss. He scored 34 not out in a 66-run win over VOC, scored 22 and took two for 23 in a 20-run win over VCC and scored 22 and took one for 25 in a 25-run win over Excelsior.

David Kelly is playing with the fifth-placed Rood en Wit side and in his best performance so far he scored 36 against Hermes DVS before being caught by former Central Districts player Gavin McRae off Todd's bowling. But his side did emerge with a victory.

Aucklander Tama Canning's side of VOC is in ninth place but Canning has been producing some good all-round performances.

He scored 39 against HCC as his side lost by 76 runs. But the following week he scored 26 and took three for 35 in a 13-run win over VRA.

Then he scored 30 and took two for 21 in a 45-run loss to Rood en Wit before his best performance last weekend of 56 and five for 25 off 9.2 overs to help his side to a 36-run win over VCC.

Former Canterbury all rounder Darron Reekers is the only other player in the competition from New Zealand. He is playing for last-placed Quick Haag. In his last three appearances his best score has been 14 and his best bowling two for 15 from 10 overs in a five-wicket win over Rood en Wit.

In the women's competition, Canterbury's Sarah Burke is playing for second-placed Rood en Wit in the six-team women's premier league and in her side's seven-wicket win last weekend she took two for 13 from her nine overs.