NL: First Ever Competition Match On Dutch Turf (16 Jun 1996)

First ever competition match on Dutch turf

Sunday June 16, 1996. A memorable day for Dutch cricket. For the first time in history a competition match was played on a true Dutch grass wicket. The grass wicket of Koninklijke UD, finished this year, was tested during april and may. The honour of actually playing it befell Kon UD 3 and Hilversum 3. Not a top-class match yet. The first Premier League match on the Deventer grass wicket will be in 4 to 6 weeks, when the moveable covers and sight screens will be ready. After Hilversum beat the locals by 3 wickets, both batsmen and bowlers seemed content with the quality of the pitch.

The official international opening match is planned for August 7, when Alan Lamb will bring a team to Deventer to play a Dutch selection.