Ryan ten Doeschate - The Dutch maverick

Cricket and Europe have had a rather odd connection over the years. England, of course, have been the dominant force from that region, given that the game’s origins lie in Old Blighty. It is from this country that cricket first came to the Netherlands in the 19th century. The Dutch national team has had the odd triumph over a Test-playing nation in a few instances – defeating an Australian side in 1964 was the first. Another interesting fact is that Nolan Clarke became the oldest player to represent Holland in the cricket World Cup – causing the entire world to sit up and take notice of the minnows of international cricket.

And now, the mantle of taking Dutch cricket forward in the 21st century has fallen to a promising cricketer – Ryan ten Doeschate, arguably one of the Netherlands’ finest cricketing talent to have taken the field.

Like England’s maverick hitter Kevin Pietersen, Tendo (as he is popularly known among his team-mates) was born in South Africa. His Dutch ancestry, however, has allowed him to play for the Dutch national team under European Citizenship norms. I find it weird that the cricketing powers-that-be have a rather strange selection policy in SA cricket circles. They end up nearly messing up fledgling careers of men who could easily have achieved greatness with just a little support.

Fortunately, guys like Pietersen and Tendo had the advantage of having familial connections in countries where selection is a matter of merit. Tendo did just that – and it is a decision that he has never regretted.

Ryan matriculated from Fairbairn College in 1998 – an institution where his leadership potential was identified early by his appointment as a College Prefect. He excelled at both rugby and cricket, and at the age of 23, made his List A debut for Essex against Lancashire. Very quickly, he established himself as one of the finest talents to emerge from the non-Test playing nations.

He found his rhythm during the ICC Intercontinental Cup in 2005 and 2006 – scores of 84, 158, 138, 100 and 259 not out reflect this. What sets him apart from other international hopefuls is his amazing ability to clear the ropes almost at will. Add to that his accurate, skiddy, medium-fast deliveries, and you have a genuine all-rounder on your hands. Western Province was the first to recognise the abilities of this wonderfully talented player, and Essex was quick to follow. Ryan’s superlative performances helped him to win the ICC Associate & Affiliate Player of the Year in 2008, 2010 and 2011 – a feat that is yet to be surpassed.

What I like most about Tendo is that he has the ability to score big and do it with a calmness that belies his 33-match ODI experience. How many batsmen, even from the Test-playing nations, can claim to have a batting average of 67.00?

He’s a maverick cricketer, a gun-for-hire in the fast-paced world of Twenty20 cricket. Notable among his T20 achievements are an unbeaten 95 off 61 balls for the Chittagong Kings, helping them on the way to the final of the Bangladesh Premier League in February 2013, as well as helping his side score a shock victory over the English in the 2009 ICC World T20.

His clean hitting has always been a treat to watch, and for the long-term, I think Kolkata Knight Riders have made an excellent choice. T20 teams need such maverick cricketers, and with Tendo around, that need is filled for KKR. His ploy of shuffling outside off-stump and sending the ball into orbit on the leg-side has more often than not worked extremely well. It is one reason why KKR were finally able to shrug off a string of losses and post their first away win this season.

ODI cricket has also been witness to his thunderous performances, and England have, sadly, once again, borne the brunt of his best performance till date. In the 2011 Cricket World Cup, his power-packed 119 nearly ruined the Poms’ chances of victory. Against a bowling attack of Anderson, Broad, Swann and Bresnan, Tendo unleashed the full repertoire of his strokes. He also claimed two vital wickets – a classic display of an all-round performance. It also evoked memories of Carst Posthuma – widely thought to be the greatest Dutch cricketer of all time.

In the annals of Dutch cricketing lore, a new name has found its way: Ryan ten Doeschate – a maverick, a classic all-rounder, an icon for budding talents from non-Test playing nations, and at 32, an ideal candidate for captaincy of the national side. Given his fantastic all-round abilities, there is no doubt in my mind that he will continue to scale greater heights in cricket. Go Tendo Go!