Cold comfort for Dutch ambition

NEARLY all the sporting talk in Holland this week will be of the Elfstedentocht, the world's largest and longest ice skating race. Almost none will be about the World Cup, the planet's largest and longest cricket tournament.

"Are you kidding?" Roland Lefebvre, the Glamorgan and Holland medium- pacer, said, clearly surprised at how naive some people can be about Dutch sporting priorities. "The country will come to a stop for the race. Wondering if conditions will be right is just about the only topic of discussion. They haven't even heard about the cricket."

This seems a trifle unfair. True, it is 10 years since the Elfstedentocht, the Tour of the Eleven Towns over 200km with 15,000 competitors, has taken place in its country of origin because there are rarely enough sufficiently icy lakes. But this is the first time ever that Holland have played in the cricket World Cup, for which they qualified by finishing third in the ICC Trophy.

"We could win a match or two but I don't think it would make any difference to the state of the game in the country," added Lefebvre, the second Dutchman to play county cricket, after Paul-Jan Bakker. "People won't know what it's about. That problem needs tackling at the grass roots."

The general lack of awareness of their very existence has not dimmed the team's enthusiasm. They arrived in India yesterday knowing that a victory in a group match over one of the Test-playing nations - England, New Zealand, Pakistan or South Africa - might not cut much ice in Rotterdam but would send a chill around the rest of the cricketing world.

Nor is it an entirely fanciful prospect. Holland, with a base of 5,000 club cricketers, have an experienced, well-balanced side replete with the sort of player so sniffed at by purists and so essential in limited- overs contests: the bits-and-pieces all rounder. Lefebvre is one; Steven Lubbers, their long-serving, record breaking captain is another. In addition they possess Nolan Clarke, who was born and taught cricket in Barbados, and at 47 is the oldest player in the tournament and an opening batsman who hits sixes for breakfast.

The bowling will depend heavily for its economy on Lefebvre, a master of irritating accuracy but someone suffering from a longstanding groin injury. It forced him to miss most of last season with Glamorgan and it has not yet been cured.

"I haven't been operating at full speed for seven or eight months," he said. "But in the World Cup I've decided to go to the wire because it could make such a big difference. One bowler can't win us a game, but it will be vital for all of them to bowl at their best."

Lefebvre, 33 on Wednesday, has been in both Dutch sides that have beaten England XIs - in 1989 and 1993 - results not entirely explained by artificial pitches. Those wins, by three runs and seven wickets respectively, will hardly be a hindrance to confidence when the sides meet in Peshawar on 22 February, and Lubbers may just recall that in the first of them he dismissed Alec Stewart for nought.

The veteran captain, who first played for Holland in 1972, intends to retire after the World Cup, his crowning moment. Had the rules governing Europeans been different in his prime he would almost certainly have been the first Dutchman to play county cricket.

Pursued by both Lancashire and Derbyshire in the late Seventies, he was considered an overseas player and found the competition from Clive Lloyd at one club and John Wright at the other a touch too hot.

"If I've any regrets that's it," Lubbers said. "But my proudest day was simply reaching the World Cup." His countrymen should be made aware of that.