General information concerning Cricket Club Bloemendaal (CCB)
Founded in 1910, in a village green style cricket ground setting in the beautiful village of Bloemendaal we are located on the outskirts of Haarlem around thirty minutes from Amsterdam by train. Unlike the vast majority of cricket clubs in The Netherlands, we do not share our main cricket ground with any other sport. On a summer’s day there is nothing finer than watching a game of cricket, drinking Pimm’s, spending time with friends and family, enjoying a braai and watching the cricket from our historic clubhouse.
Accommodating all standards of cricket we have various senior teams designed to provide a place for all regardless of level of ability or experience. Our senior teams cater for a wide range of abilities ranging from veteran teams that play occasional friendlies, a social cricket scene unique to Bloemendaal to top quality Dutch cricket league teams. Home games are usually played on Saturdays and Sundays both on our main ground and a second grass over the road, which we share with Bloemendaal Hockey Club during the summer months.
BCC has a very famous history and a setting that attracts some very famous overseas touring sides every year. The club has produced many famous alumni ranging from 2019 English County Cricket league national champions Essex and the Netherlands stalwart Ryan ten Doeschate to the 2019 New Zealand World Cup Finalist Henry Nichols.
The cricket season
The Dutch crickets season runs from the late April / Early May until early September. Each team plays around 14 league games. Our First XI plays in the second highest division (Hoofdklasse) in Dutch cricket. Indoor training starts in February in Haarlem.
Youth Cricket and Cultural Exchanges
Games take place on days designed not to clash with hockey, rugby and football which are played in different months or on different days. BCC has an increasingly successful youth set-up with league cricket being played by boys and girls from the age of around six years old. BCC youth cricket is played from U9, U11, U13, U15 to U17 with our older children also starring occasionally in the senior teams. We have an amazing youth coaching set up with specialised youth coaches as well as the use of cutting edge video technology. We and are extremely proud that some our talented boys and girls are chosen to represent their country thus flying the flag for CCB representing The Netherlands at various ages.
All these teams play in the area Amsterdam, Bloemendaal. From the age of 16 many youth players play as well in a senior side, on all levels. Training is on weekdays from 4 'o clock onwards. Indoor cricket training occurs with outstanding coaches for a selected Sundays in the Winter and the Spring to keep the players’ finely tuned.
One of the highlights of the annual youth calendar is the UK cricket tour. Although not compulsory, many CCB young players look forward to the adventure of touring UK, taking in landmarks, visiting traditional schools and villages alike. Whisper it quietly, but it is almost as much fun for the parents too.
For newcomers to the game, kids can join a few training sessions on a free of charge trail basis to see if your child feels at home. Likewise, we charge reduced membership fees for youth players in their first year.
Training
The First and Second IX-players train twice a week, which is compulsory. Training is not compulsory for lower teams, though many veteran and social cricketers turn up for a bowl, a bat and a drink afterwards in the clubhouse. Our coaches trains the top teams and the youth with one-on-one lessons an option. We have three outdoor nets including a mobile net designed to simulate conditions on the wicket available for members to use at all times except when there is regular training going on.
Social Cricket - Making Cricket Accessible to All
Now in its second year, Social Cricket at Bloemendaal has continued to go from strength to strength. Designed for adults that value the social, family friendly aspect of the game, ever increasing numbers of Social Cricketers have joined the club this year, many of whom have gone on to play to Village or even, second team cricket. To those of you that don’t know the concept:
No cricketing experience – no problem! Before every game, participants are given a ten minutes crash course on how to play the game in a simplified format.
No cricketing equipment – no Problem! Using an indoor cricket ball, without the requirement for cumbersome padding, or protection, CCB has revolutionized the entry level to the game.
Haven’t got much time – no problem! Social cricket games only last around an hour and a half with time taken for frequent refreshments at the bar.
If you perhaps know someone who may be interested, someone who is looking for a light hearted introduction to the game, or simply wants to enjoy the social aspect of the game, we would encourage you to please send them in the direction of CCB - for further details on upcoming CCB Social Cricket events, or what this exciting form of the game involves, please contact us on: [email protected].
Club Members Profile & Membership Categories
The club is particularly proud of its diverse and international membership profile, which creates a unique atmosphere at the club. Whilst the core membership is Dutch, we also have members from over twenty nationalities. Flexible forms of membership available ranging from, youth membership, social & village cricket membership to full senior playing members.
For membership enquiries please contact [email protected] or [email protected] - we look forward to seeing you soon!
