Deventer ‘batman’ was the basis of Dutch cricketing success

DEVENTER – Enthusiastic cricketer Steven Lubbers (69) has written the development of cricket in the Netherlands in historical perspective: A Dutch Cricket Life. The 24-year-old former national and international captain remembers the ‘turning point’ vividly. After qualifying for the 1996 World Cup in India and Pakistan, hard work finally led to success: “We did it.

His cricket career took off. He lived it all live. From insignificant cricketer country to international player in a playing field dominated by Test countries for years. To this day, he can be found on the Deventer cricket grounds as a coach and a member of the ground staff. It has always been more than a passion. His mission is to keep the Netherlands at the top of the international rankings. This is an unprecedented story about cricket in the Netherlands.

According to Lubbers, cricket is an undervalued sport in the Netherlands. For many years, cricket was a compulsory sport in schools in England. Every self-respecting school and university had one or more cricket grounds. And they were often twice the size of a football field. In India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the West Indies, cricket is the most popular sport. After rugby, cricket is second, for example, in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. A World Cup final attracts an average of 1,500 billion viewers. A global sport that does something with people. Lubbers hopes that with his book he will interest young people in the sport.

Single Legacy
To record his experiences and memories as a national coach, player, trainer and manager, Lubbers searched through archive meters for a year. As one of the most famous cricketers with a unique heritage in Dutch national and international cricket, he recounts the rise of Dutch cricket in his book. In addition to the historical structure with many beautiful photos, it also contains interviews with people who played an important role in his exciting cricketing life. Lubbers played 172 games for the Netherlands, including 98 as captain.

Born in Curaçao (1953), Steven returned to the Netherlands at the age of nine. He first came into contact with cricket at Deventer. Lubbers is a retired gym teacher, supports youngsters who are stuck, gives cricket clinics in schools and can still be found a few days a week on Deventer’s cricket grounds.

A Dutch Cricket Life is written in English and for sale via its website backontrackdeventer.nl†