'I do love a locker room. It smells like potential'
Inside the rapid rise of cricket in the Netherlands with KNCB contracted player, Noah Croes.
Inspired by Ted Lasso and his Diamond Dogs, the Netherlands Men’s cricket squad embraces values of selflessness and unity as they chart a rapid rise in international cricket.
June 2023
Left out of the main squad and instead mixing the electrolyte drinks as travelling reserves in Zimbabwe, Noah Croes and Kyle Klein could have felt somewhat on the outer as their Dutch teammates sought to qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup last June.
Instead, the pair committed to doing all they could to help - a move inspired by Ted Lasso’s loyal support crew - the Diamond Dogs.
In the Apple TV hit, the Diamond Dogs start out as a way for Ted and his assistant coaches to share their myriad relationship problems, but it morphs into a safe space for them to bat about all manner of concerns, get advice, consolation and support.
“Kyle and I came up with the idea of being the Electric Eels,” Noah laughs. “Electric because we were mixing all these electrolyte drinks and we figured we could be the Dutch version of Ted Lasso’s Diamond Dogs for the playing group.
“Essentially, we wanted to change the idea that the ‘twelfthies’ are sour, or bitter. We would do anything we could to help and actually embraced our role in that way.”
An attitude reflective of the broader culture that exists in Dutch cricket, the men’s team prides itself on values of selflessness, ownership, unity and learning.
Dutch-born and Australian-raised, Noah Croes joined the squad in early 2023 and was struck by the positivity that flowed from head coach, Ryan Cook and captain, Scott Edwards.
“From the moment I got over to training with the squad, the direction the whole group was headed was very cool,” Noah reflects. “They had been exposed to some good cricket through the Super League and had really adopted an attitude that anything was possible.”
It was something that instantly appealed to the wicketkeeper-batter, and Noah saw the benefits firsthand as the team bounced back from a heavy defeat in the first match of the qualifiers in Zimbabwe.
“I knew the squad had something about them, the way they responded at that stage,” he says. “It was a qualifier, so obviously it is cutthroat and to have lost a game like that early in the piece can make it very hard. But there was a real sense of belief.”
A belief that permeated the whole squad, Noah was determined to ensure that even on the other side of the fence, the Electric Eels would also have a say on securing the Dutch place at the 2023 World Cup.
***
March 2023
Three months before the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe, Croes had finished a season of Grade Cricket with Melbourne University. A middling year, The Students ended 2022/23 in eleventh spot, and Croes - Vice Captain of the club’s First XI - passed 50 just twice.
Prepared to spend the northern summer playing for London club side, Shepherd’s Bush, Noah had been offered a tantalising deal, but chose to forgo it and take a risk in the Netherlands.
“Going to the UK was really appealing, but I always knew I could go back to Holland (he spent a season at Voorburg CC in 2019). In my own mind I had given myself a time frame of two years to try and make something more of my cricket.
“Out of the blue, I called Scotty (Edwards, Netherlands captain) just to talk it through. He explained what it all looks like with the Dutch squad and what there might be in store for me,” he remembers.
“Seeing someone like Scott go out and have success on the international stage had made me think it was possible, and the bottom line was, there was no back-up keeper. He put in a good word for me and gave me a reference.”
So, with little more than a handshake agreement with his former Richmond Cricket Club teammate, Noah flew to the Netherlands to play club cricket for Voorburg again, determined to impress the higher-ups.
It happened quickly as the club runs piled up, success in intra-squad matches followed and continued improvement in group and one-on-one sessions demonstrated to the Dutch coaching staff that Noah would be an asset in Orange.
“At the start my biggest fear was that I would go over, put all this work in and find out I wasn’t actually good enough,” Noah concedes. “I managed to switch that mindset into just finding out how good I could be, and things flowed from there.”
***
June 26, 2023
Qualification in jeopardy, The Netherlands needed to beat the West Indies in the final match of the group stage. To support the playing XI, the Electric Eels had an idea.
Noah and Kyle went and got a comically large BELIEVE sign made up - another nod to Ted Lasso - and it arrived just in time for the mammoth Dutch run-chase of 374.
“We put it up in the rooms halfway through the chase, just as things were teetering a bit actually,” Noah remembers. “The boys loved it and I remember Scotty touched it on his way out to bat. He played a great innings; we made it to a Super Over and the rest is history.
“We qualified for the World Cup. On reflection it might have been a little thing, but it connected the playing XI with the Eels on the side and it felt like we had all played a role.”
His unwavering team-first attitude and personal improvement rewarded, Noah got his chance in the final against Sri Lanka. World Cup qualification locked away, he batted at five in his ODI debut, and although he made just 7, It was the culmination of a lot of hard work.
“That moment there was when - in a personal sense - it came together for me,” Noah smiles. “The hard work, overcoming the doubts, the resilience of taking the risk and sticking with it.
“It was a combination of true belief and exposure to intentional and purposeful training that led up to that moment.”
His first ball in international cricket against Wanindu Hasaranga and the last of his debut from Dilshan Madashanka (no shame, Madashanka would finish the World Cup as the third-highest wicket taker), Croes recognised that he had made a transition as a cricketer.
“It was interesting at the start to go from seeing yourself as a club player to an international one, but it happens quickly when you are facing those guys. More than anything, it gives you the motivation to keep getting better and putting in the work.”
2023 World Cup in India
“To be told I was going to a World Cup as a development player was amazing.”
“To do it as part of the only Associate nation at a ten-team tournament was a pinch-yourself moment. Probably the most amazing thing in the Dutch squad was that I never felt out of place, everybody is on an even footing and that was a credit to everyone involved.”
Dutch cricket has been charting a rapid rise in the last three years. With four victories in ICC tournaments, their performance in India enhanced their bona-fides as a competitor, taking down South Africa and Bangladesh.
Their results slowly starting to mirror the unflappable positivity, resilience and togetherness of the squad, Noah believes India 2023 marked another important step in their development.
“It was a big moment and a big year, with everyone being open to learning. Everyone is happy to play their role, get better and learn to compete at that level.”
Heartening as well to record a pair of positive results, Noah cites the team meeting before the victory over South Africa as an insight to the level of detail and preparation required to succeed.
“It was meticulous,” he laughs. “And then nearly everything came to fruition, from getting spin on to de Kock, using the short ball and then targeting the stumps for Miller, it all worked a treat.
“I guess it showed us that these guys are beatable, but you need to be on and execute all of your skills to be any chance of doing it.”
***
Now on the verge of another World Cup appearance, this time in the Caribbean and United States, the Dutch are hoping to improve on the two wins they recorded at the 2021 T20 World Cup.
A strenuous training block now complete, they will play a final Tri-series against Scotland and Ireland in late May before finalising the squad. The series is set to be played at Voorburg – Noah's home club in The Hague – and strong performances could see him make it to two World Cups in less than twelve months.
“It is a bit crazy to think about going from Grade cricket in Melbourne to Two World Cups in this timeframe,” he laughs. “For me it is about Identifying and understanding a role in the team and that is probably in the middle order. I’ve got good skills against spin and options at the death.
“We’ll see. At this stage I am hopeful, and I really think I can contribute. It probably helps that I am a backup keeper as well.
“All the feedback has been positive.”
Regardless of which way it falls, Noah is loving his time as a contracted professional with the KNCB.
An eclectic group comprised of Dutch citizens who reside around the world, the Netherlands cricket team has an eternal optimism, and hunger for continued success that has seen them make big strides in recent times.
An irresistible philosophy, it aligns perfectly with Noah’s approach to the game; a player who challenged himself to discover just how far he could take his cricket.
And now, with eight international matches under his belt, here’s hoping he is only just finding out.