Belgian first and second divisions get underway
Tony Munro - 8 May 1999

After previous friendlies, Belgium's First Division commences this weekend. Nine teams will comprise the First Division while four will contest the Second Division.

The First Division will consist of the following teams: Royal Brussels Cricket Club (1), Antwerp (1), Luxembourg Optimists (1), Pakistan Greens, Pakistan C.C., 12 Stars, Antwerp Indians, Mechelen Eagles and Mechelen C.C.

The Second Division will have the following participants: RBCC (2), Antwerp (2), Luxembourg Optimists (2) and Shape. There are also another two clubs Bel, and Ostend (a new club this year) who will probably join in the league next year.

The top five clubs in the league this year will form a Premier Division next year, playing on a home- and-away basis. The remaining four, plus one from the existing Second Division will form a First Division. One team will then be promoted/relegated at the end of the season. Those clubs left over will form a Second Division but the 2nd teams of RBCC, Antwerp and Optimists will not be promoted.

Probably the strongest side is the Pakistan Greens who have won the league for the past two years, followed by RBCC. The other Pakistan side is also useful and neither Antwerp or the Luxembourg Optimists who have both won the league in the past can be counted out, nor can Antwerp Indians also previous league winners.

Mechelen Eagles and Mechelen have quite a few Belgians in their clubs and are unlikely to win the League. At least not yet anyway!

It is difficult to predict strength of teams as there is a constantly shifting population.

The BCF was founded in 1991 by Mechelen Eagles, Royal Brussels C.C., Antwerp and Pakistan C.C. of Belgium.

At present there are two divisions with each team playing each other once. Matches are 45-overs-a-side played on a basis of 90 overs with 2 3/4 hours allowed for each innings. There is a limit of 11 overs per bowler. Where teams declare or are bowled out before their 45 overs, the remaining overs pass to the side batting second. 25 points are awarded to the winning side and bonus points to the losers.

Bonus points are as follows: one point for every two wickets i.e, five in all; one point for 75 runs and additional points every 25 runs up to 175 for a maximum total of five points.

Players can only switch clubs in the close season.

Despite its at times tenuous existence, cricket in Belgium has a history dating back to the Battle of Waterloo, with a match between guards at Enghien, about 30 kiloimetres from Brussels, which was attended by the Duke of Wellington.

The history of Belgian cricket is invariably linked to that of Belgium's oldest club, the Royal Brussels Cricket Club.

Its history has been traced back to 1885, with records also showing activity in the 1920s and other periods.

It was only after 1953 that were was regular cricket played with visits to Belgium of club sides from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the British forces in Germany and Paris club, Standard.