Dutch cricket was shocked this weekend by an outbreak of violence at the Premier League match between Jinnah and Hermes DVS. The match was abandoned after fighting broke out between members of the Jinnah team. Reports suggest that knifes were pulled and others were struck with lead pipes. One man, Jinnah secretary Shah Mohammed, was taken to hospital for treatment.

The trouble within the club had surfaced last week when Shah Mohammed removed former Jinnah captain Kalil ur Rehman from the Jinnah board. Two warring factions developed within the club, and the Dutch Cricket Assocation were made aware of allegations of death threats being uttered. As a security precaution they decided to shift the venue of the weekend's match to a "secret" location, and informed police of potential problems.

On the morning of the match, the Shah Mohammed followers assembled to play their match against Hermes DVS at the Sparta ground. Meanwhile the other faction arrived at the original venue, Jinnah's home ground at Abcoude. Learning of the switch of venue they travelled to Sparta to confront the other group. Efforts were made to avoid confrontation but to no avail. The opposition players and umpires were unharmed, but the match was abandoned.

The match has been awarded to Hermes DVS, but the fate of the Jinnah club lies with the Dutch Cricket Assocation, who will meet this week. It is likely that Jinnah will lose their premier league status. Next weekend on August 23, the Pakistan Ambassadors Cup is scheduled to be played between Netherlands 'A' and a team of Pakistani players, including several from the Jinnah club. This match is now the subject of further concern, as the dispute within the club is far from settled.

© CricInfo