The Danish season always starts with "The Cup". As cricket is only a minor sport we haven't been able to find a sponsor for the competition so that we can give it a name. This year the April weather was awful, damp and cold. A few matches couldn't be played as the grounds were waterlogged.

The Cup is now played with teams divided into eight groups who play each other once. The division is made to give it a mix plus taking the geography into account. This gave several matches where the difference between the teams was too great and we are considering changing the format next year to give more competitive matches prior to the normal league.

There were no big surprises in the Cup, but holders Herning lost to Esbjerg, with Esbjerg moving forward to the quarterfinals. Esbjerg continued their good form and won their quarterfinal over German based Husum. In Copenhagen Danish champions Svanholm had no problem getting to the semi-finals where they met fellow Glostrup and won by 56 runs.

Both semi-finals were high scoring affairs, but the excitement was at Skanderborg where Esbjerg ended up winning a cliff-hanger with the last pair together in the final over they need one to win with two balls remaining. The ball was hit straight to cover but they ran. The throw was not straight and the keeper wasn't able to collect it time so the batsmen got home. Esbjerg will go to Copenhagen on Monday to face Svanholm in the final.

The first match of the season in the Premier League to finish was Svanholm v Glostrup that didn't last until lunchtime. After 40 overs it was all over. Glostrup, a side strengthened on the batting side, made the mistake to bat first on a very soft spring pitch giving an unpredictably low bounce. Glostrup could only muster a meagre 50 after being 28 for 7. Svanholm only lost 3 wickets to pass this score.

In Jutland Skanderborg made a healthy 199 for 9 with Andy Lambert making 64, but this wasn't sufficient to beat Esbjerg who only needed 3 wickets to make 200, thanks to Søren Hansen with 97 and Esbjerg's new player-coach from South Africa Ryan Maroon with 52no.

North German Husum who were promoted last year did well with the bat against Herning scoring 178 for 6 in their allotted overs with 4 batsmen making more than 30, but their bowling made little impression on Hernings batsmen where openers Carsten Pedersen (73) and Max Overgaard (66) put on 141 for the first wicket. Herning won by eight wickets.

Newcomers Ishøj started the season with a low score, which, unfortunately, has become their trademark. They lost to Nørrebro in the first round even though they bowled them out for 125.

After a terrible start to the season losing heavily to Svanholm Glostrup redeemed themselves by scoring two victories on their first tour to Jutland. After Esbjerg's excellent start to the season Esbjerg were favourites in Saturday's game against Glostrup, but Glostrup's batsmen lead by former Danish opener Mogens Christiansen piled up a score of 259 for 4 which was too much for Esbjerg. Glostrup continued the day after by bowling out Skanderborg for a mere 89 chasing Glostrup's 216 for 6. Former Danish captain Peer Jensen was in action for Glostrup for the first time this year showing off his skills with a brisk 45 not out at the end.

New boys Ishøj are finding the Elitedivision such a big step. They finally made over a hundred runs facing fellow promoted Husum, but it is still not enough. Herning had no problem in Saturday's match in passing Ishøj's meagre 84. Unless they soon score runs they are doomed back to the 1. division.

Svanholm met Nørrebro in a match that could have been exciting but in the end was not. Sensible batting from Svanholm was enough to pass Nørrebros 128 but they lost 6 wickets 3 of which was claimed by Khuram Ali. Khuram is Nørrebro's best weapon on fast pitches utilising his height.

In the 1st. division relegated KB are finding it harder than expected. On Saturday they met Nykøbing in the weekend's most exciting match. Nykøbing made 111, but KB had lost their ninth wicket at the score at 89. But the remaining two batsmen held out to pass Nykøbing's score surviving two chances.

On the Sunday KB were outplayed by fellow relegated Aalborg, who seem more likely to make it back to the top league.

Århus are in desperate trouble after two key players and several second team players have called it a day. They could only manage 42 runs against Glostrup's second eleven and they look like staying at the bottom of the table. Glostrup however, enjoyed a fine weekend. After beating Århus they also did away with Fredericia thanks largely to Wayne Ackermann, who has once played for Namibia.

This last weekend saw an improbable victory for German based Husum in Saturday's match against Glostrup. Glostrup batting first on a fast track amassed a 263 in their 50 overs. Mogens Christiansen is in top form scoring an unbeaten century. Mogens, a left-handed well based technical opening batsman, has not been found room on Denmark's squad.

When Husum batted they lost quick wickets and needed 160 from the last 15 overs. Glostrup relaxed which they regretted as Husum's Gerrit Müller pounded the bowling all round the ground. Glostrup had no fast bowler to bowl the last over and this was left to spinner Anders Rasmussen. Husum needed 21 to win, but Gerrit started to hit the first ball for four, followed by two sixes, a dot, a two and on the last ball Gerrit needed a three. He hit the ball into the deep straight to a fielder, but he misfielded with nerves and the throw was inaccurate, so Husum scrambled a three home to win by one wicket.

The high scoring continued in Esbjerg, where the home side opened with 249 for 7 with Søren Hansen 83 not out. Herning however led by swashbuckling Kent Jensen's 56 ball century needed only 38 overs to score the runs.

Svanholm hosted Jutland's Skanderborg. Svanholm opened with 237 for 7, which seemed unlikely at one stage but Thomas Hansen hammered 94 with 79 balls towards the end. Skanderborg ended with 201 for 7 with opener Stephen Marshall on 90no. he used up too many deliveries depriving Skanderborg of a winning chance.

On the Sunday Skanderborg had no problem with Ishøj who continued with their trade mark –low scores, this time 81 in answer to Skanderborg's 201. The other match was Nørrebro against Husum. As Nørrebro's new ground has been delayed yet again, they had to borrow another ground and found Køge, who said everything was in order.

But when the teams turned up to play they found the council had spread sand and there was a new layer of clay on the pitch. This was unplayable, but thanks to the groundsmen they managed to get the pitch ready although very soft. Nørrebro didn't mind has they knocked up 269. Husum couldn't repeat their feat from the day before ending with 203.

After three rounds Svanholm and Herning lead the pack like last year.

In the 1st. division relegated KB are finding things very hard after losing key players. They could only manage 125 against Svanholm's second eleven whose strong batting line up only lost three wickets in passing the total. Glostrup's second eleven who last week won both their matches in Jutland ran into Albertslund determined to win their first match. Albertslund amassed 289 to which Glostrup answered with 150. Århus look like candidates for relegation after losing heavily to Fredericia.

Svanholm II and Aalborg lead the 1st. division after the first three rounds

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