ICC Intercontinental Cup and Shield

NETHERLANDS v SCOTLAND The Netherlands were again forced to field a weak side due to the unavailability of players, either because of commitments to the English counties or because of difficulties in obtaining leave from work. Put in by Scotland, the Dutch struggled for runs on a damp, slow pitch in overcast conditions, although most of the top and middle order were determined to show that they could survive for the periods of time required for four-day cricket. Steven de Bruin took 126 balls to make 32, but accompanied Wesley Barresi in a third-wicket partnership of 41 after Matthew Parker had removed the Dutch openers. Majid Haq’s off spin proved too good for the middle order with the exception of Wilfred Diepeveen. With nine wickets down for 146, Diepeveen went on to the attack, passed his half-century and with good support from Berend Westdijk spoilt Scotland’s day with a last-wicket partnership of 64. Parker bowled Westdijk to give him a return of four for 63. Westdijk quickly retaliated by claiming the wicket of Douglas Lockhart, caught at third slip, before the close. Runs eluded Scotland before lunch on the second day as they moved from 16 overnight to 70, losing three more wickets in the process. It was the spin of Adeel Raja that caused most problems, although Peter Borren proved difficult to handle in a hostile spell of nine overs. After the interval, the Dutch were unable to maintain the pressure and, as the bowling became more ragged and the fielding indifferent, their opponents were allowed to recover. Richie Berrington and Neil McCallum played patient but unexciting cricket in a stand of 133 at a strike rate of 47.3. They were not parted until after tea when Berrington surprisingly hit a simple return catch to Borren. Gregor Maiden stayed with McCallum until Scotland passed the Dutch total but, when only six runs in the lead, McCallum, who had just reached his fifty, edged Mark Jonkman to Borren at second slip. Maiden added 45 runs in ten overs with Parker before giving to a catch to the wicketkeeper. Haq was with Parker at the close when Scotland were well placed at 63 runs ahead. The Dutch bowling and fielding remained mediocre on the third day as Parker and Haq extended their partnership to 65. Pieter Seelaar then accounted for Haq and Gordon Drummond, but Gordon Goudie struck 44 runs in 50 balls in a last-wicket partnership of 61. Seelaar ended the stand when he had Parker caught by Barresi for 65 but, by this time, the Scottish lead was 181. The Dutch second innings began with a somewhat hapless display. Parker continued his excellent all-round performance by having Tom de Grooth caught at mid wicket in the second over and Berrington chipped in with the wickets of de Bruin and Barresi. Eric Szwarczynski and Borren promised a recovery but, when their partnership had reached 57, Szwarczynski fell to a catch by Preston Mommsen, off the bowling of Drummond. Diepeveen displayed the same obduracy as in the Dutch first innings but, for some reason, failed to respond to a call by Borren for a run. His dismissal prompted moments of madness as Jonkman and Raja both proved poor judges of runs. Three run-outs in succession was not the way to save the game and when Ruud Nijman was leg-before to Berrington, The Netherlands were eight wickets down for 168 and still 13 runs short of avoiding an innings defeat. Borren, however, remained undefeated on a half-century and Seelaar was defending sufficiently resolutely for the umpires to turn down a request from Drummond for an extra half-hour. The Dutch made Scotland fight hard for their victory on the last day. Borren moved from 52 not out to 109, whilst Seelaar blocked virtually every ball he faced, as the pair engaged in a ninth-wicket partnership of 67. When Borren was caught by McCallum in the slips he had faced 192 balls and hit eleven fours and five sixes. Seelaar then went on the offensive whilst Westdijk blocked 27 balls without scoring; on his 28th ball he failed to keep out a yorker and became yet another victim for Parker. This was not before tenth wicket had added a further 22 runs, leaving Scotland to score 77 with two overs before lunch and the rest of the day to do it. Lockhart was leg-before to Jonkman first ball of the innings. In the first over after the interval, Jonkman bowled Qasim Sheikh. Mommsen fell to a catch by the wicketkeeper off Westdijk who bowled four maidens in his opening six-over spell. When Jonkman removed Berrington, Maiden and Parker, he had taken five wickets for 10 runs and Scotland were 18 for six. With Jonkman tiring, the danger of a remarkable Dutch victory disappeared, McCallum and Haq steering Scotland safely to victory by four wickets. 202 ICC Intercontinental Cup 2009-10