After a series of comfortable victories in Dubai and Mumbai, punctuated by a single defeat, the touring Dutch side were taken right down to the wire in their second T20 match against the Dr DY Patil Academy XI, with skipper Peter Borren, batting with last man Ashan Malik Jamil, hitting the six that was needed off the very last ball of the game to maintain his side’s unbeaten record.

Set an imposing target of 166 for victory thanks to a superb knock of 95, made from just 59 deliveries with six fours and seven sixes, by the Academy’s left-handed opener Sushant Marathe, who has played 35 times for Mumbai in various forms of the game.

Marathe’s whirlwind knock saw the home side through to 165 for five off their 20 overs, with fellow-opener Subramanian Doraiswamy the next highest scorer with 22.

Paul van Meekeren, the Netherlands’ leading wicket-taker on the tour so far, had a less successful day at the hands of Marathe, conceding 33 runs from his three overs, and it was Jamil who finished with the best figures with two for 28, while there was a wicket apiece for Mudassar Bukhari, Pieter Seelaar and Borren.

Stephan Myburgh was run out without scoring when the Dutch replied, but then Alexei Kervezee took the Academy bowlers by the scruff of the neck, smashing a 22-ball 48 and dominating a second-wicket stand with Michael Swart.

Once they had both gone Daan van Bunge (34) and Borren put on 57 for the fourth wicket, but Van Bunge’s departure triggered a middle-order collapse which saw the score decline from 123 for three to 150 for nine, opposing captain Pravin Tambe claiming three of those wickets.

Sixteen were needed off the final over, but Borren was equal to the task, taking a two and then hitting two boundaries to leave six required off the last ball. And he duly obliged, finishing with an unbeaten 59, made from 34 deliveries with seven fours and a six, and giving the Dutch the narrowest of victories.