It had been on the cards ever since the Dutch announced their presence by pushing Yorkshire to the limit in their opening Clydesdale Bank 40 League game, and it almost happened when they came within one run of Essex ten days ago.

But at the County Ground in Derby on Sunday The Netherlands again made Dutch cricket history when they registered their first competitive win against county opposition on English soil, a Michael Dighton century and an unbroken 127-run partnership between Dighton and his team-mate from VOC Rotterdam, Bas Zuiderent, taking them to a seven-wicket victory with just four balls to spare.

In truth, however, the foundations of the win were laid in the field, a solid, disciplined performance by the bowlers, well supported by flawless catching, restricting Derbyshire to 206 after Peter Borren won the toss and gave the hosts first use of the pitch. The Dutch left out off-spinner Muhammad Kashif, preferring to play an additional seamer and giving a first game to Brad Kruger.

But the spearhead was again Mark Jonkman, who removed first Chesney Hughes and then Robin Peterson to reduce the home side to 33 for two. Derbyshire relied heavily on their Australian skipper, Chris Rogers, whose 73, made from 91 deliveries with six fours, enabled them to reach a respectable total.

When he skied Peter Borren to Tom Cooper at point his side were 146 for six in the 30th over, and from that time onward the Dutch bowlers were back in control. John Sadler made a brisk 29, but only 26 runs came from the four powerplay overs, and despite some strong hitting from Steffan Jones Derbyshire had to be content with their 206.

Pieter Seelaar finished with three for 39, while it was Borren and Jonkman who were the most economical of the Dutch bowlers, each going for fewer than five runs per over.

Eric Szwarczynski began with a flurry of runs before playing on, but Tom de Grooth, Dighton and Cooper all found scoring difficult against a generally accurate Derbyshire attack. Dighton lost first De Grooth and then Cooper, the latter again out just as he appeared to have settled in, but his dismissal was to be the last for Derbyshire.

Zuiderent again kept Dighton company, as he had done against Middlesex, but this time they timed their partnership to perfection, and they did not panic as the asking rate crept up over nine per over. 125 had still been needed off less than eighteen overs when Cooper departed, and with ten left the target had come down to 76.

Rogers managed his bowlers well, and they were backed up by some splendid fielding in the deep, but the occasional misfield betrayed the tension that was building, and when twelve runs came a Greg Smith over, the 36th and the Dutch powerplay began, 33 were needed from 24 deliveries.

19 came from the first two, and then Dighton, who had played part of a season with Derbyshire in 2007 without gaining a contract, having reached a memorable hundred, eased the tension with a straight six. That left only three to get from the final over, and off the second ball Dighton drove through the covers a final time and took his side past their target.

Dighton – deservedly named Man of the Match – finished with an undefeated 110, made from 106 deliveries with nine fours and two sixes, while Zuiderent ended on 42 not out.

The Dutch will now seek to repeat their victory when they take on Northamptonshire on Monday, but this win has already confirmed that they are not opponents the counties can afford to take lightly.
And with the Netherlands Women having beaten Northamptonshire in the opening match of this season’s County Championship campaign, it has the makings of a notable weekend for Dutch cricket.