Three debutants distinguished themselves on the opening day of the Intercontinental Cup match between The Netherlands and Scotland in Deventer on Thursday, with the teams just about evenly poised by the close.

In heavy, overcast conditions with a dampish, slow pitch runs were never easy to come by, and it was only a fine last-wicket of 64 between one of the new boys, Wilfred Diepeveen, and last man Berend Westdijk which enabled the Dutch to reach a relatively respectable total of 210. Diepeveen, who was one of several Dutch players called up at the last moment after a series of withdrawals, made a fine not-out 72, from 141 deliveries, batting with great maturity from the moment he came to the wicket with the score a precarious 95 for four.

On the Scottish side there was a great effort from debutant opening bowler Matthew Parker, who claimed two wickets in a dour pre-lunch session to leave the home side on 64 for two at the interval. He and Gordon Goudie took full advantage of the conditions after Gordon Drummond won the toss and elected to field, and it was an uphill battle for survival for the Dutch batsmen.

Parker had a dream start when he removed Eric Szwarczynski with the last ball of his first opening over, and despite receiving some hammer from Tom de Grooth off his next he came back well, removing his man when the Dutch opener had made 20.

Steven de Bruin, another debutant, fought his way through an unsteady start, and gradually began to bat with a little more confidence, reaching 32 before he hit a return catch to Majid Haq, who was in the early stages of a marathon spell of off-spin. Haq bowled 28 consecutive overs from one end, coming on twenty minutes before lunch and continuing until after five o’clock, taking three for 45 and constantly teasing the batsmen with variations of flight and some sharp turn.

Wesley Barresi shaped well before running himself out in a moment of carelessness, Parker picked up a third victim when Peter Borren drove him uppishly to point, and then Drummond chipped in with two wickets and Haq two more to leave the Dutch teetering on 146 for nine.

Diepeveen had reached 26 when he was joined by Westdijk, who managed to hang on, even producing one glorious cover drive, and he immediately unleashed a ferocious attack on Richie Berrington. Thereafter, he and his partner frustrated the Scots with fifteen overs of enterprising batting, Diepeveen reaching his half-century off 111 balls and continuing doggedly until Westdijk was eventually bowled by a splendid Parker Yorker, which not only demolished the wicket but snapped the off stump into the bargain.

Parker finished with four for 63 from his 23 overs, a just return for a well-controlled series of spells of seam bowling.

Scotland were left with six overs to face, and the Netherlands struck back when Westdijk caught the edge of Douglas Lockhart’s bat and the ball flew to Barresi at third slip. They finished the day on 16 for one, knowing that the Dutch had clawed their way back into a day which had seemed at one stage to be slipping away from them.