A much-improved performance by The Netherlands in their second Nachenius Tjeenk One-Day International restricted the free-scoring Sri Lankan batsmen to a comparatively modest total of 313 for eight after their record-breaking efforts on Tuesday.

Sanath Jayasuriya and Lasith Malinga were rested for Sri Lanka, Russel Arnold and Ruchira Perera coming in in their stead, while for The Netherlands Eric Szwarczynski and Pieter Seelaar made their ODI debuts in place of Ryan ten Doeschate and Mohammad Kashif. Mahela Jayawardene again won the toss, and again elected to bat.

They began as if they were determined to break their own two-day-old record, Upul Tharanga and Chamara Kapugedera attacking Billy Stelling in particular, so that the fifty came up off just six overs, even faster than on Tuesday.

But then Darron Reekers had Kapugedera caught at mid-on, and the scoring-rate slowed a little with Sangakkara joining Tharanga. The total had reached 134 by the time Luuk van Troost dismissed Sangakkara, and when Peter Borren had Tharanga caught behind five overs later it was 153 for three.

Borren and Tim de Leede now produced solid, economical spells, restricting the flow of boundaries so effectively that only 36 came from ten overs during a 93-run stand between Arnold and Tillekeratne Dilshan, one of Tuesday’s centurions. Arnold was next to go, bowled by Reekers in the first over after he returned to the attack, and again his partner followed soon after, well caught by Reekers off van Troost.

It was now 266 for five with seven overs left, and it even seemed possible that the Sri Lankans might be kept below the 300. But Maharoof, Lokuarachchi and Bandara all chipped in – the latter two each hitting Stelling for a big straight six, and the innings closed on 313.

Reekers bowled well for his figures of three for 54, while it was Stelling’s turn to be the most expensive, conceding 91 off his ten overs. But in general this was a greatly improved performance by the Dutch side, with the ground-fielding a lot tighter than it had been on Tuesday. They won’t want to be too ambitious, but if they also bat a little more purposefully than they did then, a shock result is not totally out of the question.