Another fighting display by the Dutch batsmen was insufficient to cause an upset in Amstelveen this afternoon, as the Sri Lankans ended their tour with a convincing 55-run victory.

But The Netherlands’ total of 258 was again their best score against a Test country, beating the 248 they made on Tuesday, and there were periods early on in the innings when they seemed to have an outside chance of pulling off a remarkable victory.

Bas Zuiderent and Darron Reekers opened with a 66-run partnership in 11 overs, Reekers making 45 from 39 balls before he was bowled by Fernando in a carbon-copy of his dismissal on Tuesday.

Zuiderent took over the attacking role as Eric Szwarczynski came in to bat in his first ODI, but once he was trapped leg before by Fernando, Szwarczynski following in the Sri Lankan seamer’s next over, the Dutch side were 103 for three and Fernando had three for 27.

Daan van Bunge again struggled, first against the seamers and then the spinners, and Tim de Leede, playing his last major match in The Netherlands, was caught off a no-ball from Perera before clipping a ball from Lokuarachchi to Arnold. Van Bunge hit both spinners for six before he was bowled trying to sweep Lokuarachchi, and when Alexei Kervezee was caught off Bandara The Netherlands had subsided to 165 for six and were in danger of failing to make 200.

That they did so was due to a fine seventh-wicket partnership of 58 between Luuk van Troost and Peter Borren, in which the Dutch skipper adopted the role of aggressor and Borren relied on skilful placement to keep the scoreboard moving. Even Fernando came in for some punishment when he returned to the attack.

Van Troost hit four fours and two sixes, one of them a massive blow of Dilshan, in making 40 off 42 balls, while Borren hit three just fours in his 34 but still took only 35 balls. Once they were gone, both dismissed by Lokuarachchi to give him four for 44 from his ten overs, the innings folded fairly quickly, Maharoof picking up the last two wickets.

The difference between the two sides in class and experience was again clear enough, but there is plenty of evidence that, like the other World Cup qualifiers, the Dutch are rapidly improving, and in this game they were far from being outclassed. Regrettably, this is likely to be their last outing against Test opposition before the World Cup warm-up games, but with the European Championships, a winter tour to South Africa, and the World League yet to come, they will have plenty of opportunities to build on what they have learned here.