After two days of the Intercontinental Cup match in Aberdeen Scotland have made sure of the first-innings points, and will be looking to extend their lead on Saturday if the weather permits.

For The Netherlands, early wickets are vital if they are to hold the Scottish lead down to a moderate level and give themselves a chance of repeating the trick they pulled off in Canada last month, converting a first-innings deficit into an outright victory.

For that to happen, though, they would need to have a very good first session on Saturday, and then hope that the rain stays away for the rest of the match.

After having been bowled out for a fairly modest 255 on the opening day, the Dutch got away to a great start on Friday, their inexperienced attack capturing three wickets by the time Scottish total had reached 57.

Mudassar Bukhari bowled his first four overs without conceding a run, but it was debutant Somesh Kohli who claimed the first wicket, Atse Buurman taking the catch to dismiss Qasim Sheikh with only one run added to the overnight score.

But Ryan Watson immediately set about Kohli, smacking him for a series of fours, and the second wicket fell after Geert Maarten Mol, also playing his first first-class match, replaced him in the attack and lured Fraser Watts into giving Buurman a second victim.

Omer Hussain did not last long, run out for 8, but Watson was in splendid form, and once Neil McCallum joined him there was to be no further success for the Dutch attack. Skipper Peter Borren tried eight bowlers in the course of the day, but by the time rain intervened soon after tea the pair had put on 220, a Scottish record for the fourth wicket, and had given their side a lead of 22.

Watson’s 141 not out was his second century in the competition, while McCallum ended the day just three short of his own second hundred.

Bukhari bowled well all day, conceding just 41 runs from his 18 overs, but it was wickets that The Netherlands needed, and no-one was able to achieve the crucial breakthrough. With Borren himself injured and unable to take his place in the attack, the remaining six front-line bowlers had just three matches and 76 first-class overs between them before this game. It clearly wasn’t enough against batsmen of the quality of Watson and McCallum.

Borren faces an interesting tactical decision on Saturday morning, with the new ball due after fourteen more overs. It may offer him the best chance of running through the rest of the Scottish batting, but he will need his strike bowlers to be at their sharpest.

The Dutch will also need to bat better than on the first day if their bowlers do give them a chance to set Scotland a reasonable target. Bukhari’s 28 was the highest score after Tom de Grooth’s 98, and with four batsmen getting past twenty and then getting out it was clear that the lack of four-day experience is a major problem for Borren’s side.