The Netherlands completely dominated the first day of the Intercontinental Cup match in Amstelveen on Monday, bowling Bermuda out by tea for 183, and then moving to within 31 of that total by the close of play without losing a wicket.

After winning the toss and giving Bermuda first use of the pitch, Dutch skipper Jeroen Smits immediately seized the initiative by holding a catch behind the stumps off the third ball of the second over to get rid of Stephen Outerbridge. That gave Mudassar Bukhari his first victim, and he produced a splendid opening spell, bowling six overs for as many runs.

At the other end Edgar Schiferli also opened well, and it was he who took the second wicket when Jekon Edness edged to Peter Borren at second slip with the total on 18. Dwight Basden was batting cautiously at the other end, but once the opening bowlers came off he went onto the attack, hitting Geert Maarten Mol for two fours.

James Celestine had begun to settle, but when Smits brought debutant Maurits Jonkman into the attack he was immediately successful, the keeper claiming his second catch.

Bermudian captain Irving Romaine now came in, and it soon became apparent that he was the main obstacle to the Dutch bowling their opponents out for a really low score. Although Basden was caught off Mangesh Panchal and Lionel Cann, after hitting some clean blows, was brilliantly caught by Schiferli at wide mid-on off Bukhari, Romaine began to look well established, on 25 by the time lunch was taken with Bermuda on 86 for five.

He went after Bukhari immediately after lunch, although Schiferli conceded just one run at the other end off his first five overs after the interval. Roderick Masters faced 62 balls for just 2, unable to add to his score in 47 balls after lunch until Schiferli finally trapped him leg-before.

By the 49th over Smits had settled on an all-spin attack, with Panchal returning in tandem with Adeel Raja. In the space of three overs Panchal dismissed Dwayne Leverock, Arthur Pitcher and George O'Brien at a cost of just one run, leaving Bermuda on 135 for nine and Romaine, who was continuing to bat with supreme confidence despite what was happening at the other end.

At this point he was on 60, and the departure of O'Brien was the signal for him to launch a ferocious attack on the bowling. He took 17 off one over from Raja, including two huge sixes, and with Ryan Steede lending him good support he moved relentlessly towards his century.

Jonkman came back and was despatched for three boundaries to take Romaine on to 99, and then a single brought up a superb hundred. He added three more off the next over from Panchal, but then the spinner bowled Steede with his final ball to end the innings on 183.

Panchal's five for 33 was his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, and fair reward for some excellent spin bowling. Romaine had batted for almost three hours for his 103 not out, facing 127 balls and hitting 14 fours and two sixes.

Any suggestion that Bermuda might be able to blame the pitch for their situation was soon dispelled when the Dutch batted as Alexei Kervezee and Tom de Grooth quickly settled into the groove, exacting heavy punishment on anything errant in line and length.

Leverock was on as early as the sixth over, suggesting that the Bermudians had decided that there was more in the wicket for the spinners, but he went for 29 in an initial four-over spell, Kervezee hitting him for three fours and a six, and was replaced by seamer Arthur Pitcher.

Kervezee had the lion's share of the strike, but both batsmen continued to make steady progress. Kervezee reached his half-century in 94 minutes off 79 balls, De Grooth following him seven minutes later off just 55 balls. The partnership, which broke the Dutch record for an opening stand in the Intercontinental Cup when the score passed 122, had extended to 152 by the close, with Kervezee on 69 and De Grooth on 79.

The pick of the Bermudian bowlers was fast man O'Brien, who produced a hostile third spell, with Romaine bowling steadily at the other end. But nothing could make any impression on the Dutch openers, although De Grooth might have gone when on 29 if Basden had been able to hold onto what would have been a great catch at midwicket.

The Netherlands will resume tomorrow knowing that another 32 runs will earn them the first-innings points, and that rain is predicted for later in the week. An outright victory would take the Dutch to the top of the Intercontinental Cup table, but to achieve that they may have to beat the elements as well as the opposition.