In an extraordinary second day's play in Windhoek on Friday, Namibia tightened their grip on their Intercontinental Cup clash against the Netherlands, taking first-innings points despite a sensational collapse in the first hour, and then saw the Dutch batsmen fight back courageously after being bundled out for 107.

In an extraordinary pre-lunch session, extended to two and a half hours after yesterday’s early finish, no fewer than twelve wickets fell for 77 runs.

First, Edgar Schiferli and Peter Borren combined to finish off the Namibian innings with the addition of only 15 runs to their overnight total of 322 for five. Schiferli’s four for 50 was a suitable reward for his fine performance, while Borren, expensive yesterday, came back well to finish with two for 83.

That was the comeback coach Peter Drinnen had been looking for, but the Namibian seamers soon shown that they could exploit the overcast conditions just as well as their opponents. With the ball displaying much more lateral movement than on the first day, they soon reduced the Dutch batsmen to 7 for three, with Alexei Kervezee, Tom de Grooth and Bas Zuiderent all back in the pavilion with only four runs between them.

Of the top six batsmen only Eric Szwarczynski reached double figures, making a defiant 23, but he too was out before lunch, The Netherlands reaching the interval on 62 for seven in just 24 overs.

Bernie Burger had been the chief destroyer, with four for 27 at that stage, while Louis Klazinga had picked up two wickets and Gerrie Snyman one.

Peter Borren and Jeroen Smits shared the most substantial partnership of the innings immediately after lunch, Borren top-scoring with 35 and Smits reaching 13, but once they were gone the innings ended in a moment of drama when an awkwardly lifting ball from Snyman struck the visor of last man Pieter Seelaar’s helmet and forced him to retire hurt.

Seelaar was taken to hospital as a precautionary move, but was soon able to return to the ground. He is, however, unlikely to take any further part in the match.

Klazinga finished with three for 25 and Snyman with two for 25, while Bernie Burger’s final figures were four for 44.

All out for 107, their lowest-ever total in the Intercontinental Cup, The Netherlands were unsurprisingly invited to follow on by Namibian captain Louis Burger.

This time they handled the Namibian attack a lot more effectively in conditions which were again more favourable for batting, and they had reached 161 for three by the close, still needing 69 to make the home side bat again.

Burger tried nine bowlers in the course of 50 overs, but although the Dutch were 65 for two at one stage, with openers Alexei Kervezee and Tom de Grooth both back in the pavilion, a 91-run stand between Bas Zuiderent and Ryan ten Doeschate began to give their side hope of salvaging something from this game.

Zuiderent was finally dismissed by Gerrie Snyman just before the close, having made 52 from 127 balls with five fours.

But Ten Doeschate was still there, undefeated on 47 made from 71 balls with four fours and two sixes, and it is to a large degree on his shoulders that the Dutch cause now rests.

With Szwarczynski, Daan van Bunge, Borren and Mudassar Bukhari of the recognised batsmen still to come, The Netherlands will need to knock off the remaining 69-run deficit and then bat through much of Saturday in order to set Namibia a real second-innings target.

Once again the pre-lunch session - again extended to compensate for time lost on Friday - will be vital, and the Namibians will go into the third day knowing that despite the Dutch fightback it is they who are still in command.