A defiant century by Ryan ten Doeschate was insufficient to prevent Namibia from making sure of a comfortable seven-wicket victory over The Netherlands shortly after tea on Saturday, maintaining the home side’s challenge for a place in this year’s Intercontinental Cup final.

Needing to set the Namibians a target of at least 200 to give their bowlers any chance of pulling off a win, the Dutch batsmen could only manage a total of 323, leaving Louis Burger’s men with 94 to get.

This they did in less than twenty overs, largely thanks to an aggressive 38-ball 46 from Jan-Berrie Burger, although Mudassar Bukhari collected two wickets and Peter Borren one before the end came.

Earlier, it was Bernie Burger who was instrumental in cleaning up the Dutch innings, taking five of the last six wickets to finish with five for 27 to give him a match analysis of 28 – 4 – 71 – 9.

He began by trapping Eric Szwarczynski leg-before for 23, breaking a stubborn fourth-wicket partnership of 58 with Ten Doeschate, and then did the same to Daan van Bunge two balls later.

Peter Borren then joined the Essex allrounder in a stand of 65, making 36 before being bowled by Bernie Burger shortly before the lunch interval.

Ten Doeschate had by this time reached his tenth first-class hundred – and his fifth in the Intercontinental Cup in just eight innings.

But he was beginning to run out of partners, and when Mudassar Bukhari was caught behind by Raymond van Schoor off Gerrie Snyman with the total on 305 the writing was on the wall.

Fifteen minutes later, on 116. Ten Doeschate fell to a return catch by – inevitably, perhaps – Bernie Burger. His innings lasted 169 balls and included eight fours and three sixes.

He has now made a total of 892 runs in the competition at an average of 148.67.

Jeroen Smits soon followed, and the Namibians were left a straightforward task to complete an outstanding victory.

Apart from that extraordinary half-hour on Friday morning when they lost their last five first-innings wickets for just 15 runs, the home side never relinquished the initiative their batsmen seized on the first day, and they thoroughly deserved a win which shoots them to the top of the Intercontinental Cup table.

The Netherlands, showing signs of rustiness after a long winter lay-off, must now regroup before taking on the United Arab Emirates in Sharjah, starting next Thursday. With home games against Ireland and Kenya to follow this summer, their hopes of reaching their first Intercontinental Cup final are not yet quite dead, but there is no question that this defeat is a big blow.