Holland 378 and 170-2

Bermuda 620

Match drawn<$>

Bermuda silenced and most likely confounded their critics with an astonishing batting display that produced yet another slew of records on the final day of their four-day contest against Holland at the L.C.DeVilliers Oval in Pretoria yesterday.

The Intercontinental Cup match inevitably fizzled out to a draw, leaving the Dutch seething over the tactics Clay Smith and his men employed over the final two days.

But after the one-day series whitewash Bermuda suffered in Kenya just a week earlier, there’s no doubt which team left this match with their heads held highest.

While Bermuda claimed six first innings batting points, their first in the tournament, which technically earned them a ‘winning’ draw, they will have no doubt considered the final outcome a moral victory.

Holland, on the other hand, were left complaining bitterly about the manner in which Bermuda occupied the crease for a marathon 196 overs, spanning seven sessions of play over three days, in a record-shattering performance which denied the Dutch any hope of snatching the victory that would have kept alive their hopes of reaching next year’s tournament final.

That, however, won’t have bothered Bermuda’s players or coach Gus Logie in the least, the statistics showing that they can not only compete at this level, but can set a standard others might want to follow.

When the curtain finally came down on Bermuda’s first innings yesterday afternoon, the scoreboard revealed the highest total posted since the inception of the Intercontinental Cup in 2004.

Boosted by David Hemp’s spectacular, unbeaten 247, another new tournament record, their total stood on 620, eclipsing by 32 runs the competition’s previous top score of 588, ironically compiled by Canada against Bermuda last summer.

Glamorgan skipper Hemp, in only his second four-day match for Bermuda, obliterated the previous mark of 220 set by Kenya’s Steve Tikolo against Bermuda in Namibia.

It was also the 35-year-old’s career-high score, overshadowing the 186 he scored against Essex in the English County Championships.

Hemp’s majestic innings, including 30 fours and two sixes, lasted 525 minutes and saw him face 373 balls before he finally ran out of partners.

By the close of play yesterday after a meaningless final session under bright blue skies, Holland had scored 170 for two, Essex county player Ryan ten Doeschate crushing exactly 100, which included his 1,000th first class run in his 19th innings.

Interest in that final session focused solely on whether ten Doeschate could complete his second century of the match, having made 138 in the Dutch first innings, and he duly obliged in the 42nd and penultimate over before being dismissed lbw by Irving Romaine in the final over.

Tom DeGrooth’s was Holland’s other second innings wicket to fall, snapped up by Romaine at second slip off the bowling of Saleem Mukuddem for four with the total on 11.

But the day belonged to Hemp who proceeded to shred the record books, receiving plenty of help along the way from Bermuda’s tailend bats who also set a number of new marks.

Dwayne Leverock’s half-century (51) represented his highest first class score while last man Kevin Hurdle (29) also enjoyed a career-best.

Leverock was particularly impressive, facing 157 balls and blasting eight fours in an eighth-wicket Bermuda record partnership of 132 with Hemp.

When he reached his 50, he removed his helmet and kissed the ground to noisy applause from his team-mates.

But that euphoria quickly turned to anger as the big man was trapped lbw by Peter Borren two overs later, returning to the pavilion where he hurled his bat in disgust, upset that he couldn’t have taken the partnership any further.

On the very next ball, and with the score now on 570-8, youngster Rodney Trott was also dismissed leg before for a golden duck, and with Borren now on a hat-trick, it seemed the innings was about to fold.

But the lanky Hurdle obviously hadn’t read the script. He straight drove Borren for four on his first delivery and proceeded to build yet another record stand with Hemp, lashing 29 in a partnership worth 50 before becoming the last wicket to fall, caught by wicketkeeper Jeroen Smits off Daan van Bunge with the total on 620.

Earlier Mukuddem had fallen in the fourth over of the day just 10 runs short of what would have been his maiden first class century, although still his top score at this level.

After a competition record seventh-wicket partnership of 219 with Hemp, Mukuddem was also caught behind by Smits off van Bunge for 90, although he clearly felt he hadn’t touched the ball.

If Bermuda’s batting was impressive, their bowling wasn’t too shoddy either.

In the final session Leverock bowled five maidens in a 13-over spell which gave up just 24 runs. During the match he sent down 60 overs, including 17 maidens, conceding 143 runs for three wickets.

Mukuddem also claimed three wickets over both innings, conceding 113 runs off 33 overs with seven maidens.

While Trott shone in the first innings with three for 47 off 18.1 he proved expensive yesterday, particularly against the hard-hitting ten Doeschate, conceding 86 runs in his 15 overs.