It was by any standards a remarkable day’s Topklasse cricket on Monday, as more than 2500 runs were scored across the five Liberation Day matches, with no fewer than 17 partnerships of 50 or more, three of them extending into three figures.

The bowlers, correspondingly, collectively had a day to forget: they went for over five an over, each wicket costing them an average of almost 34 runs.

The most remarkable runfest came at De Diepput, where HCC saw Voorburg run up 327 for seven, their second triple-century total in succession but, undaunted, chased that massive target down with 15 deliveries to spare.

The match featured two splendid centuries by Dutch-produced batters: Cedric de Lange, opening in the absence of Michael Levitt on national team duty, batted almost throughout the Voorburg innings to post a 122-ball 104, but he was more than matched by HCC captain Boris Gorlee, who followed up his 102 against Sparta on Saturday with an even more decisive 122.

Cedric de Lange

He, too, batted almost to the end, falling to his old clubmate Patrick Charumbira when only two more runs were required for victory.

Supporting roles in Voorburg’s innings were played by three of the side’s four overseas, with Peter Hatzoglou hammering a 38-ball 59, Gavin Kaplan making 46 and Henry Melville 42, while Josh Brown took advantage of hos opponents’ quest for quick runs at the death to finish with four for 76.

Tom de Leede removed both openers when HCC replied, Tonny Staal having smacked a 28-ball 46 to get them going, but then Gorlee took over, sharing a 95-run stand for the fourth wicket with Oliver White (39), and then an equally valuable partnership of 89 with Hidde Overdijk (38).

Yash Patel joined him for what was almost the winning stand, and there was time for him to reach his half-century before HCC completed the win.