It was a long and frustrating day at Westvliet on Tuesday, as the Netherlands and Scotland waited in vain to get their Intercontinental Cup match under way.

Showers in the morning produced an initial delay because of a wet outfield, but once that problem had receded it transpired that the umpires had further concerns about the condition of the pitch.

The specific issue was a damp area at the Paddock End, where the bowlers would be planting their feet in the delivery stride, and although there was no further rain after a brief shower at about one o'clock, a lack of sun and wind ensured that the drying process was too slow to bring about significant improvement.

The umpires continued to review the situation, but at 4:15 they bowed to the apparently inevitable and abandoned play for the day.

As is so often the way, their decision was greeted almost immediately by sunshine and a breeze, which should at least improve the chances of some play on Wednesday.