The majority of Hoofdklasse clubs again face a double schedule this weekend, with another group of first-round replays on Saturday together with a normal programme on Sunday. With the prospect of high temperatures combined with the possibility of thundery showers, it looks like being a pretty exhausting couple of days.

Competition leaders VRA Amsterdam and VOC Rotterdam will each play two matches, as will Quick Haag, who emerged as their closest challengers by beating HCC last week. On Sunday, indeed, Quick will take on VRA in Amstelveen in what has become the key match of the weekend.

Assuming that both VRA and Quick win their Saturday encounters, against Voorburg and VVV Amsterdam respectively, Quick will go into Sunday’s match knowing that a victory would bring them level with their opponents, and encouraged by the fact that last year they pulled off a rare win in Amstelveen. With coach Faiek Davids in great form and brothers Henk-Jan and Geert-Maarten Mol performing consistently with both bat and ball, Quick have put together a five-match winning run, and should make it six by beating VVV on Saturday.

Sunday’s match, though, will be another matter: despite a somewhat monochrome attack, VRA are formidable opponents at home, and with opener Maurits van Nierop coming back from his ankle injury the batting may again be back to full strength. They were given a tough test by a spirited Voorburg last week, but home advantage should ensure that they repeat that win on Saturday, and they will go into the Quick match determined to hold onto the top spot.

VOC face two away games, at Excelsior on Saturday and at HBS Den Haag on Sunday. Having secured a comprehensive home win against Excelsior last weekend they will go into the return match full of confidence, and for former Excelsior coach Michael Dighton and all-rounder Chris Smith (who transferred to VOC from the Schiedam club over the winter) this game will have a particular significance. Excelsior will again be without Dutch captain Luuk van Troost, and it seems likely that VOC will again be too strong.

The keys to VOC’s success are a powerful top order and a well-balanced attack, and HBS will know that they need to take quick wickets if they are to have a chance of a win on Sunday. By contrast with the consistency of VOC’s leading batsmen, the HBS batting has had some spectacular failures this season, and they will need a good start themselves. Defeat would effectively put the Den Haag side out of the running for the title, so they will need to go into this game with all guns firing.

Like HBS, HCC have no match on Saturday, and are at home to VVV Amsterdam on Sunday. After the disappointment of losing to Rood en Wit at home last week VVV are again at the bottom of the table and in deep trouble, and it would be a huge surprise if they were to defeat HCC. But their batting remains dangerous, and any side which takes them lightly could be vulnerable.

Like HBS, too, HCC know that they cannot afford any more slip-ups if they are to stay in touch with the leaders, and they should make sure of the points.

Rood en Wit, on the other hand, will have been enormously encouraged by their first win of the season, and have a chance of making it two in a row when they take on Hermes-DVS Schiedam at home on Sunday. Last week’s game was a triumph for coach Enoch Nkwe, whose unbeaten century was the decisive factor, and he will need to be on top form again.

The same applies to Hermes’ Pankaj Joshi, and the outcome of this match may be settled by which of the two coaches has the better day. It seems unlikely that Hermes will slip into relegation territory, but they have to win matches like this one to be sure of hanging on to a mid-table position, and the probability is that they will win.

Their rivals in the lower half of the table are Excelsior and Voorburg, who will meet in Schiedam on Sunday. Having played VOC and VRA the day before, both may well have lost again, and both will be keen to emerge from the weekend with at least one win. This is likely to be a tight game, with both sides relying on their top players to see them through. Home advantage may give Excelsior the edge, but in the Hoofdklasse one never knows!

Tips for this weekend:
Saturday: VRA, Quick Haag, VOC.
Sunday: HCC, Hermes, VOC, VRA, Excelsior.