With two wins separating third from ninth, the battle for places in the Hoofdklasse's first play-offs doesn't seem likely to let up any time soon. This weekend's matches again confront most of the contenders with crucial opportunities to gain ground on their rivals.

On the face of it, the most important game will be in Den Haag, where third-placed Quick are at home to Voorburg, currently enjoying a share of fourth spot despite last week's defeat by VRA. Voorburg's rise has been one of the features of recent rounds, and if they play as well against Quick as they did against the leaders, they just might consolidate their position with another win.

Quick, however, are a tough side to overcome, and they will be disappointed not to have beaten VOC last Sunday after bowling their opponents out for 168. The questions about the reliability of their batting remain, but their seam attack will provide a severe test for Voorburg's line-up, which still depends heavily on Safaraz Gondel, Ryan Le Loux, Mohammed Rafi and Tim de Leede.

Hermes-DVS, level with Voorburg on percentages at this stage, make the trip to the Amsterdamse Bos to take on VRA. The Schiedam side were more than a match for the leaders in May, inflicting a painful nine-wicket defeat in a game which was rain-affected but in which the issue was certainly not greatly influenced by the weather.

But the strength of VRA on their own turf – or even on their own mat – is one of the fundamental facts of the Hoofdklasse, and after seeing their fifteen-match unbeaten run at home ended a fortnight ago by VOC the Amsterdammers will be determined to exact revenge on Hermes.

VRA captain Darren Murray now heads the batting averages after his match-winning 77 not out last week, while for Hermes Nicky Statham is enjoying his most successful season for years. It was his innings which gave his side the upper hand in their home win over VRA, and much may depend on how these two key batsmen fare this Sunday.

For the remaining teams outside the four, every match is now vital. Excelsior '20 have the toughest task this week, taking on second-placed VOC Rotterdam in Schiedam.

Excelsior's victory over HBS last week was a hopeful sign for them, with Daan van Bunge playing a crucial role in their success. They clearly have the potential to upset VOC but the Rotterdam side keep winning, with Bas Zuiderent and Xavier Doherty among the most consistent performers in the competition. Roland Lefebvre's reappearance last week gave VOC a considerable boost, and ultimately the edge over Quick Haag, but it cannot be said to be a forward-looking move.

Another defeat would put a play-off place almost (but not quite) out of reach for Excelsior, while VOC need to win to maintain the pressure on VRA. That said, the advantage of topping the competition is purely psychological, since the Hoofdklasse final will be played on neutral territory.

HCC finally got back into winning mode against VVV last Sunday, and will be confident of securing two more points against the increasingly desperate-looking ACC. The Amsterdam side again collapsed for under the hundred against Hermes-DVS, and they will need to improve massively if they are to prosper against a HCC attack in which young Australian seamer Andrew Murphy has now claimed a place.

Maurits Jonkman continues to bowl effectively, and Shane Deitz remains one of the most dangerous batsmen in the Hoofdklasse. But almost all the HCC squad are capable of chipping in with match-winning performances, while for ACC almost everything depends on the efforts of a handful of players.

For HBS Den Haag and VVV Amsterdam their encounter at Craeyenhout is also vital, with the winner at any event not losing ground on their main rivals. HBS's performances have been consistently inconsistent so far, but even the presence of Alexei Kervezee couldn’t save them from defeat at the hands of Excelsior last week.

VVV have the all-round ability on their day to beat most sides in the competition, and HBS will have to be at their best to take the points. The contest between the HBS seamers and the powerful if erratic VVV batting line-up is potentially exciting, but the fragility of the home side's batting may just give VVV the edge.

This week’s tips: HCC, VRA, Quick Haag, VOC, VVV.