As the sun at last shone on the Hoofdklasse competition on Sunday, title challengers VOC Rotterdam made an extraordinary comeback to defeat VVV Amsterdam, while a batting collapse by Quick Haag at Nieuw Hanenburg saw them drop to fourth and gave HCC hope that they may yet reach the play-offs.

There was drama just across the fence at Craeyenhout as well, as HBS came within 9 runs of Voorburg’s total of 221 before their challenge failed. With Quick losing, the win took Voorburg back into third spot in the table, but the gap between leaders VRA Amsterdam, VOC and the rest is now so large that VRA and VOC are virtually certain to top the list and gain home advantage in the semi-finals in September.

It took a solid innings of 79 not out by Daan van Everdingen to bring VOC back from the dead after VVV’s seamers had reduced them to 29 for five. He was supported by Asif Altaf in a sixth-wicket stand of 61 which turned the game around, and then Reinout van Ierschot and younger brother Koen helped him get the total up to 207 for eight.

Zishan Akram was the most effective of the Amsterdammers’ bowlers with four for 37.

Inevitably, it was Xavier Doherty who started the VVV slide when they had reached 22 in reply, accepting a return catch from Akram, and seamer Ernst van Giezen and spinner Koen van Everdingen then ran through the rest of the batting to dismiss the visitors for 97.

Van Giezen took three for 22, while Van Everdingen claimed five for 32, his best Hoofdklasse haul. Top scorer for VVV was Rauf Wain, returning to the top flight as a replaced for injured coach Mohammed Hafeez.

Quick Haag’s batting was destroyed by HCC’s Maurits Jonkman, who took six for 24 as the home side were bowled out for 122. Only Quick coach Sean Clingeleffer was able to prosper against the HCC attack, making 56 not out as the wickets tumbled around him.

HCC, playing without captain-coach Shane Deitz who was serving a one-match suspension arising from the match against Voorburg in June, took just 25.2 overs to knock off the runs. Promoted to opener in Deitz’s absence, Bernard Loots led the way with 35, and Tom de Grooth and Derk Rijkens finished the job with 31 and 30 respectively.

The day’s closest match was at neighbouring HBS, where Voorburg reached 221 in 47.4 overs, largely due to another big partnership between Ryan Le Loux (70) and Tim de Leede (75). Billy Stelling took three for 33 for HBS, and Patrick Gorlee three for 53.

But HBS had coach Gareth Hopkins back in the side, and he led the run chase with 69. Stelling took over once Hopkins was out, but with Voorburg working their way through the rest of the batting his 64 not out wasn’t quite enough. Voorburg held their nerve, and took the final wicket nine balls from the end with HBS still nine runs short.

Leaders VRA, without three of their top five batsmen, were nevertheless too strong for ACC, winning by seven wickets in Amstelveen.

ACC, who won the toss and batted, were given a good start by opener Steven de Bruin with 51, but captain-for-the-day Adeel Raja, deputizing for Darren Murray and Peter Borren, recorded his best Hoofdklasse figures with six for 22 as the visitors were dismissed for 170.

Ryan Maron and Tjade Groot made the outcome almost certain with an opening stand of 104, although when Rehan Younis had Groot given out caught at slip for 46 and trapped Maron leg-before for 66 a few overs later, ACC saw a hint of an opening.

Mohsin Ghaznavi bowled Wesley Barresi with the total on 133, but Garth Brown and Raja saw their side safely to the win without further loss.

In the Schiedam derby at Thurlede, home side Excelsior seemed to have Hermes-DVS on the ropes at 67 for five, but veteran Gavin McRae hit 65 not out to get his side up to 181 for eight off their fifty overs.

Rashid Amin was the pick of the Excelsior bowlers with three for 19.

Excelsior were almost immediately in trouble, McRae crowning his day with the initial breakthrough, and although Mark Cleary made 37 and Daan van Bunge and Luuk van Troost chipped in with twenties, they never really recovered.

Pieter Seelaar, one of seven internationals who had flown back from Aberdeen on Sunday morning after the Intercontinental Cup match against Scotland had finished a day early, was the only one to bring a notable benefit to his side, taking three for 10 in ten overs, with six maidens.