Monday’s Pentecost holiday means that there will be a double round of Hoofdklasse fixtures this weekend, and again there are several matches which are likely to have a big effect on the eventual outcome of the competition.

It’s not difficult to pick the game of the weekend, since champions VRA Amsterdam take on Quick Haag in Amstelveen on Sunday in a repeat of last season’s semi-final, both teams having won their first two matches and confirmed their position as strong contenders again for a place in the four.

Having beaten VOC last weekend, VRA now meet the other two semi-finalists from 2007 on successive days, and Quick seem certain to provide a very stiff challenge indeed.

VRA will welcome back international off-spinner Adeel Raja, who returns from suspension and will both add variety to the attack and strengthen the middle order, as well as Tjade Groot, who missed the VOC game.

The batting has been performing well, with Ryan Maron, Eric Szwarczynski, Peter Borren and Chris Haak all making runs, and their battle with the powerful Quick seam attack, led by Edgar Schiferli, is an appetising prospect.

For Quick, new coach Wes Thomas has rapidly made his mark with both bat and ball, and with Darron Reekers, Geert Maarten Mol and Henk-Jan Mol also making big scores and the weather set fair it would not be surprising if this were to prove a high-scoring match.

Despite some pre-season questions about the effectiveness of the VRA attack, the bowlers have performed well so far, but Quick seem certain to offer their stiffest test. This one really is too close to call!

The third unbeaten side, HCC, will play HBS Den Haag at Klein Zwitserland on Sunday, a game in which last year’s HCC coach, Shane Deitz, will take on his old teammates.

Both sides had easy wins last weekend, over Hermes-DVS and VVV Amsterdam, but it is HCC which appears to have the better-balanced squad, and with Dutch international Tom de Grooth back and in the runs, they should prove too strong for HBS.

After losing to VRA in their opening game, Excelsior ’20 bounced back strongly on Sunday by overwhelming Voorburg, a match dominated by coach Mark Cleary and his fellow-seamer Malik Hussain, and they will go into this week’s Schiedam derby against Hermes full of confidence.

Hermes are always a tougher proposition at Sportpark Harga than away from home, but last Sunday’s collapse against HCC raises doubts about the solidity of their batting which they will need to resolve quickly if they are to mount a serious challenge for a play-off slot.

Another fixture which may well be crucial for the season as a whole will be at Capelle-aan-der-IJssel, where Sparta 1888 will be at home to VVV.

These are the clubs which seemed likely to be relegation candidates before hostilities began, and despite Sparta’s opening-day win over HBS in a badly rain-affected encounter nothing that has happened so far has removed that impression.

Sparta’s effort against Quick Haag last Sunday confirmed how vital coach Mohammad Wasim will be to their prospects with the bat, while VVV have been bowled out for low scores by both Hermes-DVS and HBS.

So the winner of this game will establish a crucial advantage over their rivals, although Sparta are in the more comfortable position of having already claimed their first points. A victory on Sunday would put them four points clear, so it is VVV for whom the win is even more essential.

Eight months ago, VOC Rotterdam and Voorburg played an epic tie in their semi-final, Voorburg going on to win the rematch the following day and claim a place in the final.

Now they will meet at Westvliet on Sunday without a point between them, a rather strange Hoofdklasse programme having concentrated many of the toughest fixtures in the opening rounds.

VOC, most strikingly, have been pitched against the other three semi-finalists in their first three matches, and have so far lost to Quick Haag and VRA, while Voorburg have fallen to top-four aspirants HCC and Excelsior.

Sunday’s Westvliet clash therefore provides an opportunity for one of these sides to get their campaign off the ground, and it promises to be a tough battle.

Bas Zuiderent’s men fought hard against VRA last week, but the effectiveness of their attack gives cause for concern, while Voorburg still give the impression of being overly dependent on the performances of a few key players.

Voorburg coach Steve Nottle has had a wretched start to the season with one run from two innings, but one cannot help feeling that it won’t be long before opposing attacks learn the hard way that he is a very good batsman indeed. His teammates will be hoping that that process begins with weekend, if not against VOC on Sunday, then against VRA the following day.

The champions are fortunate in being at home both days, and form suggests that they will be too strong for Voorburg. But the visitors have potential match-winners in Tim de Leede, Mohammed Rafi and Atse Buurman as well as Nottle, and can be expected to raise their game for their visit to Amstelveen.

On VRA’s second ground, meanwhile, Quick Haag will be taking on VVV Amsterdam, their own ground still being unavailable.

The Amsterdam side have a terrific record against Quick, who have not beaten them since they returned to the Hoofdklasse in 2005, but it would be a major upset were that record to be extended on Monday.

HCC can also be expected to be too strong for Sparta 1888 in their encounter at De Diepput, but the most intriguing fixtures will be in Rotterdam and Schiedam.

VOC will be at home to Hermes-DVS in a game which both will need to win in order to stay in touch with the leading sides, and the same applies to Excelsior’s match against HBS.

These are games which will give a much clearer idea of which sides are likely to stake a claim for a place in the top half of the table as the competition settles down.

These week’s predictions:
Sunday: HCC, VOC, Sparta, Excelsior, and (oh, all right, if I must!) Quick Haag.
Monday: Quick Haag, HCC, VRA, Excelsior, VOC.