Quick Haag were, remarkably, the only side to win both matches over the Pentecost weekend, securing an easy victory over VVV Amsterdam on Monday to consolidate their position at the top of the Hoofdklasse table.

It was Quick’s second nine-wicket win in four games, and a minor piece of history as their first win over VVV since the latter returned to the Hoofdklasse in 2005.

The architect of their success was skipper Edgar Schiferli, who took six for 26 as VVV were dismissed for 160.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, the Amsterdam side were soon reduced to 14 for three, Somesh Kohli picking up two wickets and Schiferli one.

Coach Mohammed Hafeez and Rizwan Akram fought back with a stand of 62 for the fourth wicket before Akram was run out for 31 by a direct hit from Geert Maarten Mol, and then Hafeez went on in company with Sajjad Hussain until the total reached 112, when he was caught by Schiferli off Lesley Stokkers’s bowling for 38.

Hussain and Zishan Akram added another 31, but then Schiferli came back into the attack to clean up the last five wickets as the VVV innings subsided.

Darron Reekers and Geert Maarten Mol began as they had against VRA on Sunday, rapidly running up 107 before Reekers, on 59 made off 66 balls with four fours and three sixes, was bowled by Raj Verma.

It was to be VVV’s only success, however, as Mol went on to make 79 not out (one better than his score the previous day), with Wes Thomas contributing 24.

Thomas now has an aggregate of 247 from four innings without having been dismissed, an extraordinary start to his Hoofdklasse career.

Across the path on VRA’s main ground, the home side passed 300 for the second time in the weekend, this time against Voorburg, and a greatly improved performance in bowling and fielding saw them defend it successfully.

The VRA innings could scarcely have been more different from the previous day’s, despite the similarity in outcome: finding some early assistance in the pitch and bowling a great line, Tim de Leede and Shazad Anwar soon had them on 41 for three after Peter Borren won the toss and again elected to bat.

The match was transformed, however, by a record-breaking fourth-wicket partnership of 238 in 34 overs between Eric Szwarczynski and Ryan Maron. They began quietly, seeing De Leede and Anwar out of the attack before beginning to build up some momentum, doing so so effectively that 101 runs came off the final ten overs of their stand.

Szwarczynski’s 116 was made off 119 balls with 13 boundaries, while Maron took three balls fewer for his 117, hitting 11 fours and two sixes; the second fifty of his knock took just 27 balls.

Adeel Raja then made an enterprising 14-ball 32 not out in the final overs to see VRA through to 323 for five.

Any question about whether this would be enough was quickly dispelled by the opening spell of Sohail Bhatti and Remco de Graaff, Bhatti taking three wickets and De Graaff one as Voorburg slumped to 35 for four.

Mohammed Rafi and De Leede set about restoring their side’s fortunes, but any hope of another turnaround were ended by two spectacular moments of brilliant fielding.

First, with the score on 77, De Leede was run out by a direct hit from Borren, and then Rafi was magnificently caught by Szwarczynski at long off, the fieldsman running 25 metres and diving full length to grab the ball moments inches above the ground.

That made it 98 for six, and with Johan Claassens holing out to Szwarczynski at deep cover off the very next ball there was no way back for Voorburg.

John Sist made a steady not-out 40 in the closing stages, but with spinner Jeroen Oskam taking three for 14 the innings ended on 160 in the 41st over to give VRA a thumping 163-run victory.

HCC bounced back from their defeat by HBS on Sunday with a comfortable eight-wicket victory over Sparta 1888 at De Diepput, restricting the visitors to 164 for nine and then knocking off the runs in less than 38 overs for the loss of two wickets.

A second-wicket stand between Tom de Grooth (80) and Bob Entrop (58 not out) was the key to their success after the early loss of Johannes Myburgh.

There was an eight-wicket victory too for Excelsior ’20 Schiedam, who again bowled a visiting side out for under 100 on their second ground at Thurlede.

This time the victims were HBS Den Haag, brothers Taco and Duco Risselada being the only batsmen to reach double figures as their side were shot out for 94 in just 34.2 overs, Mark Cleary, Luuk van Troost, Mohammed Kashif and Tommy Heggelman picking up a couple of wickets each.

Cleary and Rifaiz Bakas then put the issue beyond doubt with an opening stand of 74 before Cleary, on 46, gave a return catch to Sjoerd Weurman, Bakas taking his side to within two runs of the win before he was bowled by Weurman for 32.

It took Excelsior just 15.1 overs to make their target, and they may well have mixed feelings about returning to their main ground, which is expected to be playable once more by about mid-season.

At Hazelaarweg, home side VOC Rotterdam secured their first win of the campaign, beating Hermes-DVS Schiedam by 85 runs.

Having prevailed against local rivals Excelsior on Sunday, Hermes will have made the short trip to Rotterdam full of confidence, and that feeling must have been encouraged when they dismissed VOC for 186 in 48 overs.

Opener Toni Barca again held the side together after VOC, having won the toss and elected to bat, quickly found themselves on 32 for three, and by the time he was sixth out for a well made 54, the Rotterdammers had reached 128.

Ruud Nijman, Erik Hartong and brothers Pieter and Harro Seelaar collected two wickets each for Hermes.

Chasing this fairly modest total Hermes made a steady enough start, but once Nicky Statham had been bowled by Jelte Schoonheim for 27 the innings started to fall apart.

VOC coach Ben Williams then came back to pick up three wickets at the end, finishing with four for 27 as Hermes were bundled out for 101 in the 36th over.