BdJ:
Two strong line ups on Craeyenhout's astroturf, this match-up has the look of a batting duel. After a rare lapse last week it's a safe bet to expect Jaron Morgan to be back in the runs, and with Rutgers for support and the always-dangerous Toby Visée back to something close to full fitness, the hosts have the more explosive top-order, though the form of ACC's Kathrada and the Zulfiqar brothers with the bat means it may be tough for whoever bats first to judge what a defensible total might be. Not a huge amount to separate the two teams, but I'd say home advantage just about gives the crows the edge.

RL:
I admit to having seen the less flattering side of HBS so far this season, but then the same applies to the one time I watched ACC. The feeling persists, though, that the Craeyenhout side are perhaps one batter and one bowler short, for all the match-winning capabilities of Morgan, Visée and Rutgers. The seam attack, certainly, Navjot Singh excepted, was off the pace against HCC last week, and they will need to do better if they are to contain the strong ACC top order. It is, as m’colleague suggests, a tough one to pick, but I think Craeyenhout’s fast outfield may suit the Zulfiqars and Kathrada as much as it does the home side, and for that reason my pick is ACC.

Punjab Rotterdam vs HCC (Zomercomplex)

BdJ:
Not the easiest of calls this, but Punjab have shown themselves a formidable side in their debut Topklasse season, especially at home. HCC have been rather reliant on their top three for runs this season, especially on Jonathan Vandiar, though the latter will doubtless have his mind on revenge after getting himself Mankaded when the teams last met. Punjab will likely need to dismiss him more conventionally this time, and will need to do so early, but with HCC comfortably ensconced in the middle of the table and Punjab still with a point to prove, I fancy the Rotterdammers will be the hungrier side.

RL:
There’s more strength in depth in the Punjab squad than in HCC’s, and despite the menacing presence of Vandiar and the outstanding return from injury of left-arm seamer Floris de Lange, the Lions may find themselves up against it at Het Zomercomplex. Vandiar is, of course, perfectly capable of winning a match on his own, but the same applies to Shoaib Minhas, and the latter probably has more support from the likes of Yasir Ali, Khurram Shahzad (provided he isn’t kept out by the injury which forced him to retire hurt last week) and Ahsan Masood (ditto). Here, too, home advantage may well be a telling factor.

Hermes-DVS Schiedam vs Quick Haag (Sportpark Harga)

BdJ:
On paper mid-tablers Quick Haag ought to be a clear pick against Hermes – who have yet to win a game this season, but Harga has always been something of an equaliser and the visitors will be rattled by a home defeat at the hands of Punjab last week. Now six points adrift of leaders Excelsior Quick have rather less to play for, and with Stephan Myburgh finally finding some form against Zimbabwe and Seb Braat bowling again Hermes are belatedly improving. Some might call it a courageous call, but I'm backing the sky-blues to finally break their duck tomorrow.

RL:
Having tipped Hermes last week and been proved wrong, I’m going with the paper this time. Quick have, it is true, been inconsistent this season, but they were distinctly below strength last Sunday and it is difficult to draw conclusions from a game so deeply affected by rain. They have a stronger top six than Hermes, and their attack is one of the most varied, and potentially most penetrative, in the competition. I take the point about Sportpark Harga, but Quick have traditionally done well there, and I don’t expect this game to be any exception.

VRA Amsterdam vs VOC Rotterdam (Amstelveen)

BdJ:
A four-pointer for the competition this, if not the teams themselves. VRA are more-or-less the last side with a reasonable chance of catching Excelsior at the top of the table, trailing them by four points. VOC's poor season would have to get a lot worse if they are to slide into relegation danger, but with key players Ahsan Malik and Pieter Seelaar still unavailable and their hosts in the Bos on something of a roll, taking two points back to Rotterdam seems a longshot for VOC.

RL:
Here we have unanimity. With Cooper, Szwarczynski and Borren leading the batting and Klaassen and Gunning spearheading the bowling, VRA have some claim to being the form team in the Topklasse, and but for their lack of consistency they would be closer to Excelsior than they are. Their supporting actors might perhaps play a more significant role than they do, but VOC, especially without their big names, lack the key players to pose a threat if VRA play at anything like their full potential. Caleb Jewell has been in good form with the bat, but it would take a major contribution from Max O’Dowd – who should, admittedly, feel at home on the Amstelveen ground – to even up the odds.

Dosti United Amsterdam vs Excelsior 20 Schiedam (Sportpark Drieburg)

BdJ:
Dosti have had an even worse season so far; with just two wins on the board they can count themselves fortunate to have Hermes below them. Though a match-winning turn from overseas players Dry and Kohli can't be ruled out, and even though the streak may be no more, Excelsior are top of the table for good reason and head to Drieburg as firm favourites.

RL:
Dosti’s concerns before the start of the campaign that this was going to be a difficult season for them have proved to be fully justified, and even more so because established players like Vinoo Tewarie and Rahil Ahmed have had lean runs of form. Excelsior’s defeat last week had been brewing for some time, and injuries to Roel Verhagen and Rens van Troost have done them no favours. But the end of the winning run will in some respects be liberating, and it would come as no surprise if Dosti were to be on the wrong end of their bounce-back.

Form Guide:

[Note: These tables show the results of this fixture over the past ten seasons. ‘W’ means a win for the home side, ‘L’ a defeat, ‘T’ a tie, ‘N’ no result. Matches played on the opponent’s ground or a neutral venue are shown in square brackets.]

Bertus de Jong’s predictions:
HBS, Punjab, Hermes, VRA, Excelsior.

Rod Lyall’s predictions:
ACC, Punjab, Quick, VRA, Excelsior.