Hermes’ hopes of securing their first Dutch men’s championship since 1946 survived a couple of major scares against VOC Rotterdam at the Hazelaarweg on Saturday, but in the end they successfully defended a meagre total of 140 and won by 49 runs.

The Sky Blues’ unbeaten record appeared to be in serious jeopardy when, after they had elected to bat first, brothers Arnav and Aaditt Jain and Roman Harhangi had reduced them to 45 for four in the space of a dozen overs.

Veteran Nick Statham and Olivier Elenbaas doubled the score before Statham fell to Jason van der Meulen for 26, and then Elenbaas shared another useful stand with Sahil Kothari which took the total to 134 before Arnav Jain returned to removed him for 34.

His departure signalled a rapid end to the Hermes innings, Jain picking up two more wickets to finish with four for 22 as the leaders were all out in 42.3 overs.

Scott Janett and Pieter Recordon launched the VOC reply with an opening stand of 35, but once Aryan Dutt, back from international duty, had removed Recordon, left-arm spinner Kothari took over, and the home side slumped to 53 for  seven in just seven more overs.

Skipper Tim de Kok put up some resistance with an 11-ball cameo of 21, but Kothari was irresistable, finishing with career-best figures of six for 23 as VOC were all out for 91.

Heading the pursuing pack, Kampong Utrecht were much less troubled in defeating Sparta 1888 by seven wickets, needing less than 20 overs to chase down the Spartans’ 187 for nine.

Like Hermes, Sparta suffered a top-order collapse, Kertan Nana and Shashank Kumar picking up two wickets apiece to leave the visitors on 27 for four inside the first eight overs, and it took a dogged knock of 74 from Kyle Klesse and a spirited last-wicket stand of 34 between Tim Ferguson and Joost-Martijn Snoep to get them to a total their bowlers had an outside chance of defending.

That hope was quickly snuffed out, however,  as Damien van den Berg and Max O’Dowd raced to 83 in ten and a half overs before O’Dowd fell to Snoep for a 33-ball 38.

Van den Berg maintained the momentum with Lane Berry, making 52 from 40 deliveries, but it was Lachlan Bangs’ unbeaten 59 from 24 balls, with two fours and six sixes, which sped Kampong to their overwhelming victory, giving them a clear net run rate advantage over their rivals which may come in handy later in the season.

In the Amsterdamse Bos, meanwhile, VRA were finding that a total of 181 all out was more than enough to secure a win over mid-table rivals HCC.

Here it was the bowlers who were largely in control, Hidde Overdijk’s four for 44 instrumental in keeping VRA’s innings within bounds.

Returning internationals Vikram Singh and Teja Nidamanuru gave their side a promising start with 39 and 33 respectively, but once they had both gone the innings declined from 87 for three to 136 for seven, Oliver White and Josh Brown both collecting wickets to put the home side on the back foot.

The tail was able to get them up to 181, and after the new-ball pairing of Ben Fletcher and Peter Ruffell had removed HCC’s openers off-spinner Leon Turmaine took the crucial wickets of Boris Gorlee, White and Yash Patel to leave the Lions reeling on 36 for five.

There was effectively no way back from there, and although Brown made 35 and Mark Wolfe contributed an unbeaten 15, HCC were dismissed for 113, Turmaine finishing with four for 25.

Voorburg’s title challenge suffered another blow at Craeyenhout, where HBS posted 275 for seven and went on to win by 87 runs.

Wesley Barresi top-scored for the Crows with 71, but it was a fine all-round performance from returning international Kyle Klein which sealed his side’s victory.

First, he made an invaluable 53, coming in at 127 for four and departing at 244 for six, sharing vital stands with Barresi and then with Navjit Singh, who made an unbeaten, 29-ball 34 to see his side to their challenging total.

Voorburg were in with a real chance as Gavin Kaplan (62) and Noah Croes (66) were adding 85 for the fourth wicket, but once Benno Boddendijk had removed Kaplan, Klein, who had earlier dismissed fellow-international Michael Levitt, returned to remove first Croes and then, two balls later, Philippe Boissevain, and HBS were on the path to victory.

He finished with three for 23, and with Jayden Rossouw collecting three for 39 the Voorburg innings ended on 188.

The key relegation battle at Thurlede followed a superficially similar course, Punjab-Ghausia reaching 276 for seven and then dismissing home side Excelsior ‘20 for 244 to move a little closer to the middle of the table.

The pattern of the Punjab innings, though, was somewhat different: Jonathan Vandiar and Shoaib Minhas shared an opening stand of 110 before Jason Ralston bowled Vandiar for 58, and then leg-spinner Joost Kroesen removed Minhas for 93, adding the scalps of Musa Ahmad and Burhan Niaz as Punjab subsided from 172 for one to 208 for four.

Kroesen finished with three for 43, but Khurram Shahzad hit a brisk 26 not out to get his side up to the highest total of the day.

Sam Rahaley (60) and Roel Verhagen (65) responded with a first-wicket partnership of 108 when Excelsior replied, but although Raynard van Tonder made 72, sharing a stand of 56 for the fifth wicket with Luuk Kroesen, once the latter had gone he was unable to find sufficient support, and the innings ended 32 runs short.

Minhas was again Punjab’s main wicket-taker with three for 40.

The defeat leaves Excelsior level on points with Sparta and VOC at the foot of the table, while Punjab have improved their chances of staying clear of the dreaded eighth spot and an end-of-season play-off to avoid relegation.