FINALS hopes for Ballarat-Redan have been left teetering at the hands of Mt Clear at the University of Ballarat.The Combine posted 156 runs against the Ballarat Cricket Association club firsts heavyweight on Saturday, failing to remain at the crease to stumps on day one.Mounties' openers Steve Nicholson and Peter Guy survived an intense four overs under fire from Combine pacemen Simon Allan and Chris Egan.They will resume 0-8 on day two.Combine opening batsman Allister Edmends worked hard to resist the Mounties pressure and build his 67 runs without a single boundary.Edmends' fellow top-order batsmen fell cheaply but the Combine managed to reach 3-62 within 38 overs.Matt Hoey, batting number five, offered some relief.Hoey teamed up with Edmends in a 41-run partnership, notching up 25 runs (2 fours) before he was the fourth dismissed.Combine youngster Lachlan Cassidy defied the Mounties with an unbeaten 15 runs as they chipped at the lower order. Spinner Steve Nicholson was the only Mountie to not claim a scalp but he was the most frugal with the ball.Nicholson conceded 18 runs off 20 overs, including eight maidens. By the end of his 17th over, Nicholson's figures were 0-11.Mounties' quick Lincoln Blake nabbed 2-42 and seven maidens off his 20 overs.The Mounties tried to slow down their overs to avoid a dangerous start with the bat.Skipper Matt Goonan, complete with a vocal personal cheer squad on the mound, could not avoid an easy catch off his own delivery to claim the Combine's final wicket Mark Sculley.It will be a tense week's preparations for Ballarat-Redan, which sits three points out of the four with no choice but a victory to play finals.IN-FORM Brown Hill opener Matt McMahon added spark to the Bulls' campaign with two quick wickets late in play.McMahon ousted Napoleons-Sebastopol's Luke Corden and Danny Carroll to be on a hat-trick in the first over of the Naps' innings.The ladder leader will resume day two on 2-17, with Les Sandwith and captain Dan Scott at the crease, needing 147 runs for victory at Western Oval.Proven run-maker Kyle Eyers is yet to bat.Brown Hill struggled for momentum under the lethal Naps-Sebas attack and fell all-out for 163 runs within 70 overs.Ballarat Electrical Bulls' opening bat Matt Hyden was out for a duck in the first over's play.He was the first victim of Naps-Sebas paceman Brendan Thomson, who claimed 5-45 off 20 overs.Sam Giblett, 33 runs (3 fours), and Nick Hyden, 28 (3 fours), resteadied to anchor the innings with a 57-run stand by the second wicket.Bulls' number five batsman Jason Knowles kept the order ticking with 27 runs, and Pete Kane added 19, but Naps-Sebas gave little away.Roshan Mahapatuna claimed three scalps while Ash Ringin polished off two. Ben Trew starred in the field with five catches.LIONS' captain Matt Cape and his pride are making Wendouree work hard.Darley has set the target with 9-228 at Wendouree Reserve.Cape dug in at the crease to notch up 104 runs (5 sixes, 7 fours) off 133 balls in a quality batting display.Most of his work was in a 59-run sixth-wicket partnership with young Lion Rohan Parag (12 runs).The Red Caps dismissed the Lions' openers 2-32 within 14 overs, despite missed catches early.Lions Josh Bamford and Jake Longhurst helped steady the order, taking the Lions to 3-65 before Cape stepped in.Cape's wicket was the last to fall but a frustrated Red Caps could not budge the tail.Red Cap David Ellis spearheaded the bowling attack, consistently chipping at the Lions to capture 4-69 off 24 overs. THERE is little left for East Ballarat to do now but bowl out its season at Ballarat Grammar.The Hawks have already easily won their clash against Coronet City on first innings points. An outright win still leaves them short of a finals spot.The Hawks swiftly dismissed Peaches Coronet City's batting order for 53 runs within 30 overs.East reached its target, one wicket down, within 18 overs and went on to post 4-206 by stumps. The Hawks will declare to start day two.Wickets were shared among East's attack with debutant Shannon Donegan claiming 2-9 off six overs.Hawks' captain Nathan Yates had a 4-10 haul off four overs. City lost its last four wickets without adding a run. The Hawks then made the most of their final bat for the season.Veteran opener Mark Shaw, promoted for the final game, notched up 47 runs (1 six, 5 fours).Yates made light of the City attack, hitting six sixes and nine fours in his 88 runs.A HALF-century to North Ballarat opener Scott Wright has served up a challenge at Eastern Oval.Wright anchored the Roosters' 174-run tally with 53 runs before he was run out by Golden Point.Roosters' Sam Bartlett, 33 runs, and James Winnard, 28 runs, offered solid support through the middle order.Then Point gradually regained control. Returned paceman Simon Ogilvie and Daniel White stepped up in the Point attack to pull apart the Roosters with three wickets apiece.Ogilvie claimed his 3-29 off 16 overs, including four maidens while White took 3-49 and five maidens off 18.5 overs.