BOWLERS dominated the opening two days in the Ballarat Cricket Association club firsts grand final.
The Ballarat-Redan and Wendouree attacks capitalised on favourable conditions to create headaches for batsmen.
Twenty-one wickets fell for just 377 runs at Eastern Oval.
Wendouree managed to find an edge for an 86-run lead to resume its second innings in the four-day bout next weekend at 1-45.
Wendouree captain Heath Pyke was only player to get a half-century.
Batting on Saturday, Pyke made 74 not out (eight fours) off 153 balls, while his team-mates struggled to cope with a swinging ball on Saturday.
Combine pace duo Simon and Jarrod Allan took four wickets apiece to help contain the Red Caps to 153 runs.
But the Combine only posted a 112-run reply.
Sixteen-year-old left-arm paceman Nick O'Brien cracked the game back open for the Red Caps yesterday.
O'Brien nabbed three wickets - the first two to set up his hat-trick - in his first four overs on day two.
He had Ballarat-Redan 3-15, 14 overs into the innings.
Seam movement troubled the Combine with six batsmen dismissed lbw.
Number five bat Lee Brown top-scored for the Combine with 42 (4 fours) off 119 balls.
It was a lucky turn-about for Wendouree, which remains far from comfortable ahead of day three action next Saturday.
The reigning premier had looked shaky early on day one, losing 4-29 within 27 overs.
Strike bowlers Jarrod and Simon Allan claimed most of the damage.
Then All-rounder Cam Landry exerted his influence on the match to bowl nine-straight maiden overs leading into tea.
He finished his spell 0-12 off 12 overs.
Pyke was dropped on 35 runs when Combine wicket-keeper Ross Petersen fumbled.
He dug in at the crease to form a 71-run partnership with Matt Smith (27 runs) for the fifth wicket.
Smith's scalp, courtesy of Simon Allan, sparked a Red Caps' tumble, with six wickets falling in 19 overs.
David Sproules, 1-1, and Matt Hoey, 1-12, polished off the Red Caps' tail to close the innings.
Combine openers Allister Edmends and Sproules survived six overs at the crease - including three maidens to O'Brien - before stumps on day one.
O'Brien teamed up with Eamon Johnson to launch the Red Caps' attack yesterday.
The Combine was suddenly 4-19 at the end of nine overs into day two action.
Brown sought to steady the order in a 35-run partnership with Ross Petersen (10 runs) and apart from Cam Landry's 21 runs (1 six, 1 four) off 71 balls, the Combine offered little more than a yelp.
O'Brien finished with 3-14 off 13 overs, including eight maidens, while wickets were shared among the Red Caps' four-pronged attack.
Johnson held the bowling line-up together with 3-49 and 11 maidens off 25 overs.
David Ellis took two crucial middle-order wickets in his eight overs and Tim Beacham proved mean with 2-19 and seven maidens off 12.
The Red Caps had 25 overs to make a start to their second innings.
Hoey had them one wicket down by nabbing opener Jon Barnett cheaply, 15 overs in, with David Ellis and Matt Skinner set to resume on 17 runs apiece.
BCA firsts grand final action continues on Saturday and Sunday.
WENDOUREE junior Jack Peeters has been making a bold statement in the Red Caps' BCA club thirds grand final against Napoleons-Sebastopol.
The 14-year-old nabbed a hat-trick on day one and backed up his effort with 81 runs at Alfredton yesterday.
Peeters' impact was strong enough to catch the attention of the Red Caps firsts in their bid for back-to-back titles at Eastern Oval.
The youngster posted impressive bowling figures, conceding just seven runs and posting three maidens in his five-over spell to help oust the Naps XI for 80 runs.
Peeters then teamed up in a 208-run seventh-wicket partnership with Matt Kosloff (167 runs) to bolster the Red Caps' 396-run reply.
Naps will resume on 3-48 with Peeters still to bowl in the second innings.
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