WITH centuries to opener Sean Lynch and captain Chris Bambury, Ballarat-Redan goes into its semi final against Napoleons-Sebastopol brimming with confidence.
The pair helped the Combine brutally dispose of Brown Hill in the last day of the home and away season on Saturday.
They will meet Naps-Sebas at the Eastern Oval next Saturday and Sunday after the southerners had a shock loss to Darley.
Otherwise, Club Firsts went according to plan for the final four - fourth-placed East Ballarat replacing Napoleons-Sebastopol in third spot.
East Ballarat now faces perhaps the lesser of two evils playing second-placed Wendouree at the Northern Oval in the other semi final.
On Saturday, Wendouree's 233 total proved good enough by 13 runs.
In other last round matches, Golden Point won by just eight runs against North Ballarat to finish fifth and East Ballarat easily defeated Coronet City.
The unofficial final placings in the 10-team Club Firsts competition are Ballarat-Redan 57 points, Wendouree 55, East Ballarat 45, Napoleons-Sebastopol 45, Golden Point 43, North Ballarat 39, Mt Clear 39, Darley 21, Brown Hill
15 and Coronet City 6.
* At the Western Oval, Ballarat-Redan had a training run before the finals, scoring 3-284 but needing just 67 from last week to beat Brown Hill's meagre 108.
Although Matt Hoey went early, it simply jolted opener Lynch into action with captain Bambury, and the pair posted centuries in a 211 third wicket stand.
Lynch made 127 and was caught behind by Paul White off part-timer bowler Ryan Knowles.
Bambury remained unbeaten on 114.
Medium pacer Tim Smyth was impressive early grabbing his second wicket of Hoey for 13 with deliveries which jagged back into the right hander.
Lynch hit a six and 13 boundaries in his century. Bambury struck 14 fours.
* At Napoleons Oval, Darley opener Josh Armstrong (47) set up the win for the Lions as it cruised home with six wickets to spare.
Resuming at 1-37 chasing 142, Armstrong made his intentions clear early while Tim O'Brien batted on to just one run short of the winning total needed when he was unfortunately run out for 41.
But it was all academic as the Lions loped away with a new sense of pride, making 174 and having a second tilt at Naps-Sebas which was 2-29 at stumps.
The only consolation for Napoleons-Sebastopol is that all its bowlers got among the wickets including strike bowlers Brendan Thomson and Travis Faulkhead, Leigh Dark with two-a-piece and Luke Corden and Chris Banwell
one each.
* At East High, Coronet City was never going to threaten East's total of 318, but did put up a fight.
East started the match without Simon Irving who is laid up with a virus. Irving also has to face an independent tribunal in Ballarat tomorrow night on dissent and abusive language charges against an umpire on the last day
of Melbourne Country Week.
Resuming at 2-12, several Coronet City batsmen did get among the runs, initially via Brendan Burn (46) and then captain Luke Whinney who remained unconquered on 72.
Despite Coronet crashing to 4-25 and 6-60, Burns continued to give City hope.
But when he was seventh to go, nothing could prevent the decline to see East's emerge victors by 115 runs.
Best of the East bowlers was Tom Brand with 4-38.
* At the Eastern Oval, Golden Point had the match in its keeping for much of the afternoon.
At one stage North Ballarat collapsed to 8-97 and needed 190 for victory.
North fought back with a late order partnership between Scott Wright and Matt Cations.
But when Wright was out lbw for 35 as Steve O'Loughlin's fourth scalp, Golden Point tightened the noose.
North was eventually all out for 181, a little close for comfort for captain Damian Klein.
It was a laudable win for Point who went into the last day of the match without captain Klein on the ground.
Klein aggravated a back injury at training on Thursday night and sat out the game on the bench.
Steve O'Loughlin's 4-48 combined with his 71 runs off the bat is of some reward but O'Loughlin would dearly have loved to make the finals - the Pointies finishing fifth just two points out of contention.
* At the University Oval, Wendouree's 233 proved just enough to edge out Mt Clear.
The Mounties needed a massive win to threaten for fourth position and a finals berth but the reigning premiers were never likely to capitulate.
Mt Clear was out for 220 - 14 runs short of victory, after looking to be in a good position earlier at 5-182.
But the Mounties lost their last five wickets for 38 - captain Paull Jeffrey batting under considerable difficulties with an injured back for 13 off 44 balls.
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