This week Napoleons-Sebastopol must plot how to work through its batting dilemma.

Batting is all Naps-Sebas looks to have left in the Ballarat Cricket Association club firsts final at Eastern Oval.

Brown Hill has all but sealed its victory, thanks mostly to a Matt McMahon blitz late on day two that had Naps-Sebas reeling 4-16 by stumps.

McMahon captured 4-5.

Naps-Sebas must make another 131 runs to nullify the Bulls’ first innings lead when play resumes. And the Bulls can bat again.

Naps defied the odds in the past two matches with its sharp bowling to beat highly fancied rivals Mount Clear and Golden Point and secure a place in the final.

Clawing its way back in this final will be a challenge.

 Napoleons-Sebastopol captain Carmen Mapatuna, who will resume at the crease on Saturday, said his players would keep their heads up.

They have nothing left to lose.

“All things can happen. We’ve come a long way this season and we’re a really proud club at Napoleons,” Mapatuna said.

“We did everything possible when bowling – everyone bowled well – but lots of dropped catches didn’t help.”

Mapatuna said poor fielding let batsmen down on day two, because the batsmen  had to hold steady against McMahon late in the day. 

Once McMahon had a taste of his first wicket in the second innings – second ball of his second over – he claimed another, two balls later.

He was simply lethal.

McMahon played a leading role on day one, tag-teaming with Shane Harwood early, to contain Naps-Sebas to 118 runs.

The Bulls were 4-83 by stumps on the opening day and secured the runs they needed to pass Naps, via a Ryan Knowles boundary, an hour into day two action.

Knowles chalked up a half-century while number seven bat Alex Code boosted the Bulls’ lead with an impressive 84 runs.

The Bulls charged into this finals series on an outright win to break into the top four. 

There is a sense of unfinished business for the Bulls, who lost last season’s final by seven runs to Mount Clear.

Naps-Sebas is chasing its first A-grade premiership and this is their fourth final in five seasons.

melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au