The Mounties comfortably accounted for the fourth-placed Deakin, 21 runs to five.

Ballarat matches up well with its Geelong counterpart, having also beaten it 10-2 last month.

Mounties remain on the bottom of the ladder with three wins from 16 outings, but with four rounds remaining, Mounties may not feature in the finals but they will have an opportunity to shape who does.

Meanwhile in the B grade competition, Alfredton continues to set the standard.

The Eagles wasted no time returning to form after their bye, knocking off second-placed Colac by four runs.

Colac looks to be the main challenger to Alfredton’s top spot aspirations, and its eight runs to four win provides confidence that it will be tough to beat for this year’s premiership.

Alfredton has played one game less than the rest of the competition, yet sits a game clear on top of the ladder.