Point took control by building a 55-run advantage at the halfway mark – replying to the Mounties’ disappointing 192 with 7-247.

And Golden Point still has another three overs to face at the start of play on day three on Saturday before Mt Clear bats again.

Golden Point grabbed the initial ascendancy by tearing through Mt Clear’s top order on Saturday, with opening bowler Andrew Warrick playing the starring role with a career-best 7-49.

Simon Ogilvie then provided the pivotal knock with the bat on Sunday, making the most of his luck to guide Point through some tense times with 86.

The Mt Clear attack, led by pace duo Darcy Thomson and Nathan Yates, put the screws on the Golden Point top order to ensure there were no easy runs.

UItimately though it was some missed catches and wickets in hand which allowed Golden Point to free up and break the shackles – reaching its target with about 10 overs to spare.

While with two days to play Mt Clear is not without some chance of securing the outright win it now needs to claim the premiership, the onus will be on its top order batsmen to get runs quickly and plenty of them.

It might have to do it without wicketkeeper/batsman Matt Ward, who top scored with 55, after injured a hand on Sunday.

SCOREBOARD

GOLDEN POINT v MT CLEAR

Mt Clear 1st Innings

S NICHOLSON c Bagley b Warrick 8

D THOMSON c D White b Ogilvie 0

M WARD c Anderson b Warrick 55

N YATES b Warrick 2

S GIBLETT c D White b Warrick 0

C TOWNROW lbw b Warrick 0

D FLETCHER c Anderson b Warrick 47

G TREVENEN c Anderson b De Zoysa 6

A GEORGE b Warrick 42

D ACHISON st Anderson b De Zoysa 14

T GRIFFITH not out 8

 Sundries 10

 Total 192

 Fall: 5, 10, 26, 26, 30, 89, 106, 168, 172, 192.

 Bowling: A Warrick 23-10-49-7, S Ogilvie 13-3-27-1, D McDonald 9-2-28-0, D White 12-2-41-0, S O'Loughlin 3-0-20-0, M De Zoysa 11.1-3-21-2.

Overs: 71.1.

Golden Point 1st Innings

N BAGLEY b Thomson 24

S O'LOUGHLIN b Yates 10

J WHITE c Achison b Thomson 32

M DE ZOYSA c Thomson b Yates 1

S OGILVIE lbw b Thomson 86

S HARRIS c Achison b George 41

D WHITE c & b Fletcher 19

A WARRICK not out 21

M HARRIS not out 5

 Sundries 8

 Seven wickets for 247

 Fall: 34, 36, 37, 137, 190, 211, 241.

 Bowling: N Yates 22-8-64-2, D Thomson 24-9-58-3, G Trevenen 4-0-18-0, S Nicholson 9-6-13-0, A George 15-2-47-1, D Fletcher 11-1-41-1.

Overs: 85.

DAY 1 SUMMARY

Golden Point paceman Andrew Warrick ensured Mt Clear hardly had time to settle in the BCA firsts grand final at Wendouree on Saturday.

Although Simon Ogilvie struck first with the ball, it was Warrick who tore the heart out of the Mounties’ top and middle order.

He captured the next five wickets on his way to a career-best 7-49 off 23 overs.

At one stage he had 5-24 as Mt Clear went through the torment of being 5-30.

Warrick had the assistance of a strong wind at his back, which he said ensured extra bounce and carry.

He claimed the scalps of Steve Nicholson, Nathan Yates, Sam Giblett and Curt Townrow in his early stint.

Then as the innings wore on added Matt Ward, Darren Fletcher and Ash George to his tally.

Ward, 55 (7 fours, 2 sixes), Fletcher, 47 (5 sixes) and George, 42 (5 fours, 2 sixes), ensured Mt Clear would have something to bowl at though.

Ward and Fletcher put on 59 in the first phase of the rescure mission, and then Fletcher and a free-hitting George added 62 for the eighth wicket in failing light.

Manjula De Zoysa helped tidy of the inniongs with 2-21.

The day ended with Golden Point openers Nathan Bagley and Stephen O’Loughlin having to face five orders in murky conditions – making it arguably the most tense period of play with Nathan Yates and Darcy Thomson desperate to get a breakthrough.

The Pointies survived to see them go to stumps 0-8.

DAY 2 SUMMARY

All-rounder Simon Ogilvie rode his luck with the bat to put Golden Point in the box seat against Mt Clear in the Ballarat Cricket Association firsts grand final at Wendouree on Sunday.

Ogilvie produced a match-winning innings of 86 runs to help Golden Point to 7-247 in reply to Mounties’ 192.

The run chase was delicately poised when Ogilvie joined Josh White at 3-37 after Stephen O’Loughlin, Nathan Bagley and Manjula De Zoysa were dismissed in the space of three runs.

In a role reversal from the previous day, Mounties were all over the minor premier.

Another wicket would have had Mt Clear well on top and it almost happened with Ogilvie giving a difficult chance before he had scored.

He survived this, and much later two more chances in one over, to pave the way for a match-saving 100-run stand with White, who scratched his way to 32 off 148 balls before losing his patience with a big swipe outside the off stump.

Once White was gone Ogilvie became the backbone and later the enforcer with 11 fours and a six as he was joined by youngster Sam Harris.

With Harris getting 41 off 44 balls, they took Golden Point to within two runs of Mt Clear before Ogilvie’s luck finally ran out.

Darcy Thomson and Nathan Yates bowled tirelsssy for Mt Clear at each end of the innings, with their early spells grinding Golden Point to halt in the run chase.

Thomson finished withy 3-58 off 24 overs, while Yates took 2-64 off 22 overs.

TELLING MOMENTS

The moments which shaped the opening weekend of the BCA firsts grand final:

- MT CLEAR skipper Darcy Thomson is dismissed without scoring in second over of the match.

- MOUNTIES lose 3-4 as Golden Point paceman Andrew Warrick rips through the top and middle order to have them 5-30.

- MATT Ward leads Mt Clear fight back with 55 runs to put it back in match.

- ASH George bats with freedom down the order – 42 off 47 runs – to ensure Golden Point will have to work hard with the bat.

- GOLDEN Point opener Stephen O’Loughlin is dropped off a skied shot second ball of the day. While he made only 10, the chance gave the innings time to settle.

- SIMON Ogilvie survives a tough chance before he scores and then twice in an over at 3-111 and goes on to top score for Point with 86.

- Mt CLEAR loses wicketkeeper Matt Ward to injury midway through Golden Point innings.

- POINT captain Josh White plays anchor role with 32 off 125 balls, just as Darren Fletcher did for Mt Clear with 47 off 133 balls.