Yep, you read it right - six wickets for five runs - and he did so in five overs with three maiden overs in Ballarat Cricket Association club firsts at Wendouree Turf.

McCafferty obliterated finals contender Red Caps, who made a combined 78 runs (the Red Caps were 4-70 when McCafferty first struck).

Experienced Roosters' bowling duo Matt Cations (1-17) and Jason Crosbie (2-34) had been steadily carrying the bowling load until McCafferty took the ball.

McCafferty's first over was a maiden, he conceded four runs on his second, then went double-wicket maiden, wicket maiden and took three wickets off his fifth over - the final Red Cap to fall, AJ Beacham dismissed lbw, put McCafferty on a hattrick.

The Roosters, not keen to get ahead of themselves, could potentially save their season with an outright win in the two-day game.

But it is still looking tough.

The Roosters are six wickets down, needing 18 runs for a first innings victory, after batting out 38 remaining overs' play.

Red Caps' youngster Dylan Price created headaches early, claiming cheap wickets of the Roosters top three batsmen Jakob Tidyman, Travis Meade and captain Bobby Hind - all out for a combined 29 runs.

MEANWHILE

EAST BALLARAT 0-8 v NAPOLEONS-SEBASTOPOL 220 at East Secondary College

A Liam Rigby half-century bolstered the Napoleons-Sebastopol innings.

Naps-Sebas got off to a shaky start, losing its first four wickets - including the prized scalp of key scorer Caraman Mapatuna - for 53 runs.

Rigby then got to work, forming solid 46-run partnerships with Ben Trew and Danny Carroll for the fifth and sixth wickets to put Naps-Sebas at 6-145.

He fell next after Carroll, caught out and unable to add another run to the Naps-Sebas tally.

A boundary drive had brought up Rigby's half-century and ticked his tally over to 51 runs.

Naps' number eight bat Nathan Doonan gave the lower order bite with 47 runs.

Hawk Josh Brown nabbed four wickets, Peter Colbourne three and Oli Hayes two.

WE'RE ALSO HEARING...(with scores unconfirmed)

*Golden Point's Simon Ogilvie chalked up a century as Point put on 7-310 against Ballarat-Redan at City Oval. Damian Klein made 44 runs.

*Brown Hill finished the day with 8-415 against Coronet City at Western Oval.

*Mt Clear made 7-289 at Darley Park. Terrence Curwin King took 3-40 and Dayle Locke nabbed 2-48