Point overcame some uncetainty midway through its innings to reach 6-302 against North Ballarat at Wendouree on Saturday – largely thanks to Manjula De Zoysa in the top order.

De Zoysa made his second century for the season in getting 102 runs.

He lifted Golden Point’s run rate significantly as his knock came off 141 balls with 14 fours and one six.

Youngster Sam Harris also played a significant role with an unbeaten 53 (six fours), which is his highest score at this level.

Harris, who made his firsts debut in round nine this season, joined De Zoysa with the score at 4-110 and was part of a 129-run stand.

Up to this contribution, North Ballarat had managed to keep the Golden Point under control, with the hard-hitting Stephen O’Loughlin, 51 (10 fours), the only batsman to get going early

Harris and Andrew Warrick, 32no (three fours, two sixes), then rounded out the day with with a seventh wicket stand of 53.

Dylan Price was introduced into the attack late and finished with the Roosters’ best figures of 3-55, although he did come in for some punishment off his eight overs.

New ball bowler Ash McCafferty was the only other multiple wicket-taker with 2-54.

North Ballarat faces a massive task on Sunday to earn a grand final berth.

The Roosters made only 85 against Golden Point in the last home and away round.

WENDOUREE has an equally testing run chase against Mt Clear, 9-274, at Alfredton.

The Red Caps struck a major blow early with the in-form Steve Nicholson out for just one run.

And when Mounties skipper Darcy Thomson, 11, also went cheaply the door was open for Wendouree to take charge.

However, the experienced duo of Matt Ward, 80  (nine fours, three sixes), and Nathan Yates, 66 (five fours, two sixes), turned the fortunes around.

They added 96 for the third wicket with Ward playing the dominant role, and the Mounties were off and running.

Yates and an aggressive Sam Giblett, 39 (five fours, one six) off 46 balls, then put on 61.

All-rounder Tom Le Lievre was Wendouree’s most successful bolwer with 3-86.

Play in each match resumes on Sunday at 1pm.

FIRSTS SCOREBOARDS

GOLDEN POINT  6-302 v NORTH BALLARAT

Golden Point 1st Innings

N BAGLEY lbw b McCafferty 13

S O'LOUGHLIN c McCafferty b Rogers 51

J WHITE c Priyankara b Price 20

M DE ZOYSA c Parker b Price 102

S OGILVIE c Nolan b McCafferty 6

S HARRIS not out 53

D WHITE c Parker b Price 10

A WARRICK not out 32

 Sundries 15

 TOTAL 6-302

 Fall: 53, 75, 90, 110, 239, 249.

 Bowling: A McCafferty 22-6-54-2, A Eddy 13-5-31-0, L Lorenzen 5-0-29-0, P Priyankara 7-1-34-0, W Rogers 14-1-63-1, J Crosbie 11-6-25-0, D Price 8-1-55-3.

 Overs: 80.

 WENDOUREE v MT CLEAR 9-274

Mt Clear 1st Innings

S NICHOLSON c Brady b Wall 1

D THOMSON c Pyke b Peeters 11

M WARD c Pyke b Simmonds 80

N YATES c Pyke b Le Lievre 66

S GIBLETT b Le Lievre 39

C TOWNROW run out 24

A GEORGE st Pyke b Butler 3

G TREVENEN c Pyke b Wall 6

D FLETCHER not out 11

D ACHISON b Le Lievre 5

T GRIFFITH not out 9

 Sundries 19

 TOTAL 9-274

 Fall: 1, 47, 143, 204, 211, 216, 238, 243, 257.

 Bowling: J Butler 14-3-46-1, J Wall 13-4-39-2, T Le Lievre 22-0-86-3, R Simmonds 21-5-49-1, J Peeters 10-3-43-1.

Overs: 80.

SECONDS (day 1)

VRI Delacombe 143 (J Johnston 29, J Murley 26, C Egan 26,  H Micallef 3-22, B Loughnane 3-37, M Snaith 2-27, T Landt 2-29 v Ballan 5-12 (J Nichols 3-6)

Wendouree v Dunnstown 319 (B Collins 91, S Jenkins 52, D Simpkin 44, A Murphy 37, A Toohey 26,  S Jackson 4-55, S Segrave 3-76, L Cassidy 2-34) 

Golden Point 0-7  v Buninyong 253 (D Kitchen 89no, S Bell 72, B Palmer 37,  B Van De Heuvel 8-69, N Smith 2-72)

Darley 138 (MJ Ward 31, M Ingvorsen 25,  M Aikman 3-25, P Aikman 2-19, J Marson 2-20, S Allan 2-27) v Ballarat-Redan 5-24  (Da Locke 4-8)

THIRDS (day 1)

 Buninyong 0-7  v Ballarat-Redan 175 (J Sculley 57 A McPhan 51,  J Giri 5-37, C Lavery 4-33)

Golden Point v Mt Clear – details not supplied

ONE-DAY A GRADE

BFB v Mt Clear Brown Hill  – details not supplied

Burrumbeet 9-203 (J Wells 54, S Godfrey-Roberts 45, D Mathews 32, J Anderson 3-16, K Wilson 2-47) d Lucas180 (K Wilson 42, J Anderson 37, MA Gittins 32, J Pring 31,  W Martin 4-32, A Wilson 2-32) 

ONE-DAY B GRADE

Lucas v Burrumbeet – details not supplied

VRI Delacombe v Dunnstown  – details not supplied

ONE-DAY C GRADE

BFB 173 (S Kenny 54, D Bilbrough 45,  P Peldys 3-14, P Corbett 2-27) d North Ballarat 114 (K Hester 33, MU Yousuf 31, B Pearce 4-15,D Bilbrough 3/21, P Cunnington 2-23)

VRI Delacombe 8-288 (M Stewart 124, J Kennedy 50,  L Constable 2-26, R Fisher 2-38, B Edwards 2-54) d Ballarat-Redan146 (LA Fisher 4, J Smith 5-27))