Finals is out of the question for Buninyong, but there still plenty to play for in the final two rounds of the Ballarat Cricket Association first grade competition.
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The Bunnies, in their first season in the first grade, have won six matches and are poised for a seventh at the conclusion of this weekend, sitting sixth on the ladder.
A booming off-season saw the club welcome some key players to the side, sparking the possibility of finals. While Buninyong will not play finals, coach Liam Brady says it has been a solid introduction to the first grade.
"With all our recruits at the start of the season, finals were possibly on the agenda but a lot of these players have not played much together before...the whole make-up of the team, week in week out, has taken time to work out," Brady said.
"The improvement and knowledge of each person within the team has grown as the season's gone on.
We'll look to improve leading into next year, our focus is purely on trying to win the last couple of games really well and end on a positive note."
Buninyong is in a strong position to post outright victory against Napoleons-Sebastopol, holding a 47-run lead with three wickets in hand.
"We'll just try and bat for as long we can and whatever lead we have, we'll have a crack at them in the second innings. We're aiming to finish fifth now, missing finals by one place in our first year (is not too bad), we'll look to build to next year."
EAST Ballarat have a big task on its hands, needing 302 runs for victory against Golden Point.
Pointies skipper Josh White made 155 to set-up the sizeable total between the top four sides.
NORTH Ballarat has already secured first innings points against Wendouree and locked in a top four spot in the process.
It will resume at 3-150, 58 runs clear of the Red Caps total, meaning outright victory is a possibility, but skipper Leigh Lorenzen said the focus would be to give the middle-order an opportunity to find form.
DARLEY will resume at 0-4 in pursuit of Mt Clear's 272.
The Mounties in a strong position to ensure they hold onto their place at the top of the ladder.
BROWN Hill enjoyed a quality day one against Ballarat-Redan, making 230 runs and then claiming three Two Swords wickets for just 20 runs prior to stumps.