Napoleons-Sebastopol has been this summer's revelation and enters the weekend with the chance to break into the top four.

Sitting fifth, only 0.015 per cent behind Ballarat-Redan above it, Naps-Sebas could rise as high as second if a perfect run of results falls its way.

The first matter is in its control - a trip to Brown Hill.

The sides shared a win apiece last season but take to the field in two vastly-different headspaces.

Brown Hill is still to notch a win this season and returned from the holiday break with a deflating 94-run loss to North Ballarat.

Naps-Sebas, meanwhile, is enjoying its best season in half a decade. Already, the club has celebrated more wins than the past four seasons combined.

Importantly, its stars players are standing up.

All-rounder Sajith Dissanayaka notched his first century for the club last weekend - an unbeaten 127 off 76 balls with nine sixes and 13 fours, to be exact.

If Naps-Sebas wins, its fate will rest on one of the round's headline matches - Darley v Ballarat-Redan.

Darley reminded the competition of Wendouree's imperfections last weekend, handing the Red Caps their first loss of the season.

Wendouree still sits on top of the table - 12 points clear of Ballarat-Redan and Naps-Sebas - but is now only one win in front of Darley in second.

The Lions are set to welcome back at least three players from COVID isolation, including Dilan Chandima who has 297 runs and nine wickets to his name.

Ballarat-Redan stumbled last weekend, falling to an eight-run loss against East Ballarat, which saw the Hawks move six points clear in third.

The Two Swords were without Zac Jenkins (443 runs), who will be determined to reclaim his status as the competition's leading runscorer off Wendouree opener Sam Miller (458).

More than anything, Ballarat-Redan will be motivated by the consequences. Lose, and Naps-Sebas wins, and it stumbles out of the top four.

With last season's grand finalists Golden Point only six points behind and North Ballarat and Buninyong lurking on the outer, two wins off the pace, any slight opportunity given could prove fatal.

DARLEY: Bradley Barnes(c), Rahmatullah Khwaja, Ben Longhurst, Andrew Pickett, Brodie Gellie, Hasitha Wickramasinghe, Madushanka Ekanayaka, Danza Hyatt, Dilan Chandima, Brodie Ward, Mitchell Ward

BALLARAT-REDAN: Chris Egan(c), Zac Jenkins, Max Riding, Jayden Hayes, Matthew Sandford, Billy Jones, Bailey Hosemans, Riley Fisher, Brendan Thomson, Matthew Aikman, Jack Landwehr

WENDOUREE: Mathew Begbie(c), Heath Pyke, Tom Batters, Lucas Argall, Sam Miller, Zack Maple, Cole Roscholler, Lakpriya Appuhamy, Jackson Sleep, Tristan Maple, Oliver Mahncke

MT CLEAR: Jacob Smith(c), Jarrod Burns, Thomas Le Lievre, Ashley George, Matt Goonan, Lachlan Payne, David Carton, Jack Jeffrey, Isaac Hucker, Yo Mani, John Butler, Adrian Beer

EAST BALLARAT: no team provided

GOLDEN POINT: Andrew Warrick(c), Joshua White, Lachlan Herring, Daniel White, Andrew Falkner, Simon Ogilvie, Daniel McDonald, Jack Bambury, Joshua Pegg, Manjula De Zoysa, Kartik Pattani

BROWN HILL:

NAPS-SEBAS: Daniel Scott(c), Stuart Calder, Seamus Dunne, Nicholas Pantzidis, Sajith Dissanayaka, Janath Tissera, Viraj Pushpakumara, Lachlan Storey, Jacob Coxall, Nathan Doonan, Lachlan Sheridan

NORTH BALLARAT: Mick Nolan(c), Jason Crosbie, Curtly Wilson, Mitchell Nicholson, Brody Price, Dylan Price, Ashley McCafferty, Vikrant Dabra, Jordan Humphries, Jude McGuire, Mohan Bandara, Brett Severino

BUNINYONG: