Weather threatens to be deciding factor in finals race | Ballarat Cricket Association firsts teams

The BCA is unlikely to re-schedule matches should the wet weather prevail, ending the slim finals hopes of two sides and setting the stage for a match-up that will determine the post-season dreams of two others.

There is hope matches will proceed in some capacity, acknowledging the forecast's uncertainty. If less than three hours have been lost, a reduced amount of overs can be played. The Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method can also be implemented.

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Should the worst eventuate and no games go ahead, all clubs will be awarded three points in line with the association's wet weather policy.

Such an outcome would keep the ladder all-but untouched with one round to play, delivering a fatal blow to Ballarat-Redan and Buninyong, who will stay nine points behind fourth-placed Naps-Sebas.

Ballarat-Redan is scheduled to host third-placed East Ballarat this weekend knowing a win could take it to within six points of the Hawks and, more importantly, in touch of a spot in the top four.

East Ballarat held on for a tense eight-run win when the sides last met earlier in the year.

Buninyong, meanwhile, has the challenging task of Golden Point, who are enjoying a five-match winning streak.

The Bunnies were 80-run losers in the reverse fixture but, like Ballarat-Redan above them, need to correct history to keep their slim finals chances alive.

Albeit anti-climactic, an abandoned round would work in the favour of the fifth-placed Golden Point.

Three points shared across the competition would give last season's grand finalists welcome distance from Ballarat-Redan and Buninyong, while also granting a simple finals equation - win their final game and they're in.

Golden Point hosts East Ballarat to close the regular season. Should round 17 be abandoned, a Pointies' win would draw them level with the Hawks on points, but ahead on the ladder thanks to their superior percentage.

Currently Golden Point boasts a percentage of 1.138 compared with East Ballarat's 0.928.

In a convoluted yet highly-possible run of events, East Ballarat could crash out of the top four completely if round 17 was abandoned, it lost to Golden Point the next weekend, and Naps-Sebas beat bottom-of-the-table Brown Hill on the final day.

DARLEY: Jake Oorloff, Rahmatullah Khwaja, Ben Longhurst, Bradley Barnes, Andrew Pickett, Drew Locke, Brodie Ward, Mitchell Ward, Dilan Chandima, Hasitha Wickramasinghe, Madushanka Ekanaya

WENDOUREE: Heath Pyke, Mathew Begbie, Tom Batters, Lucas Argall, Sam Miller, Oliver Mahncke, Tristan Maple, Jack Peeters, Sam Peeters, Cole Roscholler, Liam Wood

BROWN HILL: no team provided

NORTH BALLARAT: Leigh Lorenzen, Mick Nolan, Brett Severino, Curtly Wilson, Mitchell Nicholson, Sam Jackson, Brody Price, Dylan Price, Ashley McCafferty, Vikrant Dabra, Jordan Humphries

BALLARAT-REDAN: Billy Jones, Jayden Hayes, Zac Jenkins, Nigel Otto, Chris Egan, Matthew Aikman, Riley Fisher, Trent Moss, Matthew Sandford, Bailey Hosemans

EAST BALLARAT: no team provided

NAPS-SEBAS: Stuart Calder, Corey Hucker, Luke Corden, Nathan Doonan, Jacob Ramsey, Jacob Coxall, Sajith Dissanayaka, Janath Tissera, Viraj Pushpakumara, Lachlan Storey

MT CLEAR: Jarrod Burns, Jacob Smith, Thomas Le Lievre, Ashley George, Matt Goonan, Matthew Ward, Lachlan Payne, David Carton, Jack Jeffrey, Yo Mani, Leigh BIllington

GOLDEN POINT: Joshua White, Daniel White, Andrew Flakner, Andrew Warrick, Simon Ogilvie, Daniel McDonald, Jack Bambury, Joshua Pegg, Noah Maggi, Leo Turnbull-Gent, Manjula De Zoysa

BUNINYONG: Travis Parsons, Harrison Bond, Daniel Kitchen, Robert Hind, Bailey Ryan, Liam Mason, Liam Brady, David Ellis, Liam Rigby, Xavier Moon, Rupinder Singh