The leg spinner continued his fine form to help the Mounties dismiss the top team for just 163 at Alfredton on Saturday.

He finished with the impressive figures of 7-64 off 31.4 overs.

Ballarat-Redan started the last round trying to protect the number one spot on the ladder and in the end it did well to get as many runs as it did.

The Two Swords were in all sorts of trouble when George struck twice in his second over to have them 4-39.

It took a big effort from Zac Jenkins to get Ballarat-Redan back in the game.

He made 61 (5 fours, 1 six) - combining with Connor Ronan, 21, Chris Egan, 11, and Riley Fisher, 28, along the way.

While well short of what it would have wanted, especially so close to finals, the outcome was better than it looked like being.

Ajay Mada made the early breakthroughs for 2-24.

After some heavy scoring, this is the third match in a row Ballarat-Redan has misfired with the bat.

It did have some joy late by making an early breakthrough late in the day.

Fourth-placed Mt Clear will resume next week at 1-5 after Nathan Patrikeos sent the in-form Matt Ward packing in the first over as like Ballarat-Redan it prepares to play finals.

JAMES Lidgett has given Bacchus Marsh a strong hand against Wendouree with his fourth century of the Ballarat Cricket Association firsts season.

Lidgett spent more than 70 overs at the crease to guide the Marsh to 4-322 at CE Brown Reserve on Saturday - its biggest score of its first season in the BCA.

The opening batsman hit his way to 126 runs, with 20 fours.

He has previously had knocks of 130, 126 and 106.

Lidgett's third-wicket stand with teenager Angus Jones, 95 (11 fours, 4 sixes), ensured Wendouree would have a sizeable run chase in the two-day fixture.

It is a season-high for Jones, who still plays under-17s.

Dan Lalor, 29, and Tom Wardell, 29no, also played roles in Bacchus Marsh getting past 300 for the first time.

The Wendouree attack toiled hard without much luck as Murphy Skinner chimed in with 2-22 in a short four-over spell.

Wendouree has had a tough latter part of the season and went into this round 14 fixture knowing finals were no longer on the table.

Bacchus Marsh now has a real opportunity to get a sixth win and match Wendouree, which would be a fine achievement after making the big call to join the BCA this season.

BROWN Hill is well on the way to first innings points against Buninyong in the BCA firsts competition.

The Bulls are 0-37 in reply to Buninyong's 125 at the Western Oval.

Brown Hill was on top from the outset with Buninyong struggling to get among the runs

It managed just nine off the opening 11 overs.

While Buninyong lost only one wicket in this period, it was not too long before Brown Hill started to regularly sending batsmen on their way.

Prabath Ranaweera Koralalage was one the few able to stem the tide, getting 48 with five fours and one six.

Harrison Bond, 27, and Rupinder Singh, 20, also battled hard.

Viraj Pushpakumara did the bulk of the damage.

He took 5-44 off 21.2 overs.

Jason and Ryan Knowles each claimed two wickets.

Martin Porter, 14, and Nathan Porter, 20, batted out the day to have Brown Hill well placed at 0-37 after 21 overs and looking like getting its fourth win of the season.

Brown Hill is well on the way to first innings points against Buninyong in the BCA firsts competition.

DARLEY dug in to bat out the day and get 157 against Golden Point at Darley.

Point had the ascendancy for most of the day and looked set to be chasing a much smaller score until the Lions' tail fought back.

Madushanka Ekanayaka, 35, and Ben Longhurst, 48 (5 fours), defied the Golden Point attack for more than 25 overs for a half-century ninth wicket stand.

Daniel White was Point's most successful bowling, taking the new ball and returning 3-15 off 12 overs.

BUNINYONG

Michael Flynn c Ryan Knowles b Viraj Pushpakumara 0

Justin Irvin b Viraj Pushpakumara 3

Harrison Bond c Lahriu Gunasinhage b Jason Knowles 27

Mitchell Tierney c Jason Knowles b Viraj Pushpakumara 4

Clayton Geddes c Ryan Knowles b Jason Knowles 1

Prabath Ranaweera Koralalage c Ben Sheard b Jaxon Thomas 48

Rupinder Singh c, b Ryan Knowles 20

Bailey Ryan c&b: Ryan Knowles 5

Campbell Palmer c Shashi Fernando b Viraj Pushpakumara 5

Nicholas Schiemer b Viraj Pushpakumara 0

Hudson Palmer not out 6

Extra 6

TOTAL 12

Bowling: Shashi Fernando 7-3-9-0, Viraj Pushpakumara 21.2-7-44-5, Jason Knowles 10-3-32-2 Jaxon Thomas 7-2-17-1, Ryan Knowles 10-4-17-2,

BROWN HILL

Martin Porter not out 14

Nathan Porter 20

Extras 3

TOTAL

Bowling: Prabath Ranaweera Koralalage 5-3-5-0, Nicholas Schiemer 4-1-10-0, Mitchell Tierney 5-2-7-0, Hudson Palmer 6-1-12-0, Rupinder Singh 1-0-2-0

DARLEY

Brodie Ward c Lukas Pegg b Josh Belleville 11

Axel Morton c Daniel McDonald b Daniel White 1

Dilan Chandima b Daniel McDonald 2

Rockey Hoey run out 11

Lachlan Herring stumped, b Manjula De Zoysa 6

Ethan Thewma c Joshua White b Manjula De Zoysa 6

Hasitha Wickramasinghe c Andrew Falkner b Daniel White 14

Drew Locke lbw Daniel White 12

Madushanka Ekanayaka c Simon Ogilvie b Josh Belleville 35

Benjamin Longhurst c Joshua White b Mohomed Feshal 48

Daniel Hynes not out 1

Extras 10

TOTAL 157

Bowling: Daniel White 12-5-15-3, Daniel McDonald 13-6-11-1, Josh Belleville 8-2-41-2, Manjula De Zoysa 16-6-24-2, Mohomed Feshal 11.1-1-25-1, James Lewis 9-0-31-0

BACCHUS MARSH

Alex Porter lbw Daniel Hopkinson 31

James Lidgett c Lachlan Coutts b Murphy Skinner 126

Daniel Lalor b Cole Roscholler 29

Angus Jones c Heath Pyke b Murphy Skinner 95

Thomas Wardell not out 29

Nick Strangio not out 4

Extras 8

Total 4-322

Bowling: Tom Batters 15-2-68-0, Tom Godson 12-3-48-0, Daniel Hopkinson 14-3-52-1, Lachlan Coutts 5-0-23-0, Cole Roscholler 25-5-85-1, Jack Peeters 5-1-16-0, Murphy Skinner 4-1-22-2

BALLARAT-REDAN

Robert Hind c Jacob Smith b Ajay Mada 13

Randhir Sandhu c Jacob Smith b Ajay Mada 14

Max Riding c Jack Jeffrey b Ashley George 3

Zac Jenkins c&b Ashley George 61

Jayden Hayes c Jacob Smith b Ashley George 2

Connor Ronan c Jack Jeffrey b Ashley George 21

Chris Egan c Joel Moriarty b Ashley George 11

Riley Fisher c Jack Jeffrey b Ashley George 28

Brendan Thomson lbw Ashley George 1

Matthew Aikman c Jack Jeffrey b Thomas Le Lievre 5

Nathan Patrikeos not out 0

Extras 6

TOTAL 163

Bowling: Ajay Mada 14-5-24-2, Grant Trevenen 7-1-25-0, Ashley George 31.1-10-64-7, Lachlan Payne 5-2-8-0, Zack Maple 4-1-9-0, Thomas Le Lievre 12-3-27-1

MT CLEAR

Matt Ward c Riley Fisher b Nathan Patrikeos 2

Samuel Harris not out 1

Lachlan Payne not out 2

Extras 0

TOTAL 1-5

Bowling: Nathan Patrikeos 2-0-3-1, Matthew Aikman 1-0-2-0

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