BLU, Nondies-Cohuna and Echuca South are all in for uphill battles on Saturday as they will all be requiring at least 280 for victory in round eight, while Echuca will be hunting second innings points against L-G.
The Lions will need an enormous effort from their superstar batting talent Regis Chakabva if they are to have any hope of chasing Moama’s score of just below 300.
Moama is one of the stronger bowling units in the competition and a well-balanced machine of spin and pace that includes the fifth highest wicket-taker in the competition so far, Matt Saunders.
BLU does have the capacity to get within the vicinity of the required 295 as it tallied 254 against Rochester in round seven before the game was ultimately washed out.
It took scores of 73 and 77 by Kade Pearse and Chakabva as openers to get them there, and would still require an additional 40 runs.
The Mowers look poised to take a convincing win in round eight and improve its standing for the home stretch of the season.
At 3-10 from eight overs and still requiring 277 against a searing-hot Ky Fire Birgade, Nondies Cohuna are all but certain to remain winless heading into round nine.
The Flames declared with 10 overs still remaining in the day at 4-287 with Bohden Learmonth’s 106 not out and Miller Griffith’s 89 catapulting their side to a seemingly guaranteed victory.
The small glimmers of hope for Nondies is that its captain Will O’Shea (0 not out) is still at the crease along with their first drop and highest scorer of the innings so far Will Ringin (4 not out).
Fire Brigade’s captain Robert Slater has looked red-hot with the ball so far this season and will be looking to add to his tally of 10.
If the Swans fail to chase down Rochester’s first innings total of 281 on day two, they could see themselves slip out of the top four before the major break in the season.
A century stand between Oliver Williams (55) and Dylan Cuttriss (85) powered the home side to a strong position over the Swans on day one.
However, Echuca South has the batting capacity to win the match with numerous class batsmen led by Asantha Singgapuli, who has already scored one century this year.
Asantha Singappuli, Jayden Rosin and Clayton Watson all have the ability to build a partnership with Singappuli if they get off to a good start.
However, Rochester isn’t going to back down with the ball as Adam Ward, Angus Martin and Jess Cuttriss all have 10 wickets a-piece with Ward already securing a five wicket haul once this season.
Echuca has all but secured a win over L-G and will be looking to separate itself even further from second-placed Rochester at the top of the table.
For L-G to win from this position it would have to bowl out Echuca, chase down its score and then bowl out the men in green again to claim any points.
Echuca has already tallied six competition points for winning the first innings, with that number set to increase to 12 if it is the only innings and then further to 18 if they bowl out L-G again.
Despite L-G’s recent success in the shield compared to year’s past, it was rolled for 60 by Echuca with the home side currently sitting at 3/162 after 39 overs with 80 overs still to play on day two.