With many of the side’s best players unavailable for the first week of the encounter, the Demons opted to bowl first on a juicy turf wicket at Dudley Cornell Park.

Light rain early ensured the Saints batsmen had to be patient while the ball was moving about, but four quick wickets midway through the first session had Laharum on top.

After working his way to 27, Matt Combe was trapped in front off the bowling off Dan Griffiths before his brother Justtin fell for 10 in the next over.

Heath MacInness, playing in his first game for the club since 2016, was then on a hat-trick when he trapped Saints captain Tony Caccaviello first ball.

When Griffiths broke through to remove Austin Smith, the Saints had lost four wickets without scoring a run.

It was up to Craig Klemm and Josh Hedt to dig their side out of trouble, having fallen to 6-77. The pair played their way and, as the wicket flattened out, started to lift the tempo.

Klemm fell for 45 after a 78-run partnership but their was little relief for the Demons once Tim Braendler came to the crease.

The runrate continued to climb before Hedt eventually fell for 81 having put on a further 86 in conjunction with Brandler.

 Brandler, 40, was the final wicket to fall after the Saints had reached 267.

Griffiths and MacInnes shouldered a brunt of the workload for Laharum after bowling more than 20 overs each. They finished with 4-48 and 3-75 respectively.

The game between Jung Tigers and Blackheath-Dimboola sits in the balance at the end of the first day.

Jung need to win the contest in order to leapfrog Laharum on the ladder and move into final, but found themselves in precarious positions at 7-71 before Marty Knight stepped up for the second round in a row.

Knight made an unbeaten 47 from number eight to help the Tigers limp to 139 from 43.3 overs.

Elliot Braithwaite took 4-42, while Ash Avery snared 3-45.

Blackheath-Dimboola lost early wickets in their reply before finishing the day on 4-59. David Puls claimed all four wickets for Jung.

Jarred Combe put Homers in a strong position to claim first place on the ladder with a commanding unbeaten 138 against Rup-Minyip.

The Homers captain came in with his side at 2-32 before batting out the rest of the day. He put on 140 runs for the third wicket with Sandy Hodge, 68.

He then paired with Chris Hopped for a 123-run fourth wicket partnership before Hopper retired hurt on 53. It was a long day of toil in the field for Rup-Minyip.

Brent Hudson finished with 2-56 off 20 overs while Ryan Metelmann nabbed 1-54 off 19. The side will need to dig deep chase 305 on day two.