The home club has a 2.06-point advantage over fourth-placed Baranduda (62.62).

Wodonga leads on 67.22, while Dederang has 67.12.

The top three teams host the first week of finals.

“It’s a big advantage obviously, knowing how your pitch plays and the conditions,” Baranduda’s Rohan Pearce said.

The match is evenly poised too with Yackandandah to resume on 5-48 after rolling the visitors for 110.

“It wasn’t the start we were looking for, especially after the week before, that win against ‘Lavi’, but we collapsed and couldn’t work our way back,” Pearce said.

“Coming out to bowl, we were pretty fired up because we always want to lift against Yackandandah because there’s a pretty good rivalry there.

“Once we got one or two (wickets), a couple more fell and it did help us with the conditions, it was overcast.”

Pearce has 3-15 after playing only seven matches this season.

“I had a side strain the last few years, but I came back to bowl at the end of last year, which was probably only two games,” he explained.

“I was bowling well in pre-season and then I injured my hand, so I stopped bowling for a while and missed a couple of games before Christmas.

“Since then, I’ve been raring to go.”

A five-wicket plus haul from Pearce could send the club into a home final, although it faces a tough last-round test against the seventh-placed Mount Beauty outfit.

The Power has a fight against lowly Eskdale.

The home team was rolled for 143, with Eskdale 1-16.

Corowa’s home game against Wodonga is the other match with a major bearing on finals.

Wodonga was bowled out for 196, with the home team to resume on 0-1.

Corowa is in its first year in CAW after moving from Wangaratta and District.

It would cap a superb debut season for the club if it could finish in the top six, but Wodonga will prove a test.

Howlong has set Dederang a tricky total of 179.

The home side should make the target but, with the minor premiership potentially in the balance, the pressure could build.

And the Kiewa-Bethanga clash should decide the wooden spoon.

Grand finalists Kiewa is 3-87, chasing the visitors’ 174.

In the final round, the Lavington-Yackandandah match should be a beauty.

Lavington is also in its first year of district, so it too will be desperate to clinch a berth in the top six after a reasonably consistent year.