The home zone met ACT Southern Districts at Lavington Sportsground No.2 Oval on Thursday in what amounted to a grand final after both teams had won their two previous games in the under 16 competition.

The visitors scored 7-163 from their 50 overs with Noah Gaske snaring 3-25 from eight overs.

He finished with seven wickets at 13, while emerging Corowa all-rounder Patrick Lavis claimed 2-17 from eight overs to round out the carnival with five scalps at just eight apiece.

Riverina looked comfortable early in its chase as opener Noah Harper struck his best score of the carnival with 42.

He had made 18 and a duck previously.

The team had pushed the score to 1-76 when Harper was dismissed from a patient 81-ball innings.

Jake Scott and captain Hayden Forner then carried the score to 3-129 before the latter was dismissed for 20.

Riverina lost 5-24 to fall to 8-153 with just one over left.

Eddy Schultheis and Brady Marshall showed tremendous pluck to get the team within one shot of victory, but fell just short, finishing on 8-161 in a riveting finish.

"They strangled us with their two spinners, they had a very good offie and leggie and we limited the damage, but we couldn't score well enough and we were behind the eight ball for a long time, so we did well to get that close," coach Sam O'Connor said.

Although it couldn't quite seal the win and claim the pool, it completed a superb carnival by Riverina.

It started with a three-wicket win over Greater Illawarra on Tuesday.

The visitors posted a highly competitive 171, but with Forner's controlled innings of 49 not out and Scott contributing 32, their team was able to grab the victory with five overs left.

"Hayden has just received a cricket scholarship from Newington College (in Sydney) and he's a wicketkeeper-batsman, he basically got Riverina over the line," Cricket NSW coach and pathways manager Greg McLay said.

Wagga product Scott starred with the bat in the second match against Western.

His unbeaten 108 guided Riverina to a powerful 5-221 as Lavington's Oscar Lyons chipped in with 56.

Western was dismissed for 137.

"We've got a wonderfully mature and responsible group, as players and people they were amazing," O'Connor enthused.

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Scott's performances means he will be a strong contender to contest the upcoming State Challenge in Dubbo.

Because of COVID-19, the competition had to be split into two pools, with Newcastle, Central Northern, Central Coast and North Coastal in the other carnival.