DISTRICT ladder leader Rye has some enormous work in front of it after Red Hill scored 9-287 on day one of round eight.
The Hillmen had plenty of contributors and its bowlers must now step up to the plate to help cause one of the upsets of the season.
While the Demons need to produce something special, two of the other three sides in the top bracket have also got some work to do.
Second-placed Balnarring will need to bowl very well to prevent Delacombe Park from getting the 239 needed for victory. The Parkers are just one game outside of the four and an unlikely win in this match could open the four right up.
Third-placed Mt Eliza scored just 163, however its bowlers again produced something special to get it out of trouble. At stumps, the Mounties had Hastings at 3-20 with Peneeth Goonawardena the destroyer with 2-9.
Fourth-placed Carrum smashed 8-337 against Boneo and is in the box seat to maintain its position in the top bracket.
Seaford is in fifth place, eight points behind Carrum and has Langwarrin on the ropes.
The Kangas were bundled out cheaply yet again (210) and the home side is 1-71 in reply.
Main Ridge and Pines is a bottom of the table clash and the game looks to be in the balance.
The Ridge batted first at Pat Rollo Reserve and made 210. The Piners are 0-29 in reply.
At Red Hill, while the home side scored almost 300, there were no half centuries. However, seven players each scored more than 25.
Josh Mold was the chief contributor with 46, and Felix McKillop was next best with 40. Travis Sawers was the best of the Rye bowlers with 5-80 and Tommy Barrand snared 2-25.
Josh Dent belted 90 and John Mitchell 65 in Carrum's massive total against Boneo.
Playing at home, the Lions started strongly and never relented. Dale O'Neil scored his highest total for the season with a half century and Dylan Steed came in at nine and added 37.
Leigh Janssen was the best of the Boneo bowlers with three wickets, and Cameron Williams added two wickets to his healthy total for the season.
Mt Eliza was on the back foot immediately against Hastings, however, it steadied and should have made a total well beyond 163. At 3-93, the Mounties were cruising.
But that scoreline quickly became 4-93. Keith Burdett (32) steadied the ship, but when he went out with
the score on 134 things fell apart. Damien Kent top-scored with 48.
Timmy Birch won the game for the Blues with the bat the previous week; this week he bowled 26 overs and finished with 4-51.
When it was the Blues' turn to bat, they crumbled, both openers, Al Kristensen and Michael Garner, dismissed for blobs.
Brent Murdoch with 59 and James Cook with 57 were the best of the Balnarring batsmen in their workable total of 9-238. Evan Campbell with 4-52 was the pick of the Delacombe bowlers.
Langwarrin captain-coach Lindsay Campbell (43) was the best of the Langwarrin batsmen as they made 210 against Seaford.
A few Langwarrin batsmen got starts – Simon McEvoy (41), Ricky Ramsdale (37) and Ben Wells (30) – but failed to convert them into bigger scores.
Andrew McMannis was superb for Seaford, bowling 28 overs and finishing with match-winning figures of 7-86. The Tigers are 1-71 in reply, Chris Cleef (38) and Ryan McQueen (28) the not out batsmen.
Jason Albress with 58, Chris Barker (45) and Ed Aarons (44) were the best of the Main Ridge bastmen against Pines.
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