WESTS have narrowly held onto the competition lead as a three-way race for Newcastle District Cricket Association's minor premiership continues into the last round.
Frontrunners the Rosellas were rolled for 82 against Merewether while Nathan Price's 96 helped the second-placed Tigers make up valuable ground after chasing down Toronto's 271 with two wickets and two overs to spare.
Reigning premiers Stockton stay third after securing a first-innings result but falling short of an outright against Hamilton-Wickham.
Only five points now separate the top three sides - Wests (64), Wallsend (63) and Stockton (59) - with two Saturdays remaining in the regular season.
Each team has spent time in pole position at some stage during 2022-23.
In the upcoming round 13 - Wallsend host cellar dwellers Waratah-Mayfield, Wests travel to meet a-now-out-of-finals-contention University and Stockton are away to eighth-ranked Charlestown.
The top four has now officially been locked in for next month's semis with City (52) unable to be caught by either Uni (39) or Merewether (39), alongside one another in fifth.
Fourth-placed City (2-99) and Uni (69) didn't take the field on Saturday, shaking hands last weekend.
Callum Gabriel (60) and Bert Ryan (48 not out) also played hands for Wallsend at Ron Hill Oval.
Wests were initially troubled by Lions paceman Michael Hogan (4-17) at Harker Oval, finishing 1-38 off 43 overs in their second dig. Merewether made 8-247 last weekend.
Selman Hassan (18 off 135) provided a line of resistance for Hamwicks against Stockton at Passmore Oval. The hosts ended up 9-100 after the Seagulls (153), resuming at 5-87, posted a 47-run lead. Hamwicks were all out for 106 on day one.
Cardiff-Boolaroo continued their mid-season turnaround by clocking up a fifth-straight victory, successfully defending 199 with Daniel Williams' 6-23 helping dismiss Belmont for 115 at Cahill Oval. CBs, who opened their campaign with five losses and a tie, now sit seventh on the ladder.
Waratah-Mayfield remain winless after Charlestown bowlers Daniel Bailey (4-29), Daniel Chillingworth (3-32) and Daniel Standing (2-30) combined for nine wickets between them at Kahibah Oval. The visitors were all out for 124 in reply to 8(dec)-308.
Meanwhile, Newcastle (196) defeated Parramatta (82) by 114 runs at Pasterfield Sports Complex on Sunday to claim the under-16 State Challenge title.
LADDER: Wests 64, Wallsend 63, Stockton 59, City 52, Merewether 39, Uni 39, CBs 38, Charlestown 33, Belmont 29, Hamwicks 28, Toronto 24, WM 14.
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