Fitzroy Doncaster still have some work to do to assure themselves of a finals berth after day one of the final round of Victorian Premier League cricket. With the game in the balance the Lions need 227 next Saturday to see their season extended. When tea was taken the Lions had the Camberwell Magpies on the ropes at 5-97. Chief destroyer was allrounder Peter Dickson who had just clean bowled Magpie's Tasmanian recruit, Brendan Drew, and they could sniff the play-offs.

Dickson was on fire, as well as Drew, he had Magpie's skipper and dangerman, Simon Hill, out trapped in front for 40, much to the disgust of Hill, prior to tea. Shortly after the players return to the field, Dickson struck again, removing Adam McDermott and James Bett, to have the Pies shaking at at 7-117.

Fitzroy Doncaster's Steven Duckworth send Pie's batsman Thomas Russ packing.

The Pies took their score from 117 to be all out for 226 thanks to the efforts of the aforementioned trio. At the close of play Fitzroy Doncaster are five without loss. Dickson was superb with the ball, finishing with career best figures of 7-42 from 25.3 overs. His accuracy proving lethal and difficult to score from, something for which the Camberwell batsmen never managed to handle.

Fitzroy Doncaster players celebrate one of Peter Dickson's seven wickets against the Camberwell Magpies.

Apart from Rickarby, O'Brien and Pearson showing fight down the order, Hill looked in good touch for his forty. His was the scalp the Lions celebrated the most. Removing Drew on the brink of tea was a bonus. With Carlton and Dandenong breathing down Fitzroy Doncaster's neck, the match on the picturesque Camberwell oval is poised for a tight finish.

Geelong were made to work hard for the meagre total of seventy-two that Footscray Edgewater set them in round 15 of the Victorian Premier League at the Merv Hughes Oval on Saturday. The Bulldogs were dealt a blow before the match when their state all-rounder John Hastings pulled out. Geelong's bowlers took full advantage and quickly had Footscray Edgewater on the ropes at four for sixteen and they never recovered.

They were dismissed for just 72 inside twenty-five overs with Arun Harinath and Guy Walker the only batsmen to reach double figures with sixteen and ten respectively. For the Cats Jake Haberfield, Marc Carson and Jake Reed snared three wickets each, Carson for just nine runs of six overs.

Geelong skipper Thomas Elliot is clean bowled just three runs short of the winning runs.

With a little something still in the wicket the Bulldogs were able to snare some early Geelong scalps. The Cats were two for nineteen then 4-47 before skipper Thomas Elliot dug in for eighteen before losing his wicket with just three needed.

Not all Geelong players were happy to smile for the camera after their win.

James Crosthwaite looked good on fourteen before copping a nice one from Tallan Wright and Luke Ibbs made a dozen. Wright was the pick of the bowlers for the Bulldogs with two for fifteen from 3.5 overs. The two-day format resumes in round sixteen where Geelong will take on Dandenong at home while Footscray Edgewater are away to Ringwood.