Half-a-dozen Rugby batsmen got starts as they made 8-210 off their 40 overs, with Shane O'Leary (39), Ben Wheeler (30), Grant Berryman (28), Craig Wood (25), Adlai Shipp (24) and Campbell Rose (21) all among the runs.

Craig Pettit was the best of Newtown's bowlers, taking 2-9 off his four overs.

Such a score is usually enough to secure a win in third grade but the table-topping Golds had other ideas, with Pettit (58) and James Amey (47) helping the Newtown side to a fast start.

Berryman, Kel Rumble and Adam Stone halted that momentum with some solid mid-innings bowling, each taking two wickets as Newtown's second-last wicket fell with their score on 209.

In the end they managed to get the one run needed for a tie, leaving both sides to take something from what was an epic contest.

It was a good day for the Newtown club as the Brett Wrigley-led Newtown Black backed up their clubmates' success with a win of their own over CYMS.

Matt Ball (36) and Tom Skinner (30) top scored for the Blacks as they made 5-166 from their 40 overs, with Busta Nelson and Sam Thompson each bagging two wickets for the Cougars.

CYMS struggled in reply, with Craig Graham making 51 and Brody Parkinson 17 but that pair received little in the way of support.

Eric Woolnough's 3-24 backed up the earlier good work done by Andrew Gardiner, who had figures of 1-15 off eight and kept CYMS in check early in their run chase.

In the end the Cougars could muster just 139.

Souths showed the fighting spirit they will need come finals time as they fought back from the brink to beat Macquarie at John McGrath 2.

Batting first after winning the toss, the Blues managed to bat out their 40 overs as they finished 7-143.

Opener Dave Murray made 42 while skipper Chad O'Brien (34no), Nathan Shurmer (23) and Ben Walker (21) also got starts but could not capitalise.

John Byrne was the pick of the Hornets bowlers, snaring 3-27 off his eight overs while Ben Madigan also bowled well to finish with 2-24 off seven.

With finals out of the equation, Macquarie was keen to be spoilers and had Souths in a precarious position at 7-67 but a fighting 59no from Scott Dwarte, backed up by 27 from Matt Trumper and 20no from Matt Wakely, saw them home with a little more than three overs to spare.

The final game of the round saw Colts take bragging rights over Colts YDs, with the latter making 5-115 from their 40 overs.

Mick Davis top-scored for YDs with 44, but admitted afterwards that the innings wasn't among his finest.

In reply the Colts side lost seven wickets in chasing the target, but a vital 33 from Wayne Cole helped him get his side home with almost half the innings to spare.

All five of the YD's bowlers took wickets in a great sign for the future of the side.