Larance produced a determined 70 not at No. 2 Oval on Saturday to secure a five-wicket win over Macquarie, one that cuts the Blues' lead at the top of the RSL-Whitney Cup table to just two points.

The win was the first the Cougars have had over Macquarie in any format this season and with the two to meet in the competition's first one-day final next Sunday, it couldn't have come at a better time.

"As soon as we got here we were prepared to play and we were keen to knock them over," Larance said, the rain during the week having the match in doubt at one point.

"To get one over them before finals is a really good stepping stone.

"We play them next week in the one-day final and hopefully this momentum can carry on to next week and we can get the job done again."

In a match which went to the last three overs, momentum shifted back and forth throughout the day.

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After Macquarie skipper Ed Haylock won the toss and batted on a No. 2 deck which offered enough for the bowlers and an thick outfield which provided little value for runs, scoring was steady early on.

Ben O'Donnell picked up the key wicket of Ricky Medway (3) and Brad Westcott (0) soon departed but Dan Medway set about leading the charge.

He dominated the run scoring and when his side was 2/65 at drinks he'd already reached his half century.

Haylock was removed by Larance (1/28 from eight) shortly after drinks to bring Jason Green to the crease but he and Medway could never really get on top of a consistent CYMS attack.

Medway was eventually run out for a gutsy and well-made 79 while Green was also run out for 31 as Macquarie finished at 8/137.

"Lately we've been letting teams go a bit and blokes have teed off at the end but we hung in as a group and kept them to 130," Larance said.

"When we came off we knew it would be hard but we had faith in ourselves."

That faith was tested slightly when Tom Coady (0) and Lachlan Strachan (5) were both removed by CYMS nemesis Luke Carman (4/24) to bring Larance and Thomas Nelson together.

"I said to 'Nels' we should just bat until we get the runs. We stay together and we get it in 15 overs," Larance said.

"But he got himself out."

Nelson's scartchy innings ended at 24, also at the hand of Carman.

Larance, who said he felt Macquarie weren't themselves due to some in-team bickering in the field, was still made to work for every run he scored but he ensured things kept ticking over while being well supported by Jake Settree (15) in a valuable 50-run partnership.

There was a slight wobble when Settree and Ben Knaggs (1) fell in quick succession but Gilbert Chaseling dug in with Larance.

Chaseling finished with a gritty 18 not out while Larance finished the match with a boundary in the 38^th over.

"We had blokes in the middle who wanted to be there and dug in," Larance said.

"Blokes at the end were in and we didn't really give ourselves a chance to lose and that's good coming in to finals."

Despite the morale-boosting nature of the win, one which came after a surprise loss to Souths last time out, other results mean things remain tight at the top.

RSL-Colts and Newtown, who entered the weekend in third and fourth respectively, both earned bonus points when scoring simply dominant wins on Saturday.

Newtown was clinical against Rugby from almost the first ball to last while a Jason Ryan-inspired Colts fought back from some early trouble to crush Souths.

Only two Rugby batsmen made double figures on Saturday as they were rolled for just 52 at No. 3 Oval.

Each of the five Newtown bowlers took wickets, with Steve Skinner and new recruit and fellow spinner Gaurav Sharma each taking three.

The seven-wicket win was secured inside 14 overs.

Colts had Ryan to thank at Lady Cutler 2 as the men in red fought back from 5/73 to post an imposing 9/245.

Ryan was the hero, making 101 from 79 ball in the middle order to set-up the victory.

He hit 12 boundaries and two sixes in his knock and found support from Grant Malouf (29 not out) late on.

Four Souths bowlers took two wickets each but no batsman outside of Mat Finlay put any pressure on the Colts attack.

The Hornets were dismissed for just 62 in reply and Finlay made 33 of those.

Rhys Beauchamp (4/7) and Malouf (3/14) the most of the damage with the ball.