Both captains also had the right to claim a moral victory at stumps on Saturday night.

South prodded initially, then exploded away before scraping together a par-260 total on the NTCA Ground.

Launceston lost the wicket of deputy Cameron Lynch (10) to enter Sunday on 1-23.

Knights captain Tom Waller walked away feeling content from turning around last week's lopsided ordeal against the Lions.

"After being sent in, to get 260 we're definitely happy with that and to get a wicket was handy too," Waller said.

"It was a really good day and we definitely felt like it was a good score."

Both Waller and Nathan Philip set up the innings with a steadying 129-run stand for the fourth wicket.

The captain occupied the crease patiently over 135 minutes for 40 off 140 balls that included six boundaries.

But it was form batsman Phillip who looked to control South's destiny with a fine 86 in 104 deliveries.

He has now made 856 runs this Cricket North season at 77.81, which includes one century and seven fifties.

"I think the last couple of weeks we have just lost those big clumps of wickets," Waller said.

"So for us to put on that big partnership after we talked a lot about partnerships was really good to have put on some foundation to go and get our score."

The pair fell within five runs of one another, but teammate Sisitha Jayasinghe carried the lower-order past 250 with 52 off 90 balls.

Waller felt like the side was a chance of an upset win.

"We feel like we have four pretty good bowlers," he said.

"The last couple of weeks we feel like we have not given our bowlers enough to bowl at. So I think to get 260, we're really now in the game.

"It's definitely a good wicket, but I think if we bowl well, we're definitely a chance."  

Taylor was rapt his Lions bowlers continued to toil hard and fought back.

But for the second week in row, Knights trio Sean Harris (18), Brodie Jarrad (5) and James Lee (12) failed to hurt Launceston in the scorebook.

"From a position where they were 3-167 and to be able to get Nathan Phillip out and Tom Waller in quick succession, I thought the bowlers did really well from there," Taylor said.

"We probably bowled too many four-balls at them, but maybe the pressure of finals go to our boys a bit.

"But 260 on a really nice batting wicket and 1-23 I think is pretty even."

Big-hearted Daniel Smith led the attack with a stirring 4-54 off 17.2 overs.

Lynch (2-48 off 16 overs) got the key breakthroughs of Philip and Waller, while Tom Gray (2-59 off 25 overs) was typically serviceable. 

Taylor is backing his long batting lineup to get the runs.

"We wanted to bowl them out a bit cheaper than that," he said. "That's cricket, that's what happens, but we're comfortable as we've put up 330 in our last two innings."

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