The competition's leading wicket-taker went down in the final session of the day without bowling a ball after landing awkwardly while fielding at fine-leg.

Freestone was left to watch from the sidelines as Westbury reached 2-50 at stumps, just 84 runs shy of the Knights' 134. 

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South captain Tom Waller admitted Westbury had the ascendancy but remained bullish about his side's chances.

"I definitely think we're in the game - quick wickets tomorrow [is what we need]," he said. 

"I don't think it's over yet and I reckon it'll be a two-innings match.

"They were able to bowl well in partnerships and bowl some good balls - we unfortunately nicked a few but that's cricket."

Jackson Young picked up the two Westbury wickets to fall in the space of four balls, but Freestone's strike power was sorely missed. 

"He wasn't really sure what it was - he's done an ACL before and he wasn't really sure if it was that or something else so I think we were a little bit precautionary," Waller said.

"He wanted to stay on but he didn't come back on - he was a bit of a loss there, especially in that last session we probably needed him there but well done to Jacko who took two wickets.

"We'll be hoping to [get him back on Saturday] but if not we've got Jimmy Lee, Brodie [Jarrad] and Jez [Jackson] so we've got three or four other guys who could come on and bowl."

Playing his first Cricket North decider, Ollie Wood (4-34) stepped up with a scintillating spell that turned the game for Westbury. 

The Knights were cruising at 1-47 before Wood justified his side's decision to bowl first by removing top-scorer Sean Harris (33), Lee and star left-hander Nathan Philip in three overs.

Richard Howe, Jono Chapman and Corey Briggs all chimed in at different stages to finish with two wickets each before Will Donald and not-out pair Dan Murfet and Dane Anderson began calmly picking off the Knights' lead. 

"We're fairly happy but there's still a fair job ahead of us," Howe said. 

"We thought there was a bit of juice in the wicket but it turned out it was actually a pretty good batting wicket.

"As the ball got a little bit older it started to swing a little bit and Ollie Wood's spell there towards the end of the first session really got us going.

"He got Seany Harris out who was set there for a little while and got Nathan nicking an early one - any time he nicks one early you're really happy with it." 

Play resumes at 11am Saturday.

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