Stunning individual showings from Hann and Wood put their sides on top

Tall swing bowler Hann finished with extraordinary figures of 7-17 off nine overs, while Wood made 101 not out before retiring in unique circumstances as an injury to his forearm removed him from the crease.

"When I retired, my hand was literally shut with cramp and I couldn't open it," he said.

"It started when I was on about 80 and it got to a point where I was like 'I've only got an over or two here', so I went pretty hard in the 90s because I knew I'd have to come off.

"I can't even describe it - my whole forearm and hand [were cramping] - I was trying with my other hand to open my hand up and it just wouldn't and it was cramped up - it was bizarre."

Wood's century helped Westbury's total to 7-350 as teammates James Tyson (48) and Chathura Athukorala (41) made starts before Liam Ryan (31*) joined Kieren Hume (63*) at the crease.

The pair have put on an eighth-wicket stand of 76.

Having been at the Shamrocks for several seasons after starting his cricket career with the Blues, scoring a century meant a lot to Wood.

"I'm really happy, it's a really good feeling and it will feel even better if we can get the win next week," he said.

"We're also really happy [with where we are placed at the moment].

"We had a couple of different players in this week ... with some guys like Tim Claxton, Nick Spencer and Aidan Bennett coming in, who are obviously at different stages of their career but haven't played any first-grade cricket this year.

"It's a pretty proud day for us to put that sort of score on the board and be in the position we are in, especially with the ins and outs - we had three playing Raiders, Chappy [Jono Chapman] and Ian Labrooy unavailable this week."

South Launceston's bowlers toiled hard throughout the day, with Jackson Young (2-57), Jeremy Jackson (2-78) and Brodie Jarrad (2-114) all taking multiple wickets.

At the NTCA Ground, it was Hann who took the game by the scruff of the neck - earning the praise of captain Pete New.

"He was awesome today, as he has been all year," New said.

"He hasn't been opening the bowling, with Tom Lewis in the side but got the opportunity today with the new ball and pitched it up and swung it in to the right-handers and hit the stumps and some pads.

"He put them under pressure and bowled really well."

Six of his wickets were either bowled or LBW as the Blues bowled out Launceston for 78 with Charlie Taylor leading from the front with 44.

The Lions then took their chances, bowling out Riverside for 188 - leaving the visitors with first-innings points and a lead of 110.

"When you win the toss and choose to bowl, there's always a bit of thought about how it could end up but to be in the position we are in is where I hoped we would be," New said.

Vice-captain Cooper Anthes scored 64 in his first game for the Blues for several weeks and he was ably assisted by the lower-order.

Alex Tubb (37* off 34) and Hann (22 off 28) hit hard late in the day for a 47-run 10th-wicket stand to boost the Blues' total.

"Coop batted really well, he assessed the conditions - he was talking about it while we were fielding, the way he thought you needed to bat on that wicket - and then went out and did exactly what he said," New said.

"The lower-order runs, that's the sort of thing that puts you in positions in games of cricket where you can force the game. Them putting on the runs they did was really pleasing."

Launceston bowlers Ed Faulkner (3-33) and Will Bennett (3-45) were their side's best.