Cooke believes saying Wests were in a bit of trouble is "an understatement, we were in a lot of trouble" despite a clinical bowling performance to start the match.

Rutzou's Norths batted first and could only muster 151 at Harrison Oval on Saturday.

Wests were reeling at 5-26 in reply as Rutzou (3-56) and youngster Sam Taylor (3-31) skittled the visitors' top order.

A spirited partnership from Joshua Boyd (42) and Brendan Duffy (52 not out) could end up saving the match with Cooke's side needing just six more runs to secure a first innings victory.

One could be forgiven for thinking the two sides were batting on a minefield with a glance at the scorecard, but Cooke says the Harrison deck was nothing of the sort.

"There was a bit in it for the bowler but it certainly shouldn't have resulted in what it did," Cooke said.

"There shouldn't have been 17 wickets fall for not even 300 runs. It was a bit of a procession there, guys walk out and guys walk back.

"Being able to score runs when you're in trouble is a massive asset. That's two games in a row that Brendan has been able to do that. It's certainly put us in a reasonable position considering where we were."

Boyd decided if he was going to go down, he might as well go down swinging, and blasted seven fours and a maximum in his 40-ball knock.

Rutzou claimed Boyd's scalp to leave Wests at 7-92, meaning Duffy now holds the key to victory with three wickets in hand and just six runs to get.

With both sides still in the hunt for a victory, Cooke is expecting "plenty more twists and turns" when the game resumes on Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, Tuggeranong skipper Shane Devoy (5-56) took his third five-wicket haul in as many games to move clear as the competition's leading wicket-taker this season.

Devoy's first victim was Ginninderra opener Kiplin Doriga, whose 89 was a sparkling example of the benefits of Cricket ACT's Papua New Guinea scholarship program to propel the Tigers to 9-267.

Half-centuries to Mark Solway (77) and Chris Gane (66) helped Queanbeyan to 230 against ANU at ANU North Oval.

An early pole for Bluebags skipper Vele Dukoski left ANU at 1-31 with day two poised to have a massive bearing on the make-up of the finals. Both sides are level in fifth position, two points shy of a semi-final spot.

Weston Creek Molonglo's bowlers repaid skipper John Rogers' faith after a gutsy declaration paid off against Eastlake leading into day two.

Harry Medhurst and Corey Ryan combined to leave Eastlake at 3-65 in pursuit of Creek's 9-232 (dec).

Eastlake skipper Michael Spaseski hasn't been sighted with the bat having retired hurt without facing a ball, after being hit by what is understood to have been a direct hit to the crutch region.

All four games resume on Sunday morning.

AT A GLANCE

Cricket ACT Douglas Cup: GINNINDERRA (9-267) v TUGGERANONG VALLEY; WESTON CREEK MOLONGLO (9-232 dec) v EASTLAKE (3-65); QUEANBEYAN (230) v ANU (1-31); NORTH CANBERRA-GUNGAHLIN (151) v WESTS-UC (7-146).