Oak Flats have emerged as surprise ladder leaders in the South Coast Cricket T20 competition after thumping the Kookas at Oakleigh Park on Saturday.

After their match against Lake at Howard Fowles Oval was washed out, they beat the Kookas by 34 runs to ensure top spot heading into the Christmas-New Year break.

Shellharbour are hot on their heels after beating the Kookas and Albion Park while Lake trounced Kiama after the pitch dried out later in the afternoon.

Oak Flats posted 9-130 with allrounder Zaied Bin Khalid smacking 50 off 33 balls with four boundaries and two sixes, following on from captain Jack Bennett’s 33 at the top of the order.

Josh Cuthbert bagged 4-25 for the home side but apart from 34 from veteran opener Anthony Dragovic, the Kookas were never in the hunt in the run-chase to finish well short.

Bin Khalid completed a superb display with 2-5 from three overs as young seamer Sam Huetter (2-12), spinner Lucas Dell’Orefice (2-3) and Shuhel Hussain (2-21) also tore through the opposition.

Shellharbour restricted Kookas to 9-102 in the earlier game at the same venue and then blasted their way to the target in just 9.4 overs with Ned Taylor (49) and Daniel Smith (41) unbeaten in the nine-wicket cakewalk.

Harbour then relocated to Keith Grey Oval where they just managed to do enough to topple Albion Park in a two-run thriller.

Taylor (48), Jacob Coleman (33) and Matthew Klaczkiewicz (35 not out) wielded the willow as the visitors amassed 6-152 with Aiden and Keegan Campion snaring a couple of wickets apiece.

The Eagles got off to a strong start via openers Will Schofield (42) and Keegan Campion’s 44 but just fell short of their victory target in a nail-biting finish.

Lake captain Kerrod White top-scored with 54 as they put 5-155 on the board against Kiama and after Adam Ison and David Coleman fell to Jake O’Connell from the first two balls of their innings, the Cavaliers were always on the back foot, responding with 7-82.

The two-day combined competition with Shoalhaven resumes on Saturday, 10 January with the South Coast T20 comp final round the following Friday.

Ladder: Rats 14, Harbour 13, Lake 12, Kiama 10, Kookas 5, Park 4.