But the rejuvenated Saints came out of the holiday break and had a breakthrough win over St Andrews in a one-day game and could make it two-from-two in the new calendar when the second day of their two-day bout with Sunshine Heights resumes at Bruce Comben Reserve on Saturday.

As it stands, the Saints are just eight points outside the top four with five results still to be determined.

A win over the Heights could renew one of the unlikeliest of finals pushes.

After bowling out the Heights for just 156 in 75.3 overs, Saints captain Nathan Pisani is confident his side's new-found form with the bat can take them to victory.

"It's not a bad position to be in," he said. "It's a game that if we bat like we have in the last two games and put a value on our wicket, we should go on to win it. It's still a tricky score."

The Heights found runs were hard to come by on Saturday.

Medium pacer Russell Wilson refused to yield an inch.

Wilson, who has been with the Saints for four years and featured in a third XI flag while progressing up the grades and was last year's club champion, worked tirelessly into the breeze for a miserly 1-33 off 26 overs.

"He kept it tight and dried up an end," Pisani said. "The most crucial aspect of his performance was he was able to do it into the wind."

The Heights made no secret of their desire to bat the full 80 overs.

They plodded along, churning out over after over.

Their run rate was just a tick over two an over for the day.

The Saints would eventually get all 10 wickets with paceman Hitesh Bavarva snaring 3-31 and leg spinner Daniel Kilfoy finishing with 3-32.

"We had them seven down with 20 overs to go. The innings dragged on a little bit," Pisani said.

Sam Woods, the half-century hero of a week earlier, perished on the third last ball of the day in a disappointing finish to the day for the Saints.

"He got a ball that he would've hit for runs if he was batting next Saturday," Pisani said. "The pressure of the last couple of overs got to him."

Stephen Morgan and Dilip Sarkhell will resume on Saturday with the score on 1-8.