It was the start of a brilliant day out for Smith, who claimed 5-24 from 17.4 overs at a miserly economy rate of 1.24 runs an over.
Also outstanding was Justtin Combe, who was even more economical with 4-11 from 15 overs, including eight maidens.
With Smith and Combe allowing the Pigeons’ batsmen little latitude, pressure on the visitors built rapidly.
Hugh Dougherty did his best to stabilise the innings with 17 runs from 53 balls, while Chaminda Gamage did the same with an innings of 21, but batting was a laborious task for every Pigeon who came to the crease.
Homers were all out inside 60 overs, allowing the Bullants to approach their first innings with patience. Opening the batting, Combe made 25 before falling leg before wicket to Gamage, while fellow opener Jamie Byrne and Austin Smith remained unbeaten at stumps with their team 1-38 – only 55 runs behind Homers with nine wickets in hand.
In their only other match at Noradjuha this season, the Bullants blasted 238 runs against Laharum, but a Homers attack featuring dangerous bowlers including Baxter and Gibson Perry, Gamage and Atwood will aim to make the home side’s life difficult when play resumes on Saturday.
Elsewhere runs were more free-flowing, with Laharum bludgeoning Colts’ bowling attack to score 10-269 at nearly a run a ball.
Ben Peucker, 76, and Harrison Hoffmann, 73, were the chief architects of the Colts’ misery, with Peucker slashing 11 fours and Hoffman hitting eight fours and four sixes.
While runs came quickly for the pair, the rest of the Laharum line-up struggled to match their productivity, with captain Joshua Mahoney, 18, Jackson Hoffmann, 15, and Max Bunworth, 11, the only other players to reach double-digit totals.
Harrison Millar was the pick of the Colt bowlers, taking 3-45 in eight overs.
In reply, the visitors struggled their way to 5-53 at stumps, with Jaxon Crooks unbeaten on 14.
Ladder leader West Wimmera also made an imposing first-innings total in its match against Horsham Saints at Coughlin Park, amassing 10-270 in 57 overs. While only opener Jobe Dickinson, 56, reached a half century, the Warriors received a host of solid contributions.
Seven of their 11 batsmen made at least 20 runs, including Brett Jensz, 42, Mitch Dahlenburg, 39, and Nathan Alexander, 37.
Jono Carroll and Dezi Carter shouldered the bulk of the bowling duties for the Saints and took three wickets each, while the rest of the attack struggled to make inroads against the West Wimmera batters.
Despite the loss of opening batsman Matt Currill for a duck in reply, the Saints started brightly, with skipper Gary Davidson, 24 not out, and Carter, 16 not out, taking them to 1-41 at stumps.
A match between Lubeck-Murtoa and Horsham Tigers at Murtoa is evenly poised, with the Tigers making 10-203 and the Mudlarks 2-43 in reply.
The visiting Tigers looked in dire trouble after losing their top seven batsmen for a combined 55 runs, but a huge stand from number eight Martyn Knight, 73, and David Puls, 66, put them back on track.
Cameron Newell, 4-47, led the Mudlark bowlers, with Shannon Reddie, 3-69, and Blake Downer, 2-24, lending support.
Lubeck-Murtoa lost both its openers in the 15 overs before stumps, with Reddie and skipper Josh Hedt set to resume on 14 and four respectively this weekend as their team requires 160 runs with eight wickets in hand.
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