Two familiar Kyabram sporting names, Parsons and McLay, are starting to share the headlines with their cricketing parents, after leading the Redbacks to another Cricket Shepparton under-10 victory.
The cricketing pedigree of seven-year-old Mitchell, eight-year-old Callum, and nine-year-old Liam Parsons, along with Max McLay, is strong. All three Parsons boys belong to former Redbacks players, while Max is the son of high profile all-rounder Jackson McLay.
Brothers Callum and Mitchell Parsons are the sons of current Kyabram B-grade captain Jason, and key administrator Kylie. Their two brothers, Rhys and Zavier, play in the under-14 and under-12 Redbacks teams respectively.
Liam is their cousin and the son of Damian, who retired from playing last season. Another member of the under-11 team, Tyler Kenny, is a cousin of Mitchell and Callum Parsons.
Lacy Parsons is the daughter of A-grade batter Paul, who is also the club president. Lacy’s mother, Charmaine, and Kylie Parsons also play in the women’s cricket team together.
Morgan Parsons also plays in that team with her mother, Melissa. Patrick Parsons, Melissa’s husband, plays senior cricket for the Redbacks when required, but prefers the golf course these days.
It is the Parsons’ under-10 connection that is performing strongest at this early stage of the season. In their three games this season the Redbacks under-10 team have won by 67 runs, 96 runs and 51 runs.
In round one Max McLay took five wickets and Mitchell Parsons two, then Liam made 20 retired and Callum 13 not out in a round two win that saw McLay add another three wickets to his tally.
The Redbacks round four win against Nagambie, 135 to 84 in the Twenty20 contest, came on the back of 16 retired from Liam Parsons, another 13 not out from Mitchell and three more wickets for McLay.
After four rounds the Redbacks are the only unbeaten team in the 12 week/seven-team competition.
– After dominating the grading phase of the under-14 Cricket Shepparton competition the Redbacks team is now facing tougher opposition and lost to Old Students/Northerners by 45 runs last week.
Electing to bowl first, Anthony Evans took an early wicket, but apart from late success to Xavier Graetz and Thomas Barnard the Redbacks attack was dominated for most of the 20 overs.
Old Students/Northerners finished on 6-136, then took two early wickets before Rhys Parsons and Riley Nicholson continued their successful seasons.
Parsons struck five boundaries and a six in his 36 (from 23 deliveries), while Nicholson finished 20 not out from 21 deliveries as only captain Georgia Leonard (11 not out) managed to reach double figures of the remaining batters.
The Redbacks finished 6-91 and will tonight (Wednesday) tackle unbeaten ladder-leader Notre Dame-St Brendan’s/Nagambie at St Luke’s School in Shepparton in another difficult assignment.
The Tigers won their last game with a score of 1-130 from 20 overs, after restricting Tatura to 9-59.
– Kyabram Redbacks Black under-12 team has won its first game of the season after a superb partnership between Aiden Drew and Lacy Parsons led the team to a 15-run win against Numurkah.
Numurkah batted first and scored 1-74 from 20 overs, then Drew opened the batting and was 36 not out (from 42 deliveries, with five boundaries) at the end of the over allocation.
Alongside him was Lacy Parsons, not out 24 from 31 deliveries, as the Redbacks finished on 6-89. Mitchell Melverton also made double figures, scoring 10 from his 16 balls.
– Five weeks into the under-12 A-grade season, Redbacks Red is unbeaten and sitting second on the ladder, notching another win against Katandra Eagles on Friday.
They now have wins against Old Students White (by two runs), Karramomous Kerr (by 46), Old Students Blue (by 19 runs) and, on Friday, by 22 runs against the Eagles.
Kyle Pethybridge top scored with 16 (including three boundaries), while Archer Nunn, Oliver Dervish and Tyler Nicholson all made it to double figures as the Redbacks scored 124 from 20 overs.
Dervish then took the bowling honours with two wickets, supported by Archie Williams and Rhys McKiernan as the Redbacks continued on their winning way.