Mooroopna began its Cricket Shepparton Haisman Shield defence with a commanding five-wicket win over Euroa on Saturday, commencing its 2022-23 campaign in style.
After severe flooding at Mooroopna Recreation Reserve in the past month, cricket made its triumphant return to the Cats’ home ground and coach Luke Zanchetta was full of praise for those that had worked tirelessly behind the scenes to get their turf wicket up to scratch.
“It was a good game, I thought Euroa batted really well,” Zanchetta said.
“With everything the club’s gone through in the last month and a bit, to get a wicket up of that quality, massive credit goes to our curators.
“The pitch made it a really good game and I really think Euroa are going to surprise a few people this year as well.”
The Cats coach also praised his young opposition, which looked bright in its first game back on Saturday afternoon.
“Their youngsters have come along and they’ve got a couple of older heads who are quite strong, I think they’ll beat a few sides this year and surprise a few people,” Zanchetta said.
“A couple of young fellas backed themselves and chanced their arm a bit, sometimes when you do that in cricket fortune favours the brave.
“Credit to our boys in the field and with the ball, to keep them to 149 I thought we did a really good job.”
A resilient start from Magpies openers’ Vaughan Kirk and skipper Scott Hamilton was soon undone by the Cats’ returning quick Henry Barrow, who rattled Hamilton’s stumps in the sixth over of the afternoon to open his account.
Kirk soon followed him back to the pavilion after Zanchetta found the edge the next over.
Euroa coach Andrew Squires was the next to go after a quickfire 15 off 22, leaving the visitors in hot water at 3-39.
Cue Nicholas and Lachlan Hill, who managed to steer Euroa back on track with valiant knocks of 30 and 27 respectively.
They were removed within five balls of each other in the 29th over with 96 runs on the board, as Euroa then crawled to 149 after its 45 overs.
With the blade, the Cats turned to last season’s enforcers to see them over the line.
“We got away to a really good start, lost a couple of wickets then had a really good partnership that nearly got us over the line,” Zanchetta said.
“The way Ethan Anderson and Jakey Wright batted was outstanding.
“Got themselves in, took 10, 15 balls — they’re quite damaging when they get going.”
Mooroopna’s opener Brodie McDonald (29) and first-drop Jac Smith-Williams (21) put the Cats in the driver’s seat early, before the returning Siva Velagala struck twice to drag Euroa back into the contest.
Velagala made it a trio of scalps by removing danger man Nick Breslin for 10, but a game-changing partnership from Anderson (31 not out) and Wright (37) took the game away from the plucky Magpies.
Last season’s Luscombe medallist looked to pick up where he left off from last year’s decider, blasting three boundaries and three maximums to almost see the Cats over the line.
Anderson and Jack Gaskill would produce the match-winning runs with just shy of 13 overs to spare.
Zanchetta said the bonus point win, especially this season, could be worth its weight in gold when crunch-time arrives.
“Banking points before Christmas is at a premium, especially this year after how much we missed,” he said.
“If you can get over the line, in my eyes it sort of doesn’t matter how you win at the start of the year, as long as you can bank some points.
“We’re just really happy to get the season under way and get off to a good start.”
THE GAME
Mooroopna 5-153 (Jake Wright 37, Ethan Anderson 31 not out, Brodie McDonald 29) d Euroa 9-149 (Nicholas Hill 30, Lachie Hill 27, Nick Breslin, 3-27, Henry Barrow 2-17, Luke Zanchetta 2-24)
STAR PLAYER
Jake Wright (Mooroopna): Last season’s Luscombe medallist was devastating in his first game back and, in a new role this season, the star-all rounder could be in for a dominant campaign. A tidy bowling performance and a supreme 37 runs, including three sixes, had the Cats purring to victory.