A resilient batting display from Central Park-St Brendan’s’ Jack McCarten and a clinical bowling performance from youngster Mason Reeves has guided the Tigers to their fourth straight win of the Cricket Shepparton Haisman Shield campaign.
After Tigers bat Jarrod Wakeling was ruled out of Saturday’s contest late due to injury, McCarten was bumped up the order and entered at number four to produce an unbeaten 61.
McCarten guided his side to Euroa’s first innings total of 127 with three wickets and 10 overs to spare.
Coming up against a star-studded Tigers bowling unit, Euroa opted for a bat on its home deck on Saturday afternoon and immediately felt the wrath of the visitors’ bowling battery.
Reeves struck in his second over to remove Vaughan Kirk for a duck and sent number three Sham Daddallage back to the pavilion not long after.
Magpies mentor Andrew Squires hung around to produce 32 off 46, but quick wickets down the order soon had Euroa staring at the possibility of another shellacking at 8-86.
Ryan Hill’s late resistance (27) alongside Siva Velagala dragged the Magpies to 127 after 40.5 overs.
On what was a difficult batting wicket, Central Park-St Brendan’s coach Tyler Larkin said Euroa had fought hard to reach its total and that his side had struggled in response.
“It was a pretty tough wicket if I’m honest,” Larkin said.
“We sort of let it slip at the end there, we had them at 90-odd and they ended up making just shy of 130 which was a fairly par score at the end of the day.
“When we were batting it was tough, they had us at five for 40, and then to reach seven for 130 is testament to our grit and determination to get over the line.“
Larkin said his side had its keeper-batsman to thank for steadying the ship after a nervous start.
Openers Connor Holland and Andrew Boyington were removed within the first three overs, bringing McCarten to the crease early in the piece.
“He (McCarten) did a really good job, he was listed to bat at nine and Jarrod Wakeling injured himself before the game,” Larkin said.
“He went in to bat at four and was by far the person that looked the most comfortable at the crease.
“We’re all really happy for him, it was the most mature and sensible innings any of us have ever seen him play.”
The Tigers coach also heaped praise on his young strike bowler Reeves, who finished his day with figures of 4-11 off his six overs.
“He’s been a revelation with the ball, he was away last season and played a year in premier cricket at Carlton, but actually didn’t bowl because of a stress fracture,” Larkin said.
“To see him come back this year after a year of not bowling, he’s been by far the pick of our bowlers over the last three weeks.”
THE GAME
Euroa 127 (Andrew Squires 32, Ryan Hill 27, Mason Reeves 4-11, Tyler Larkin 2-15 Dwain Vidler 2-18) lt Central Park-St Brendans 7-128 (Jack McCarten 61 not out, Darby Wilson 2-23, Siva Velagala 2-45)
STAR PLAYER
Jack McCarten (Central Park-St Brendan’s): The Tigers’ keeper assumed his role further up the order on Saturday with confidence and poise. McCarten entered the fray in the third over of the day and manufactured a magnificent, match-winning 61.