With great hair comes great responsibility.
Kyabram’s Louis Sabbagh-Holt knows it all too well; the image of his locks flailing while the umpire’s finger goes up still haunts the Central Park-St Brendan’s batters after he spun the Redbacks to an important win on Saturday.
The man with the double-barrelled surname was sending out bullets, claiming seven victims as the Tigers were out for 127 runs.
It was an upset in all senses.
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Big shot inbound: Central Park-St Brendan's Jack McCarten. Photo by Aydin PayneImage 2 of 9
Bombing down: Kyabram's Tom Holman. Photo by Aydin PayneImage 3 of 9
Slicing through: Central Park-St Brendan's Jack McCarten. Photo by Aydin PayneImage 4 of 9
You beauty: Kyabram's Charlie McLay celebrates a wicket. Photo by Aydin PayneImage 5 of 9
Going aerial : Central Park-St Brendan's Ethan Baxter. Photo by Aydin PayneImage 6 of 9
Scrambling: Kyabram's Louis Sabbagh-Holt. Photo by Aydin PayneImage 7 of 9
Snicked behind: Central Park-St Brendan's Michael Dann edges one. Photo by Aydin PayneImage 8 of 9
Safe hands: Kyabram's Angus McKenzie takes a catch in the field. Photo by Aydin PayneImage 9 of 9
Spin king: Kyabram's Louis Sabbagh-Holt. Photo by Aydin PayneCentral Park-St Brendan’s, previously yet to drop a game this season, had bowled out Kyabram for 204 the week prior and had 1-2 on the board going into day two.
With a robust batting line-up, the Tigers would’ve been heavy favourites to chase the runs down in a day ― until Sabbagh-Holt entered the fold.
He didn’t have to wait long for the wickets to start falling.
The Englishman dismissed Andrew Cowen, who had tonned up in the game before, in his first full over of the afternoon, then removed Tigers skipper Tyler Larkin via modus of stumping in the next.
Jarrod Wakeling met the same fate as Larkin four overs later, and at 4-35, Central Park-St Brendan’s were in scorching-hot waters.
Rhiley Lau saved some face with a hard-earned 34, he too exited off Sabbagh-Holt’s bowling, while Jack McCarten looked like the saviour as he edged nearer to raising the bat.
THE GAME
Central Park-St Brendan’s 127 (Jack McCarten 49, Rhiley Lau 34, Louis Sabbagh-Holt 7-77) lt Kyabram 204 (Kyle Mueller 75, Billy McLay 39, Jarrod Wakeling 5-49) and 2-41(Billy McLay 17*, Kyle Mueller 11*, Ethan Baxter 1-10)
STAR PLAYER
Louis Sabbagh-Holt (Kyabram): The boy from Cirencester shone with the ball, almost single-handedly destroying Central Park-St Brendan’s’ order. The left-arm finger spinner played a big hand in delivering the Tigers their first defeat of the season.
However, Tom Holman put an end to his innings one run shy of a half-century, and as he headed back to the sheds, the Tigers were done ― all out for 127.
Sabbagh-Holt finished with 7-77, while Holman (2-16) and Charlie McLay (1-29) were Kyabram’s other main contributors.
The Redbacks then went in search of an outright victory and reached 2-41 at stumps, with Billy McLay and Kyle Mueller’s names etched in red ink.