A comprehensive effort with bat, ball and in the field has seen Nagambie overcome the powerful Kyabram line-up to notch a six-wicket opening-day Cricket Shepparton Haisman Shield victory on Saturday.
Nagambie sent the Redbacks in to bat at Kyabram Recreation Reserve and after losing both openers in quick succession the home side regrouped and looked to be cruising at 2-75.
Both Muellers, Cade and captain Kyle, were felled in another quickfire double off the bowling of Darby O’Brien to keep the contest relatively even-keeled.
THE GAME
Nagambie 4-164 (Z. Winter-Irving 40, J. Moore 39) d Kyabram 163 (C. McLay 58, D. O’Brien 2-21)
STAR PLAYER
Mark Nolan (Nagambie): The captain did it all in the season opener, collecting two wickets as well as credit for one of the team’s four run-outs, before delivering a decisive cameo with the bat to send the Lakers home winners.
Remarkably, the fifth, sixth and seventh Kyabram wickets would fall via run-out for a total of four in the innings, easing the pressure on Nagambie’s attack with scintillating fielding displays as 164 became the target for victory.
Jonathan Moore lit up Nagambie’s early chase with a lightning-fast 39 (six fours, two sixes) before Jackson McLay eventually put an end to the ambush.
From there, though, the Lakers rarely looked troubled, sharing the runs around before skipper Mark Nolan would deliver the walk-off hit with more than six overs to spare.
“It was a pretty good performance all around,” Nolan said.
“We had a few outs, so we took some kids there; we had a fairly young team.
“Kyabram will be pushing for finals like we are, so it’s good to get the win on their home deck.”
The Lakers had to battle around the strength of Charlie McLay, who laid down 58 (six fours) to keep the scoreboard ticking steadily before becoming the first of three consecutive run-out victims.
“We were impressed by (our fielding work),” Nolan said.
“We got a direct hit early and then picked the rest up late in the piece and I think we only dropped one catch.
“In round one, you’d say ‘fair enough’ if you made a few mistakes in the field, but performing like that first up was great.”
The Lakers skipper reserved some praise in conclusion for Moore’s “aggressive bat”, putting the team in an advanced position to chase down the Redbacks.
“It always helps to get off to a flyer and that’s how he naturally plays,” Nolan said.
“To get to 50 off six or seven overs got it set up for us and we didn’t have to take risks, so we could just focus on getting it done.”