Numurkah retained its unbeaten start to the season with a 29-run victory at home to Kyabram on Saturday afternoon.
Following on from last week’s remarkable draw with Shepparton United, Numurkah took a Riley Dawson half-century and an explosive four-wicket haul to Tim Braybon over the line to earn its first win of the 2023-24 Cricket Shepparton Haisman Shield season.
Meanwhile, Kyabram sits at 0-2 after being outgunned by Nagambie in its opening fixture before falling short of expectations at Numurkah Recreation Reserve.
It wasn’t the start Numurkah opener Ragu Aravinthan envisioned on his club bow, dismissed for six by Charlie McLay.
However, Dawson and Liam Gledhill, playing his 250th A-grade fixture, offered stern resistance, rallying the side with a 57-run fifth-wicket stand.
Despite a late scalp-taking frenzy from Louis Sabbagh-Holt, Numurkah set up 166 as the target for victory.
THE GAME
Numurkah 7-165 (R. Dawson 55, L. Gledhill 30, L. Sabbagh-Holt 3-33) d Kyabram 136 (P. Parsons 31, A. McKenzie 29, T. Braybon 4-19, M. Cline 2-12)
STAR PLAYER
Tim Braybon (Numurkah): Braybon ruthlessly tore through the heart of Kyabram’s batting, battling stiff conditions on his way to a dominant showing that helped secure a vital win.
Braybon flipped a potentially promising chase on its head when the middle order reached the crease, though.
After extending skipper Kyle Mueller’s faltering start to the season by removing him for a single run, Braybon produced a dizzying display to enforce a tremendous Kyabram collapse.
The Redbacks lost 6-16 in seven overs, left without the personnel to keep things competitive despite a game effort from Angus McKenzie.
Captain Tim Arnel was delighted with his squad’s command.
“We lost two early ones, but we fought back really well with young Riley (Dawson),” Arnel said.
“He took his chance and got us back into the game. He and Liam got us up over 130 and our tail order ran really well between the wickets.”
Braybon was the undoubted star of the show, though, ripping Kyabram apart down the middle to remove all doubt.
“Tim bowled as well as I’ve seen from him in a long time,” Arnel said.
“They came really hard at him, but his line and length were exceptional all day.
“He held his nerve and got Kyle and Cade Mueller both trying to hit him over the top.
“I was really proud of the way he didn’t let the batsmen get to him.”
Acknowledging the difficulties of going three wickets down at an earlier stage than he might have liked, Arnel called Numurkah’s 165 a “par score”.
“It was a really good pitch, but when we lost the early ones we just wanted to get to 100 with three or four down.”