Charlie McLay made a beeline for his two older brothers immediately after walking off Vibert Reserve with his first Cricket Shepparton Haisman Shield century on Saturday.
It wasn’t for a warm embrace or stinging high five, but more to remind the pair that he was the first in the family to post a three-figure score in the competition.
“Billy got a 97 last year and Jackson has gotten 50 and 60 before. The first thing I did was let them know I got there (to a century) first,” he said in a good-natured fashion.
McLay, 24, is the youngest of the three brothers who all have vital roles with Kyabram’s A-grade team, eldest of the trio Jackson is Kyabram Cricket Club’s coach and Bill is an accomplished opening batsman-wicketkeeper.
Charlie McLay’s 111 came from 130 deliveries, having come to the wicket in the fourth over and departed in the 45th (and last over), with four deliveries of the innings remaining.
Kyabram had last week dismissed Karramomus for 122, in 41.2 overs. On Saturday the brilliance of McLay was supported by Kyle Mueller (42 from 59 deliveries) and Adam Nunn (42 not out from 41 deliveries) for an 111-run win.
Kyabram batted after winning the toss, McLay coming to the wicket to join brother Bill with the score at 1-18 in the fifth over. He departed with Kyabram 4-228 only four deliveries from the innings closure.
He shared in a 108-run stand with Mueller (42) and a 77-run stand with Nunn (not out 42 from 41 deliveries).
Karramomus was all out for 122, in 41.2 overs in reply as Darin Ohlsen took 4-11 from nine overs and Lukas Hanslow 3-10 from 2.2 overs. Karramomus was 2-69, then lost its last eight wickets for 53.
While McLay was quick to remind his brothers of his feats, he was understated in his description of the innings.
“I used a year’s worth of luck in one day,” he said.
“I got dropped, had a missed stumping and should have been run out. They dropped me when I was on five (runs).”
McLay said there was no lack of advice from his opposition while batting and it was nice to achieve a goal that he had set after first being promoted up the order last year.
“They (Karramomus) were getting into me all day, they were a pretty young side,” he said.
McLay said he had no idea what his score was until his teammates rose to their feet in unison to applaud his effort.
“I only hit one boundary (10 for the innings) after I had scored 50,” he said.
“They spread the field, so it was hard to get it through. The body was pretty sore at the end because it was my first game of the season.”
He said, if you asked his brothers, Charlie would be considered the siblings’ third-string batter.
Prior to Saturday’s century, a 79 last year (also against Karramomus) was his highest score.
He debuted at A-grade level as a 15-year-old, but has always batted down the order and been considered a bowler.
“This is the second year I have been batting up the order, I am usually at nine or 10,” he said.
“We have plenty of batsmen.”
A rain-affected pre-season, along with Lancaster football premiership celebrations, meant preparation for the season was limited for the multi-talented sportsman.
Player availability also helped McLay’s cause in being bumped up to number three.
After last year’s results he had a goal of scoring a century in A-grade.
“Last year I probably threw away a couple,” he said.
McLay said it was great batting with captain Mueller, who was batting with 12 stitches in his head after a farm accident.
Mueller had been taken to hospital the night before the match.