Kyabram Cricket Club players completed almost a perfect season when it claimed the Haisman Shield in Cricket Shepparton’s season decider at Katandra last weekend.
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The Redbacks, led by pacemen Sam Langley, coach Jackson McLay and Charlie McLay and spinner Louis Sabbagh-Holt took only three hours and 36.3 overs on Sunday to claim its second premiership in three seasons in emphatic fashion.
It capped an almost unbeaten season for the side which suffered just one loss for the home-and-away season.
Kyabram posted a respectable score of 187 on the first day of the clash, which was highlighted by yet another match-winning knock from its skipper Kyle Mueller, and was never seriously challenged by the Waaia batters who didn’t have a player make more than 15 runs as the final came to a premature halt at 2pm on Sunday.
The Waaia batting line-up was decimated by Kyabram’s bowling spearheads, Langley and Jackson McLay.
Langley’s 5/33 off 14.3 overs with three maidens tore the heart out of the Waaia upper order, with Waaia skipper and key batsman Mitch Cleeland and opener Damian Atkins among his victims for two and 14 runs respectively.
Atkins was the first Waaia wicket to fall with his team on 18 but wickets fell regularly from then on with Kyabram coach Jackson McLay, Charlie McLay and spinner Sabbah-Holt sharing the other five wickets.
Jackson McLay’s 2-16 off 13 overs claimed two of Waaia’s first three batsmen while Sabbagh-Holt with 2-5 off five overs and Charlie McLay’s 1-2 off four overs kept the Waaia lower order batsmen under extreme pressure and helped forced the early finish to the game.
The Kyabram bowlers were well supported by their fieldsmen who took some spectacular catches.
Waaia went to lunch at a teetering 5/45, but when the match resumed it took Kyabram only 20 minutes to deliver flag win.
The Redbacks, who won the toss and batted on the first day, had its moments compiling a competitive 182.
It only had three batsmen though to thank for that winning score; openers Cade Mueller and Billy McLay and irrepressible skipper Kyle Mueller.
The Mueller-McLay opening stand was worth a valuable 67 runs with Mueller making 39 off 143 deliveries and McLay 24 off 124 balls in cautious but morale boosting knocks.
But when they fell it was left to run machine Kyle Mueller to hold the fort as he has done so many times over the years.
He finished with a determined, unbeaten 75 off 165 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes which enabled Kyabram to reach its competitive score.
His innings also took his run aggregate for the season, including his 303 runs for Victoria at the National Country Championships, to over 1000.
After the game Mueller said the key to Kyabram’s season was its ‘‘consistency, discipline and self belief.’’
“A lot of us have been together for a fair while now and Sam’s (Langley) inclusion this season topped us right up.
‘’We have had to work hard to get where we’ve got and that’s a credit to all the players and our coach,’’ added Mueller.
Kyabram coach Jackson McLay echoed Mueller’s thoughts on the win.
He said it was an unbelieving feeling to coach a second premiership win within three years but it all happened because of the hard work.
“it’s a bit more special when you share it with your two brothers (Billy and Charlie).
‘‘Kyabram is a great sporting town and this win will put a lot of smiles on a lot of faces.’’
Waaia skipper Mitch Cleeland was gracious in defeat and congratulated Kyabram being the better side.
But he said he was still proud of his team which was in seventh place before the final home-and-away round and to even make the final had been a notable feat in itself.