Duffy, Yze partnership sets foundation for CPStB redemption

And with the pressure on, two Tigers young guns stood up, with the host’s batting first.

After Magpies’ quick Oli Wilson sent Andrew McMillan packing early in the Tigers’ first innings, Nate Yze and Rory Duffy carved a 105-run partnership that laid the foundations of their side’s eventual score of 9-183.

Yze raised the bat with 55, while Duffy’s 45 saw CPStB get to a measured 1-115 before both depart within four deliveries of each other, Josh Robertson and Wilson disrupting the partnership.

Wilson then had Gus Byrne and Harrison Barker dismissed cheaply in a fiery spell to finish with four wickets, with Ryan Hill chipping in two to round out the Tigers’ innings.

Despite Tigers’ captain Jack Hooper feeling they had left some runs out there, he knew how important that second-wicket partnership would be.

“That really set us up,” Hooper said.

“We probably didn't quite get as many runs as we would like, but that really set up our innings to get us to that 180 score, which we thought was a pretty defendable total.”

As it turned out, his statement would prove prophetic, but not without a struggle from the Magpies.

Duffy took the first over and found immediate success with Nic Burke bowled for a duck, Max Hooper emulating his teammates' effort by doling out the same treatment to Josh Robertson.

Despite the early trouble, Will Jackson and Lachlan Hill came together for a steadying 63-run partnership, and were cruising at 2-69 after 15 overs before Ethan Beck sent Jackson packing for 28.

Nicholas Hill followed shortly after, again to the bowling of Beck in what was becoming a transformative spell, before Chase Burridge had the prized scalp of Lachlan Hill, bowled for 48.

John Kealey then snuck one through Ryan Hill’s defences to further dent the Magpies’ hopes, while Burridge, Jack Hooper, and Max Hooper each claimed a scalp to all but assure the Tigers clinched the silverware.

Darby Wilson provided some rearguard resistance for Euroa, but it was in vain as, fittingly, Duffy claimed the final wicket to bundle the Magpies out for 147, confirming the Tigers as 2025-26 one-day champions.

“It was probably our best win of the season, I reckon,” Hooper said.

“The week before, they had got the wood over us and knocked us off in a tight one, so we knew it was going to be a good game.

“We got a couple of blokes back in, and we showed up and were able to get a bit of early silverware to kickstart the season.

“Definitely the Nate and Duff partnership (set us up), and then with the ball, I thought everyone really chipped in; Max Hooper and Rory Duffy up front with the ball, and then Chance Burridge after that with Ethan Beck really tightened the screws.”

With 45 runs and 2-22, Duffy was judged man-of-the-match, with Hooper saying he “really stepped up” for the Tigers.

“It was a toss up between him and Nate (Yze) but Duff, the way he batted at the top of the order - and hadn’t batted there all year until the Grand Final - and then bowled up front was superb,” he said.

“He really, really stepped up for us.”