The Bombers teeter outside the edge of the top six in Cricket Shepparton’s Haisman Shield, but after Saturday’s rambunctious bowling effort against Tatura, the current reigning premier is not ready to be counted out.
Waaia took 16 wickets during Saturday’s day two demo job of Tatura, skittling the visitors for 66 before going for the jugular.
Tatura was able to withstand an outright loss by posting 6-108 from its second innings, but with valuable premiership points banked and a sniff of finals lingering, captain Mitch Cleeland was rapt with how the weekend’s action panned out.
“It was probably the best bowling performance we’ve put together this year,” he said.
“The first 45 overs, it was good to see us consistently staying on the one line and length and that meant they couldn’t get away from us on the scoreboard and eventually we found a way to get the wickets.
“It was pretty crucial that we got that win; I think everyone understood how important it was, and thankfully we responded and put in that good performance.”
Having carved out 236 runs on day one, Waaia’s total was always going to take some serious chasing.
But if any side could do it, Tatura had the capacity.
Having already posted four successful 200-plus run chases this season alone, Daniel Coombs charges went in confident but were soon dealt a harsh lesson in line and length.
Tatura openers Lachlan Magee and Josh Catalano were sent packing for single digits before Coombs (11) and Kiran Green (10) made a small indent in their short stays, all four of the scalps taken by either Brandon Diplock or Jesse Trower.
Jayden Armstrong was Tatura’s lone hand at the innings’ end, rounding out on 18 out not as the travelling side barely scraped past one run an over as Diplock (3-20) and Trower (3-24) flexed their bowling muscles.
Waaia sent Tatura straight back in to bat, and though Catalano (37) and Green (43 not out) mustered some fightback, the score read 6-108 at stumps.
The result leaves both sides in a peculiar predicament.
Tatura clings on to sixth spot with just three points’ buffer over Waaia, facing minor premier Kyabram in the final home and away round.
Meanwhile, the Bombers take on fifth ranked Nagambie requiring nothing other than victory to keep their season alive.
It’s a cut-throat position to be in, but one that Cleeland is embracing given his side’s track record when it comes to crunch games.
“We’re under no illusions that we’ve got to win again to make a finals spot,” he said.
“It’s a bit of a different scenario for us, but it’s certainly an exciting one being that we know we’ve got to put our best foot forward.
“Hopefully we can continue to do that - if we do that, we’re confident our best cricket is as good as anyone else and hopefully that gets us to where we need to be.
“We’re optimistic, but we know we’ve got a fair bit of hard work to do, I suppose.”
THE GAME
Waaia 236 (Jordan Cleeland 53, Baxter Plunkett 5-21) def Tatura 66 (Jayden Armstrong 18 not out, Brandon Diplock 3-20) & 6-106 (Kiran Green 43 not out, Will Trower 2-7)
STAR PLAYER
Jordan Cleeland (Waaia): This was a toss up as Waaia had plenty of contributors, but Cleeland’s half century, wickets and catches gives him the edge.
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