John Kealey strode to his familiar bowling mark at Howley Oval against Mooroopna, but this time it was a Cricket Shepparton A-grade fixture that would feel the wrath of his dangerous offies.
And the much-loved tweaker delivered on the pre-match hype with a stirring spell of 4-25 from 11 overs as the home side searched for its first win of the season against the finals-bound Cats.
“He bowled beautifully,” Tatura skipper Michael Archer said.
“He bowled to some really good bats and to end up with not only four wickets, but bowl economically too just shows that he is a more than capable A-grade bowler.
“It's awesome that it's only his first game and he can still improve a lot more from what he produced on the weekend.”
Although Kealy was impressive, the work of Jake Wright and Shoaib Shaikh for the Cats with bat in hand was equally superb.
Wright smashed 10 boundaries — including three sixes — in a quick-fire 61, while Shaikh bludgeoned 15 boundaries on his way to 92.
Paul Marshall also chipped in with 29 for the visitors, who elected to declare at 9-245 from 65 overs to have a crack at the Tatura top order before stumps.
Openers David Miller (25) and Raj Singh (23) resisted well for Tatura, but some late rewards to Marshall and Henry Barrow with the ball left the home side at 3-60 from 12 overs at stumps.
Archer (12 not out) and Blake Armstrong (yet to score) will resume Tatura's innings this weekend requiring 186 more runs for victory.
THE GAME
Mooroopna 9-245 dec (Shoaib Shaikh 92, Jake Wright 61, John Kealey 4-25) v Tatura 3-60 (David Miller 25, Raj Singh 23, Paul Marshall 1-29, Henry Barrow 1-31).
STAR PLAYER
Shoaib Shaikh (Mooroopna): Shaikh bludgeoned 15 boundaries among his knock of 92 for Mooroopna, lifting a middling total to an imposing one alongside teammate Jake Wright (61). It was Shaikh's fourth half-century for the Cats in nine matches, with a 46 thrown in as well.
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