The Maher's Musings Haisman Shield season review comes to an end today with the final four teams.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Although the season was cut short by one game for two of these outfits, there is still plenty to wade through from their respective campaigns.
So make sure you check out part one and part two before diving into this one.
KYABRAM
Record: Fourth, 10-4.
Cloud: Snared a home semi-final against the lowest ranked finalist, but could not convert it into a grand final berth. That the Redbacks were rolled for just 106 in search of 252 for victory with their campaign on the line would have left a sour taste in their mouths.
Silver lining: Kyabram's recruiting received a big tick. Paul Newman was out once in single figures for the summer on his way to clubbing 621 runs at an average of 41.4. Irish import Aaron Gillespie made 213 runs at more than 30 a dig and played some crucial hands in Redbacks victories.
Musings: Kyabram has all the makings of a premiership team — a genuine strike bowler in Jackson McLay, two gun bats in Newman and Kyle Mueller and plenty of spinning prowess — but could not push through into the decider this season. It will not be long before the Redbacks do though if they can keep this group together.
MOOROOPNA
Record: Third, 9-5.
Cloud: Similar to Kyabram in that Mooroopna did all of the hard work to earn a home semi-final, but went out with a whimper, managing just 99 against Numurkah.
Silver lining: Lean, mean fast bowling is back in vogue in the Cricket Shepparton ranks — and Henry Barrow was the leanest, meanest and fastest of them all this season. The British import snared 53 wickets an an average of just 11, bullying stumps, bails and edges across the region. Musings HQ enjoyed that Barrow did not trouble himself with the Twenty20 competition — he wound up and let go off the long run over after wicket-taking over in the longer forms.
Musings: The Cats are nearly there — along with Barrow, Shoaib Shaikh impressed massively across the summer as a newcomer to the Haisman Shield and Jake Wright adds a dynamic touch to the outfit with bat and ball. More runs out of the top six consistently is something coach Brad Lowe wished for at times throughout the summer, and that is exactly what will take them that next step.
NAGAMBIE
Record: Second, 8-1-5.
Cloud: Not being able to contest the grand final will fuel the fires of Nagambie's 2020-21 campaign. But even though the Lakers finished sixth, they had all of the cattle to be the minor premier, so will certainly look to avoid this summer's festive-season slump next time out.
Silver lining: Won two finals — one of them against Numurkah at Numurkah and the other against Kyabram at Kyabram — to earn a grand final spot from sixth on the table, which is a feat to be proud of. Mark Nolan snared his second "Bert" as the equal-best player in the competition this season — alongside former teammate Joel Brett — after 483 and 22 pre-finals runs and wickets respectively.
Musings: You feel the unfinished business Nagambie was forced to leave on the table this campaign will galavanise it into a side you simply do not want to face at any stage of the summer. We haven't even touched on Luke Nolan's batting prowess back in a Lakers shirt, but he finished with almost 700 runs at nearly 50 across all formats and hit his straps late averaging 289 — yes, 289 — in the final four games.
NUMURKAH
Record: First, 11-3.
Cloud: Whether it is fair or not, there will always be an asterix beside this Haisman Shield season for the way it finished. But the Blues did the hard yards to finish atop the table, and even though they stumbled first-up in the finals series they certainly deserved the flag.
Silver lining: Back-to-back Haisman Shield premierships and three straight grand final appearances means this Blues side is building something which begins with "D" and ends with "ynasty". Will need a few more notches on the belt to threaten the most recent one for longevity though.
Musings: When you look at the 11 Numurkah wheels out week after week, there is no surprise that it has now claimed two flags on the trot. Four spinners, three guns with the bat, two strike-bowling quicks and a few workhorses strewn between them — the only thing missing is a partridge in a pear tree. Actually, skipper Liam Gledhill probably has one of those planted out the back of Numurkah Showgrounds — because the Blues certainly have everything else in their arsenal.