Mooroopna stunned reigning premier Waaia in round one with a clinical bowling display to keep the red and black to 70 runs despite a total of just 98 itself, but there was no back-to-back upset defeat on the cards.
While Mooroopna would succeed in taking all 10 Katandra wickets, the Eagles posted a total of 207 and were bowled out with just five balls to spare, putting the pressure on the Cats’ batsmen to deliver after last week’s collapse.
Katandra skipper Benjamin Pedretti led from the front with 66 runs as first drop, while solid stints from Brady Black (41), Matthew Long (33) and Talon Wilson (27) steadied the Eagles through each top-order wicket that fell.
Mooroopna salvaged the run rate somewhat with a flurry of wickets late, taking 5-33, but the damage was done and the tone was set - the Cats required a change of batting fortune if they were to continue on undefeated.
However, the Eagles weren’t going to let it happen and suffer an 0-2 start to their campaign, especially with aspirations of consecutive finals berths.
Mooroopna’s Caleb Aitken fell in the first over for nought, Joel May soon following with just one run to his name and the Cats were 2-12.
On just three occasions was Mooroopna able to produce partnerships upwards of 10, with Ben Woods and Paul McDonald’s meagre 21-run partnership being the greatest of them all.
The Cats were stunned by the white rock and collapsed 25 overs into their innings, all out for 80 with 20 overs still left to bat.
Karl Rosevear was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets, although May was unlucky not to claim a scalp from his tidy spell of eight runs off six overs.
Katandra is primed to continue its return to form against the 0-2 Numurkah Blues next week, while Mooroopna, which has been bounced to ninth after Saturday’s loss, play another winless side in Pine Lodge.
THE GAME
Katandra 207 (Benjamin Pedretti 66, Brady Black 41, Karl Rosevear 4-23) def Mooroopna 80 (Ben Woods 30, Jack Gaskill 4-50, Cyrus Shafi 3-40)
STAR PLAYER:
Karl Rosevear (Katandra): Rosevear claimed four wickets in the Eagles’ impressive bowling display, and was tidy with it too - conceding the second-lowest runs per over of any Katandra bowler.
