As Cricket Shepparton players give their whites a soak and dump their kit for the Christmas and New Year’s break, it offers a time for reflection about what has transpired in the Haisman Shield so far.
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The likes of Karramomus and Tatura have shot up beyond expectations in 2025, while the likes of Waaia and Katandra have failed to get the willow talking or the Kookaburra singing despite lofty aspirations for the season.
At the News, we’ve looked back at the first seven rounds of the Haisman Shield campaign and handed out a letter grade for each club’s season so far, plus a bit of feedback on where they can improve for the next term of the season.
Central Park-St Brendan’s
Ladder position: Second
Grade: B+
CPStB are once again near the top of the pack.
The Tigers will head into the break with a 5-2 record and a refined balance with bat and ball – they have two bowlers placed in the top 10 for wickets (Ramadan Yze and Dwain Vidler) and runs (Tyler Larkin and Connor Hayes).
It hasn’t gone all the Tigers’ way, however – a 155-run defeat to Nagambie and a loss to Kyabram in the one-day final saw them finish 2025 on a sour note.
But the Larkin-led Tigers have not been unclear in their intentions; the two-day title is what the club is craving, and with match-ups against Tatura and Mooroopna when play resumes, that trophy will be squarely in the crosshairs.
Karramomus
Ladder position: Third
Grade: A
To put it into perspective, at this point last year, Karramomus was 10th.
The Bloods have been the big improver of the Haisman Shield, laying hands on the T20 premiership cup to kick off the campaign before going 4-1 in the one-dayers and narrowly missing out on a chance at the white ball final.
They’ve had some late blushes with the bat, but with a firing bowling attack spear-headed by Lachie Keady, the Bloods are well perched heading into the break.
Karramomus takes on Kyabram, Waaia and Katandra after Christmas.
Katandra
Ladder position: 10th
Grade: C-
Katandra’s hopes of a fourth consecutive finals campaign is under threat with only two wins to their name - albeit one of those coming against the reigning premier in the final round of the year - and finding themselves 12 points away from the top six.
With the second fewest amount of runs in the competition, there is a wide gap in the Eagles’ list of contributors – Ben Pedretti is far and away the leading run-scorer with 335, 170 clear of the next best in Corey Hickford, who also leads the wickets.
But it’s not all lost for Katandra; a run home that includes winless SCYU and Pine Lodge in the first two rounds of 2026 awaits, and if they can find an upset win against either Nagambie or Karramomus, the Eagles will be hoping the experience that has made them such a threat in recent times will allow them to pull off something special.
Kyabram
Ladder position: First
Grade: A+
You can’t fault the Redbacks start to the season.
Kyabram was the Haisman Shield premier two seasons ago and they’re looking every bit of that winning campaign, finishing on top of the ladder at the end of the year and clinching the one-day final over Central Park-St Brendan’s.
Kyle Mueller and Paul Parsons have been solid with the bat, but the Redbacks have been sensationally served by its bowling attack.
The three-pronged, right-arm pace attack of Sam Langley and Jackson and Charlie McLay have claimed 52 wickets between them and seen the Redbacks surrender the fewest amount of runs in the competition.
In short, watch out for the Redbacks when play resumes.
Mooroopna
Ladder position: Seventh
Grade: C+
Mooroopna and their coach Henry Barrow should be pleased with the start of their campaign, even if it has been a rollercoaster ride.
The Cats have already passed their win tally from past season and sit on the precipice of the top six with a 4-3 record.
After defending 98 against reigning premier Waaia in round one, the Cats have seen the full gamut of results, including a thrilling three-run win over last season’s other grand finalist Nagambie and a two-wicket defeat to top four side Karramomus.
Import Cyrus Shafi has been a revelation for the Cats with bat and ball, while Simon D’Elia’s reintroduction to the side after two seasons out of the A-grade side has brought some more experience into the set-up.
The Cats’ Christmas list will include another top six scalp, and they’ll have no shortage of opportunities to do so after the break with arguably the league’s hardest run home.
Numurkah (fifth), CPStB (second) and ladder leaders Kyabram await, but if Mooroopna can find a win in there, they may just book a return ticket to finals.
Nagambie
Ladder position: Sixth
Grade: B-
Last season’s grand finalist has been a bit hot and cold this time around, but a statement win to finish the year and holding sixth place on the ladder means Nagambie is still a threat.
The Lakers routed CPStB by 155 runs in round seven and were well served by a range of stars whose form is beginning to peak at the right time, including Mitch Winter-Irving, Mark Nolan, and leading wicket-taker Brayden Biggs, who has taken 15 wickets at a meagre average of 10.
It’s all about timing your run in the premiership-winning caper, and it seem the Lakers, despite holding the final spot in the six, are on the bubble as they look to go one better than last year.
Numurkah
Ladder position: Fifth
Grade: B-
For two seasons running, the Blues have missed out on the top six on the last home and away round, and given the vein of form they’re in, it may come down to the wire once again.
A 4-3 record with a strong quotient has the Blues in fifth, but while its a game behind the leading pack, for the most part its losses have come in respectable fashion.
The Blues lost its opening two one day games to eventual one day premiers Kyabram and reigning Haisman Shield premiers Waaia, before going on a four-game winning streak that was broken by fourth-placed Tatura.
Dylan Grandell’s match-winning century against Nagambie was a beacon however, as was Raguvaran Aravinthan’s dual four-wicket hauls against Katandra and Nagambie, displaying that there is enough talent on the Numurkah list to see it through to March action in 2026.
While it’s been a positive start to the season, the Blues get no more than a B- because, well, they’ve been here two times before and it hasn’t gone their way.
If Numurkah don’t get bundled out of the top six on the final day again, its post-season report card will be reflected with more optimism.
Old Students
Ladder position: Ninth
Grade: C
It’s been a rocky start for Old Students, but despite that, it’s finals chances haven’t been shaken yet.
A 3-4 record has the club a game outside the top six, but statistics suggest Old Students are up there with the contenders.
Old Students ranked fifth for runs scored this season and for wickets taken, highlighting it can do damage with both bat and ball.
However, its downfall has been its ability to bowl tight, conceding the second most runs of any Haisman Shield club this summer.
Rehan Bari has been instrumental though, averaging 53 runs with the willow, while Tiron Fernando leads the club with 11 wickets at the holiday break.
If Old Students can rein in the loose balls, there’s opportunity beckoning to ascend the ladder in an extremely tight Haisman Shield season.
Pine Lodge
Ladder position: 12th
Grade: D-
It’s been largely a season without optimism for the Lodgers, suffering an 0-7 record to start the year.
Pine Lodge rank second-last for runs scored and equal-last for wickets taken, and have suffered mammoth defeats on multiple occasions this summer.
What saves Pine Lodge from an F grading though is the sole positive of the year, import Dylan Hardy.
Hardy has scored the eighth-most runs this season (265) at an average of 37.9, 117 runs greater than the next best Pine Lodge bat.
Despite the side struggling, Hardy’s opening round ton has been followed by a half-century and a couple scores in the 30s and 40s in games the Lodgers have been wiped out by the Kookaburra.
Shepparton Youth Club United
Ladder position: 11th
Grade: D
Another club that has struggled to produce results on the pitch, SYCU was saved by rain to secure its first premiership points of the year in round six.
Still, it has an 0-6 record, although its losses have been far more competitive than Pine Lodge’s, reflected by a substantially better quotient at the Christmas break.
Jake Callow and Sebastian Menzhausen have been impressive, ranked 10th and 12th respectively for runs scored in the league, but it’s inability to take wickets is clear in the stat sheet - the top ranked wicket taker for SYCU is Grayson Widmer, ranked 38th.
In its final four matches, United play Katandra and Pine Lodge at the beginning and end of its post-break stretch, providing two potential winning opportunities before its summer closes, with games against Numurkah and Central Park-St Brendan’s its other chances as long underdogs.
Tatura
Ladder position: Fourth
Grade: A-
Preseason, Tatura coach Daniel Coombs made his intentions clear that this was a side growing with experience after its rise to finals in 2024-25.
What better way to live up to the hype than a resilient victory against all odds in round seven, which has all but proven that Tatura is a legitimate contender as they hold fourth spot on the Haisman Shield ladder.
Now sitting with a 5-2 record with losses only to Karramomus and Nagambie, the red, white and blue are primed to attack the second half of the season.
The 2026 period will be a challenge no doubt, facing Central Park-St Brendan’s, Waaia and Kyabram across a four-match stretch, but as the club with the most runs scored this season, it has the depth to take on the league’s titans.
Waaia
Ladder position: Eighth
Grade: F
The Bombers have yet to lift off the tarmac this season.
Stunningly, the reigning premiers are ranked last for runs scored this season - in fact, they’re the only side yet to compile 1000 total runs - after ranking first in that metric in 2024-25.
Clearly, it is the reason behind a 3-3, eighth-placed start to the season.
Bundled out for less than 100 on three occasions already, Jaime Riley’s 75 in round four is the club’s top score, while Jordan Cleeland and Brandon Diplock are others to have raised the bat but not gone the full distance to a ton.
Cleeland is the Waaia top runscorer as of the Christmas break, but ranks 29th in the competition.
Waaia still need to play three top six sides in the run home, but a favourable fixture against Pine Lodge to kick start the new year could be what the Bombers need to breathe life back into its flag defence.