Sport

Gallery | Tigers in trouble after Nagambie knock season-high score

By Callum Farquhar

Dec 7, 2025

Nagambie's Zac Winter-Irving and Mitchell Winter-Irving combined for a 173-run partnership. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

If you were at Deakin Reserve on Saturday, you’d probably have the phrase ‘save ‘em!’ ticking away in your head repeatedly like a metronome.

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If 45 boundaries and another 45 cries of ‘save your legs’ in 80 overs doesn’t paint the picture, then Nagambie’s record score of the 2025-26 Haisman Shield season should - 8-325 at stumps of Saturday’s play.

The round seven clash between Central Park-St Brendan’s and Nagambie is a heavyweight battle between two sides currently perched first and eighth, although with just two wins separating the pair on the ladder, and it is expected to be a telling fixture leading into the Christmas break.

For the Tigers, a win on day two will all but shore up the top spot until 2026, while for Nagambie a win keeps them hunting the top six, and a loss sends them reeling behind with a month’s break to wait to make amends.

The Lakers, following day one’s efforts, are clearly ensuring the latter scenario is left purely to imagination.

Nagambie has produced the highest total of any Haisman Shield side this season - and the first team to break the 300-run mark.

While William Ulrich turned to see the bails on the Deakin Reserve turf after 13 balls for just one run, fellow Nagambie opener Tom Barnes helped himself to more than a run a ball knock of 32, before Ramadan Yze nabbed his pole, as well as first drop batter Ryan Matthews.

However, all that spelled was the entrance of the Mitchell Winter-Irving show, and soon after Zac Winter-Irving would join as co-star with Nagambie at 4-90.

While Zac played a patient innings, finding gaps and dispatching the odd bad ball, Mitchell swung hard to the fences on his way to a mammoth knock of 125.

Winter-Irving’s 10th career ton is his first of the season, and a score 83 runs higher than his previous best this year, depicting that the skipper is hitting form at the right time for the post Christmas break.

For Zac, he fell 16 runs short of a helmet-lifting total, but his 84 runs are his most in a game to date this season also.

When Mitchell was caught out in the field, a 173-run partnership had been woven, leaving the ladder-leaders in strife, and Nagambie on the verge of a crucial victory.

James Wilson’s not out score of 46 in the lower order was also impressive for the Lakers, while all CPStB bowlers had their moments, with the eight wickets split between five Tigers who took aim with the rock.

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Nagambie's Zac Winter-Irving and Mitchell Winter-Irving combined for a 173-run partnership. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

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Nagambie's James Wilson marches down the wicket. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

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Nagambie's Zac Winter-Irving gets low to block the ball. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

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Central Park St Brendan's Dwain Vidler charges up. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

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Nagambie's Zac Winter-Irving waltzes back to the crease. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

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Nagambie's Mitchell Winter-Irving middles the Kookaburra. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

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Central Park St Brendan's Dwain Vidler steams in. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

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Central Park St Brendan's Brendan Scott chucks back a hit to the fence. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

The Tigers require a monumental effort to get over the line, but it’s not one that’s off the cards - CPStB’s current runs per game average is the second-highest in the league, while they’ve lost considerably less wickets than any other team in the competition (11 less to be exact).

Nagambie’s total has the Lakers in the box seat, but a hot start from the Tigers on day two could leave spectators on the edge of their seats come Saturday evening next week.