Gallery | Tigers tame Cats as rapid fire run chase hoists Central Park into second on Haisman Shield ladder

Victorious skipper Tyler Larkin said while not perfect, the performance was polished enough to hoist the Tigers to another run-heavy win.

“It was a really good chase; we’ve been batting well all year but it’s probably glossing over a bit,” he said.

“A bit of credit goes toward Mooroopna, they batted really well and put a lot of pressure on us with our bowling.

“It’s probably not the most complete game we’ve played, but we’ll take the points and move on.”

Though Central Park-St Brendan’s were toasting celebratory cold ones at the day’s end, the afternoon began very much on Mooroopna’s terms.

Sent in first, the Cats compiled a commanding 8-226 on the back of a magnificent century from Joel May.

The opener was in complete control from ball one, blasting 106 from 103 deliveries as he threaded the needle through the field and cleared it when required as he anchored the innings.

He received solid support from Cyrus Shafi (31) at the top, while Jack Gaskill (32) and Paul McDonald (28) ensured the total had enough weight behind it to pose a challenge to the Tigers.

Central Park’s bowlers worked hard without quite landing the decisive blow, with six individual players jagging one wicket apiece as well as two run outs added in the mix.

But when it came time to bat, the Tigers truly bared their teeth.

Rhiley Lau and Nate Earl seized control, batting with maturity and freedom in equal measure as Lau was the aggressor in chief, hammering 89 from just 66 balls — 16 fours and a towering six — while Earl played a composed supporting hand with 30.

Larkin said the approach was never meant to be as furious as it turned out.

“We said in the first 15 overs you can lose the match but you can’t really win it. But Rhiley and Nate came out there and batted extremely well,” he said.

“They were just batting to be honest; they weren’t playing shots that were out of character, they were hitting the gaps and running well between the wickets.

“That first partnership, they put on close to 130 so that laid a good platform for Connor and myself to come in and do the rest of the work.”

Even when Lau departed, the Tigers never lost their shape.

Connor Hayes added a handy 38 before a run-out injected a sliver of late tension, but Larkin stepped up when it counted.

The skipper finished unbeaten on 64 from 49 balls - including a maximum to win the game - as he guided Central Park home with 10 overs to spare.

Larkin was quick to credit the conditions.

“It was a beautiful batting wicket — good grass, good bounce and a quick outfield,” he said.

“Around that 200–220 mark was probably about par in the end.”

Mooroopna’s bowlers fought valiantly, with Cooper Sleeth (1-51) and Travis Carter (1-26) making inroads, but once Lau and Larkin found rhythm, the target always felt within reach.

Looking ahead, Larkin was pragmatic about his side’s position.

“As the old adage goes, you’ve just got to play what’s in front of you for the next couple of weeks,” he said.

“I don’t think we’ll catch Kyabram by any means and we just want to finish as high as we can.

“The goal for us right now is to stitch up second and make sure we get a home final, and then play out from there. But we won’t be looking too far past Shepp United next week.”