A large part of why is most certainly ladder-leading Waaia’s decision to bat first, though Euroa’s total in reply would have been much more competitive against most other sides in the competition.
Alas, the Bombers were able to flex their offensive might one more time in a game they were universally fancied to win, coming up 86 runs to the good for a seventh league victory.
It would be remiss to go any further without going into the batting wizardry of century-maker Brayden Carey, who eviscerated Magpie bowlers in a scintillating display.
THE GAME
Euroa 7-173 (Declan Redfern 42, Andrew Squires 35*, Jordan Cleeland 3-8) lt Waaia 9-259 (Brayden Carey 117, Reinhardt Engler 38, Bradley Gleeson 3-43)
STAR PLAYER
Brayden Carey (Waaia): This one was stitched up with time to spare, as Carey’s mesmerising aggression with the bat saw the contest evaporate before Euroa’s eyes.
Carey’s might looked unstoppable as he found the boundary no fewer than 17 times (14 fours, three sixes) and walloped his way up the scoring charts, now only trailing perennial pacesetter Rehan Bari.
Eventually, his day came to a close off the bowling of recent Junior Country Week leader Walter Jackson, but the damage was more than done, a spectacular innings of 117 off 95 balls now complete.
It’s become a common sight to see a Waaia opening partnership that lasts more than 50 runs, but the pace picked up even further once Sam Trower departed at 1-61.
A monster 119-run rampage would ensue between Carey and Reinhardt Engler, with the rate of scoring only slowing once the swashbuckling danger man was finally undone.
The Magpies’ bowlers regrouped effectively without Carey, to their credit, though the total had quickly started to look insurmountable before the moment came.
One fact that may be overlooked in the grand picture is that Waaia actually lost 8-79 from Carey’s dismissal to the 45-over mark, which shows that Magpie heads picked right up again.
In setting 260 for victory, few would have backed the Magpies to scale the mountain, but having lasted all 45 overs might have been a strategic victory in itself for the Haisman’s lone winless side.
Though the majority of Euroa’s seemingly doomed chase followed the formula, sitting at 7-113 after Vaughan Kirk became Jordan Cleeland’s third victim, one must commend Andrew Squires and Jackson for their efforts to stem the flow.
A 60-run stand for an eighth wicket that never came was vital in preventing another collapse, but the Magpies were never in the hunt for an upset.
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