A 155-run dismantling of Waaia was the culmination of the Redbacks finally producing the polished performance playing coach Jackson McLay had been forecasting.
It featured a complete batting innings, partnerships stacked neatly like bricks, followed by a bowling display that squeezed Waaia until the pressure finally snapped.
“It was a fantastic win; everything we’ve been speaking about over the past four or five weeks about finishing off our batting innings was exceptional,” McLay said.
“With the ball we were really good again – we were able to build pressure at both ends.
“They had to go at five an over, we were able to keep them to three in the power play and that put huge pressure on.
“Once we got that first wicket, it all sort of snowballed our way after that. I thought that all the boys did really well; we were able to stick to our plans, execute them, and it went in our favour.”
Batting first, Kyabram’s top order played the innings in chapters as Paul Parsons set the early tone with a composed 74, while his opening partner Kyle Fitzgerald chimed in with a busy 37.
However, the heartbeat of the innings belonged to Kyle Mueller.
‘‘The Wiz’’ finished untouched on 76 not out, anchoring Kyabram’s pursuit of a big score, while brother Cade crafted a late-innings 35 to carry the Redbacks to 3-235 — an imposing tally made even more impressive by the wicket conditions.
“It wasn’t the easiest pitch to bat on, it was really slow with a bit of inconsistent bounce, so full credit to our batters to be able to knuckle down,” McLay said.
“They said it was really hard to start, so once they got in, it was important to go big and Kyle and Paul were able to do that and then Cade came in and finished off with a 30-odd which was fantastic as well.”
However, the chase was where the contest collapsed into a kind of slow-motion car crash.
Waaia began with patience as the Bombers set about chasing a sizeable target, opener Sam Trower standing firm for his 41.
But when he saw his thick edge find Parsons’ hands, everything else fell with him.
Waaia lost its next four wickets without adding a single run, the middle and bottom order simply vanishing under Kyabram’s surging seam and spin pressure as the Bombers were bundled out for 80.
Kyabram’s bowlers were ruthless, as Charlie McLay led the way with 3-28, while Louis Sabbagh-Holt, Jackson McLay and Lukas Hanslow each pocketed two wickets.
“We knew how hard it was to start, so we tried to put as much pressure on as possible,” McLay said.
“We created some chances early – we put them down unfortunately – but once we did get one to stick to hand, we were able to get on a run.
“Hopefully it’s a sign of things to come; we’ve added Sam Langley and I think our bowling is going to be really hard to get away and we look like we’ve gelled really well already.”
The win moves Kyabram to 4-1 and, more importantly, places it in an ideal spot heading into the two-day portion of the season.
“For a while now I’ve thought we’re a better two-day cricket team,” McLay said.
“Our four frontline bowlers like to bowl long spells, two-day cricket suits that.
“I’m excited with what two-day cricket brings; Katandra at Katandra is always a tough side, but we’ve had good success there over the past few years.
“We’re excited to get into the two-day cricket, for me it’s still the pinnacle of it all.”
THE GAME
Kyabram 3-235 (Kyle Mueller 76 not out, Paul Parsons 74, Sam Trower 1-26) d Waaia 80 (Sam Trower 41, Jordan Cleeland 13, Charlie McLay 3-28)
STAR PLAYER
Kyle Mueller (Kyabram): ‘’The Wiz’’ does it again. While all of Kyabram’s top order fired, Mueller’s 76 not out at a near run-a-ball rate boosted the Redbacks’ total to a formidable one.
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