McLay’s great eight books Kyabram’s grand final ticket, bundles out Central Park-St Brendan’s in straight sets

Sound familiar?

While CPStB’s Jarrod Wakeling (5-83) spun plenty of damage with the ball on day one for the Tigers, Kyabram still managed to produce partnerships in good stead, albeit its innings was wrapped up two overs short.

Cade Mueller (39) and Billy McLay (48) produced a 62-run opening stand, before Wakeling took his first scalp of the afternoon as a Mueller strike down the ground was caught in the outfield.

McLay and Paul Parsons’ stand didn’t last long thereafter as the Redbacks veteran guided Rhiley Lau’s first delivery of the day straight to the slips cordon for a simple catch.

CPStB’s Brendan Scott caught the edge of McLay to render the Redbacks 3-105, before Alec Young skyed a top edge to point off of a Wakeling skidder.

Wakeling’s wizardry would continue, next in the outfield, instinctively sticking out a mitt at short mid-on to take a one-handed catch off Ramadan Yze’s bowling, before returning to his mark to remove Lukas Hanslow caught and bowled.

But in between Wakeling’s spells, the Redbacks continued to find avenues to score, reaching 6-165 as Hanslow fell at the start of the 66th over.

Kyabram gun Kyle Mueller proved to be difficult to get rid of also, notching a patient 53 with just three boundaries off 123 balls to steady the Redbacks towards its total of 217, but it would be Wakeling who dismissed the skipper in the 78th over, Mueller accepting his fate before the ball was even caught in the field after serving up a sitter.

However, his innings was vital, and while the Redbacks were forced to shut up shop with the bat two overs early, Kyabram coach Jackson McLay was more than happy with the effort at the crease.

“The plan was to bat as long as possible, we tend to score pretty freely at times but the objective was to keep them in the field for as long as we could,” McLay said.

“If you look at it, it’s probably the longest we’ve batted all year.

“We had three blokes face over 90 balls, so if you have that, you know you’re building partnerships, and you chip away and all of a sudden you’re up around 200.

“Then if you bowl well, you’re more than in the game.”

On day two, the match continued to sit evenly poised - until the coach of Kyabram had his say.

While humble and deflective of his achievement post-game, the answer was undeniable when posed the question.

Career-best figures of 8-43.

After a 21-run opening partnership, CPStB’s Jack McCarten was sent to the sheds after swinging across the line, but the ball would only cannon into his pads for an LBW dismissal.

Sam Holland was next to rip off the pads in disappointment in McLay’s next over, as the Tiger slashed a shot into the slips cordon, while Connor Hayes left the ball through to the keeper three deliveries later - except it tickled the glove, and McLay’s spell had suddenly brought the Tigers to their knees at 3-22.

However, if there were two men that could stabilise the innings, it would be skipper Tyler Larkin and Rhiley Lau, who has been a proven run scorer against the Redbacks this season, including the one day final.

The pair tidily ticked over the scoreboard while withstanding serious bowling venom from a trio of pace Redbacks bowlers, building a potential game-saving stand.

But as the runs dried up, Lau went eager on a Charlie McLay delivery in the slot, smoking the Kookaburra onto the offside but into the safe hands of Cade Mueller, ending a 40-run stand.

Larkin looked set to continue on nonetheless with Mitchell Brett at the crease, but the captain’s hopes to lead his side to a grand final were quickly dashed.

While the weather made for the perfect afternoon for a barbecue, Larkin certainly didn’t expect himself to be the main meal on Kyabram Recreation Reserve’s pitch.

Larkin punched a ball onto the offside and immediately called to push for a single, but was sent back to the danger end by Brett as Louis Sabbagh-Holt darted the Kookaburra towards the stumps.

Billy McLay dived onto the indirect throw and flicked the rock backwards as Larkin made a desperate scramble, but the bails had been dislodged.

The raucous cheers in the field told the story.

CPStB’s danger man was gone in agonising fashion, and marked the turning point in the game to ascend Kyabram into favouritism.

“We felt the games was on a knife’s edge at that time, for a five or six over period there were a lot of half chances that weren’t quite going our way,” McLay said.

“We just kept turning the wheel and the run out came, and it was fantastic.

“It probably wasn’t the best throw in, and Billy probably half-arsed the swipe at the stumps, but we got that and we were away,” McLay concluded light-heartedly.

McLay would claim five poles on his own after tea, four of which clean bowled the Tigers’ tail with real pace, securing the Redbacks its spot in the Haisman Shield grand final by 94 runs.

In the best figures of his career, McLay reflected modestly on the whirlwind innings.

“Like I said to the guys, if you bowl in partnerships, everyone’s gonna get what I say is a lick of the ice cream,” he said.

“If you look at finals the last couple of years, there’s plenty that have had their lick of the ice cream, and today was probably my day, a few went my way.

“I’ll enjoy it and hopefully next week we can back it up, and it might be someone else’s turn.”

Kyabram will play a rejuvenated Waaia outfit that has come from the clouds in the latter stages of this season, the Bombers defeating Karramomus at Vibert Reserve on Sunday.

Coach McLay said it was an opportunity the club won’t take for granted.

“They’re obviously a very strong side coming in with great form similar to us,” McLay said.

“We’ve talked about this for the last 12 months after we got washed out this time last year, so it’s been our journey to get this opportunity.

“We’re going to be throwing the kitchen sink at it.”