Nagambie falters at final hurdle as Central Park-St Brendan’s claims Haisman Shield one-day title

It was anything but, as the Tigers got it done in a head-scratching, dumbfounding display.

The kicker? Sunday’s entire spectacle was wrapped up in 37.1 overs.

Central Park-St Brendan’s, led by the bowling heroics of evergreen stalwart Ramadan Yze, rolled the hosting Lakers for 42 before knocking the winning runs in less than an hour.

Winning captain Tyler Larkin stood at the crease as his Tigers saluted in record time, and was somewhat relieved to clinch one-day silverware after consecutive bridesmaid appearances in the white-ball decider.

“It's a bit of a monkey off the back, to be honest,” he said.

“We feel like we've been a really good team over the last sort of three to four years, and to have nothing to say for it until now - we've obviously haven't won a Haisman but that's on the to-do list - but it feels good.

“The boys are in good form, and we've still got some unfinished business to do, but this is nice.”

Central Park-St Brendan’s lost the first action of the day, but in a cosmic twist, Nagambie ended up doing the Tigers a gigantic favour.

Larkin admitted he would’ve batted if the coin flipped his way.

Instead, Mark Nolan got the favourable bounce and opted to pad up - a decision that would come to haunt his side in the sixth ball of play.

His brother Luke Nolan prodded at the final delivery of Dwain Vidler’s opening over, and when the ball hit the padded gloves of Nate Earl behind the pegs, down crashed the first domino in a Rube Goldberg-esque contraption crafted by Central Park’s fast hands.

At the fourth over, Nagambie stood at 3-2.

By the end of the 12th, dread had set in at 6-13.

But when the Lakers had flocked back to the sheds, all out for 42 with ninth batter Tom Barnes having top scored with 14, there was a palpable sense of astonishment emanating around Nagambie Recreation Reserve.

Even Larkin, in his post-game assessment, couldn’t quite finger the reason behind such an epic collapse.

“It didn't play like a bad wicket,” he said.

“It kept you honest ... I think it was just one of those games where they nicked everything and we caught everything, so it's rare that these days happen.”

Unsurprisingly, Central Park-St Brendan’s wasted little time needling its way to the spoils with less than a run an over required.

Having banked five runs in the first over, the Tigers looked to Rhiley Lau to up the ante further with a pair of booming boundaries through the off side via Mitch Winter-Irving’s bowling.

Nagambie was able to clot the run flow ever so slightly but resistance was futile, and even when Lau chopped onto his stumps to make it 1-22, the muffled Lakers’ celebrations were tremendously telling.

Larkin appeared at the crease and, after acclimatising, hooked one over deep midwicket and cut the next ball square for consecutive boundaries.

The winning runs were left to Tigers’ opener Andrew Boyington, who remarkably notched the game’s top score with 17 not out, as he flicked off the pads for four to prove the third time was in fact the charm for Central Park-St Brendan’s.

While Boyington’s shift was needed, the man of the hour was undoubtedly Yze.

His wizardous spell of 4-5 off seven overs drastically changed the game’s context, and Larkin was left revelling in his opener’s “crazy” performance with the Kookaburra.

“He's just so reliable in big games,” he said.

“I'd hate to know how many best-on-grounds he's got in footy and cricket, but he just seems to know how to rise when he's needed.

“Without those wickets at the top, it's a different game, so I'm bloody happy for him.”