Off a couple of eyebrow-raising setbacks, Kyabram entered the weekend with the toughest task of all against ladder-leading Central Park-St Brendan’s.
The Redbacks, in fact, got play underway without even the safety net of mathematical qualification secured despite a barnstorming run through the first few months of play.
Such is the tight-fisted nature of A-grade play, it was fast approaching time for the reigning premiers to make a statement on their home wicket out west.
Against the league’s most feared bowling attack, Jackson McLay’s men set about putting rumours of an early demise straight to bed.
In the process, the home side offered a far more stern resistance against the Tigers’ bowling staff than we had seen from anyone all season.
Billy McLay and Cade Mueller would each make patient and diligent starts to the day against a side missing competition-wide wicket leader Jarrod Wakeling.
Having been the two front-running sides for most of the season’s second half, it looked understandably difficult to predict in the early going - until, as you’ve seen countless times before, Kyle Mueller was unleashed.
The clear-cut batting champion looked as if his title might have been under a remote threat as the Redbacks’ fortunes sagged in recent times, but there was no doubt left before long as he fired up in trademark fashion.
Nine fours and two sixes were on the menu this time around as Mueller muscled the run rate due north, supported ably on the way by Paul Parsons as the visitors firmly went under the pump.
It was a sterling knock of 130 in the end, yet another century for the man who has impressed on all fronts this season, to help put by far the biggest total Central Park has conceded this season on the board.
THE GAME SO FAR
Kyabram 269 (Kyle Mueller 130, Paul Parsons 46, Brendan Scott 4-97) leads Central Park-St Brendan’s yet to bat
“We’ve given ourselves a hell of a chance,” Jackson McLay said at stumps.
“They’re a deep lineup, so you need runs on the board, but we had to put our best foot forward.
“We haven’t been up to standard the last two games, and we were really off it last week, so we asked for partnerships today and got ourselves into the 80th over.
“From that perspective, it hopefully gives us a bit of confidence going into next week.”
Having let the chance to secure their futures much earlier slip, there was a clear impetus on putting a contending side to the sword.
Having set the Tigers an almighty task next Saturday, McLay knows his side’s work remains unfinished looking at the season overall.
“We had an opportunity to sew up that spot and perhaps play for a higher one, but it goes to show the depth of the comp,” McLay said.
“We’ve seen results fall that way where, if you’re a little off, people will get you.
“It’s good for cricket, but we’re all about putting ourselves forward as we’re not satisfied with where we’re at.
“They’re an extremely good side and we’ve let ourselves down with the ball the last couple of weeks, so we won’t roll in and expect Central Park to roll over.”
