In what was billed as a lopsided Cricket Shepparton Haisman Shield affair pre-toss, Waaia did eventually move past Pine Lodge — but one man made it so.
Bombers’ opening blade Brayden Carey flashed almost half his side’s total during a 35-over stand in the middle, making lemonade from lemons at Lemnos Recreation Reserve against the plucky Lodgers.
Saturday’s 59-run win seems routine on paper, but subtract Carey’s heroics and a whole new picture is painted.
Pine Lodge won the toss, opted for the rock and struck before all flecks of dew had evaporated from the field as Waaia’s Damien Atkins trudged off for two after Tiron Fernando splayed his stumps.
Here Carey began his march, but by no means were the Bombers in tune.
At 3-28, the wheels were wobbling and Fernando was jumping as he removed boom recruit Liam Evans for a globe two balls after trapping Jordan Cleeland leg-before-wicket.
Mitch Cleeland, fresh off a century, provided Waaia 13 overs of surety, but he headed to the sheds with 26 runs cashed in, and by the time Carey’s wicket was removed, the Bombers were out of the woods at 5-155.
Pine Lodge cleaned up the tail quick smart, ripping through the final five batters for 27 runs to set itself a target of 183 runs for an upset victory.
Unfortunately for Travis Waters’ troops, they found themselves in an even more precarious position than their foes in the first innings at 6-46 with three ducks speckled on a sad looking score sheet.
Remarkably, number 10 bat Gill Nav turned out to be the unexpected renegade.
THE GAME
Waaia 182 (Brayden Carey 89, Mitch Cleeland 26, Tiron Fernando 4-25) d Pine Lodge 123 (Gill Nav 34, Ryan Kearney 21, Jesse Trower 3-17)
STAR PLAYER
Brayden Carey (Waaia): Waaia has had two big contributors in two weeks, but Carey’s 89 was arguably more important in the grand scheme when stacked up to Mitch Cleeland’s 110 the week prior. Oh, and a catch behind the stumps certainly didn’t dent his chances of claiming best afield merits.
He rattled Waaia’s cage, whipping off four boundaries and two maximums and became the glue on the Bombers’ shoe with every other Pine Lodge player bested by the ball.
Nav would hole out on 34 to signal the end of the match, not before earning the respect of his teammates and ensuring the Lodgers won’t be circled as an easy-beat by the other Haisman Shield candidates in their debut A-grade season.
For Waaia, Jesse Trower and Jordan Cleeland each collected three poles, while Will Trower (2-7) and Hayden Hixon (2-20) were instrumental in orchestrating the hosts’ downfall.
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