Do or die for Ky

By Gus Underwood

Mar 4, 2025

Kyabram's Kyle Mueller and his team will be looking for a better result this weekend. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

Kyabram will be looking to repeat an early season win over Waaia when the first round of Cricket Shepparton’s Haisman Shield finals are played on Saturday, March 8 and Sunday, March 9.

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A heart-stopping one-wicket loss to top side Central Park-St Brendan’s on the final day of the final home-and-away home round last Saturday saw the reigning premier slip from third to fourth on the ladder to book a berth against Waaia in the sudden death final at Waaia.

Waaia displaced Kyabram in third place with a dominant five-wicket win over Mooroopna.

In a meeting earlier this season Kyabram had a decisive win over Waaia but Kyabram skipper Kyle Mueller doesn’t expect a repeat this weekend.

‘‘They have peaked at the right time of the season and we will need to be at our best to beat them this time,“ Mueller said.

‘‘We had Shaf (Maroofkhel) and Jack Donnell playing the last time we met them and there are no longer with us so our attack has to really step up to give us a chance.

‘‘But we are good at responding to challenges and we’ll give it our best shot.“

Kyabram was pipped by Central Park-St Brendan’s with one ball remaining in a pulsating finish to the clash at Kyabram on Saturday.

Former Premier Cricket player Connor Hayes with a 127 was the batting hero for the visitors while spinner Louis Sabbagh-Holt with 4-21 and new ball bowler Jackson McLay with 3-78 off a marathon 26.5 overs were the bowlers who kept Kyabram into game right to the finish.

X Kyabram’s B-grade side also suffered a narrow loss to CPSTB, with the home side at Deakin Reserve covering Kyabram’s score of 222 with one wicket in hand.

Matt McDonald and Jason Parsons, each with three wickets and Riley Morris with two did their best to bring off the win for Kyabram.

X Kyabram’s E-grade side flew the flag for the club on the day and finished the season in a blaze of glory with a seven-wicket win over Old Students.

Batting first Old Students posted 5-176 but Kyabram’s batters were up to the challenge with openers Marc Coates and Dino Letizia with half centuries providing the start needed to pull off the win with seven wickets in hand.

The Redbacks snuck into fourth spot on the table by one point, and now face minor premier Katandra at Katandra on Saturday with a spot in the grand final on the line.