Cricket Shepparton's Haisman Shield saw Euroa host finals contender Katandra in a two-day fixture for round 12 at Euroa Friendly Society Recreation Reserve on Saturday.
After a disappointing loss the week prior to Mooroopna, Katandra was eager to make amends and push towards another finals series.
Euroa was also fresh following a sour defeat, after the Magpies lost to fellow cellar-dweller Pine Lodge in round 11.
The missed opportunity to secure its second win of the season and move clear of the bottom of the ladder led to a motivated Euroa on Saturday.
Having won the toss and electing to bat, the Magpies’ opening pair of Joshua Robertson and Vaughan Kirk got to work for the home side.
The duo forged an impressive 54-run opening stand before Kirk departed for 31 runs from 52 deliveries.
Robertson was the star of the first day’s play, as he struck 63 runs from 118 balls for the Magpies in a crucial top-order performance.
The opening batter peeled off 11 boundaries before falling to veteran Andrew Riordan’s tweakers.
Euroa captain Scott Hamilton said he hoped Robertson’s performance could instil belief into the young batter.
“(Robertson) batted exceptionally well,” Hamilton said.
“He is probably one of those talents where he will at some point have that lightbulb moment.
“He will make a 70, 80, 90 or a 100 at some stage and that will be his trampoline to realising what his talent actually is.
“It’s nice for a young guy to have a potentially match-defining innings.”
Euroa was sitting comfortably at 2-115 as the Katandra bowlers tried to fix their line and length.
However, Eagles import Seth Westley (3-36 from 14 overs) and Riordan (4-62 from 15.4) soon began to make inroads into the Magpies’ batting line-up.
The hosts quickly crumbled and lost 8-48 on a bowler-friendly deck.
Euroa finished its innings on 163 from 56.4 overs.
Despite gaining the upper hand of the contest in the second half of the first innings, Katandra was soon placed firmly on the back foot as a Euroa spinner spun his web.
Ben Pedretti departed three balls into the innings, with Stephen Barrett and brothers Brady and Mitch Black soon joining him in the sheds.
Having seen the carnage that spin had caused first-hand, the Eagles' spinning all-rounders Bailey Simpson and Riordan were left to try and save the visitors from their perilous position at 4-14.
Euroa spinner Sham Dadallage (3-14 from 10) got the better of Simpson shortly before stumps and left Katandra, and its finals hopes, reeling at 5-45 heading into day two.
THE GAME SO FAR
Euroa 163 (Joshua Robertson 63, Vaughan Kirk 31, Andrew Riordan 4-62) leads Katandra 5-45 (Andrew Riordan 19*, Bailey Simpson 17, Sham Dadallage 3-14)
Hamilton said he decided to lead with spin after watching how effective the Eagles' tweakers were.
“Riordo’ over at Katandra was turning it sideways,” he said.
“Based on his performance and the way he was bowling we thought it might be really beneficial to have ‘Shammy’ open up the bowling for us just to offer something different.”
With veteran Hadleigh Sirett (averaging 70.33 this season), all-rounder Graham Sharp and Corey Hickford (who has a century to his name this summer) still to come to the crease, Hamilton knows a lot of work remains for the Magpies to secure the win next Saturday.
“I think Katandra at times surprise a lot of teams with the depth they have," he said.
“We are under no allusion that we will have to play above our capability.
“Katandra is not a team that will just roll over and allow us to take the win; they will fight to the death.”
31°C