A blend of youth and experience has guided Katandra to an impressive first innings total in its round 10 Cricket Sheppartin Haisman Shield two-day match against Nagambie.
The host won the toss and elected to bat at Katandra Recreation Reserve on Saturday afternoon.
However, winning the coin flip appeared to be a poisoned chalice in the opening stages as the Eagles were left squawking at 4-15.
The usual suspects of captain Mark Nolan (4-63 from 30 overs) and Mitch Winter-Irving (2-18 from nine) did the damage for Nagambie.
Nolan in particular was in fine touch as his precise line and length antics snared the wickets of Ben Clurey, Ben Pedretti and Andrew Riordan.
But Nagambie’s out-of-this-world start was soon interrupted by the “men in Black”.
Brothers Mitch (32 runs off 106 balls) and Brady Black (37 off 78) stepped to the crease and rescued Katandra from the hole it had dug.
The pair, while lightning between the wickets, slowed the game down and wrenched back a slice of the momentum.
When Mitch departed — thanks again to Nolan — the man they call “Horse”, Hadleigh Sirett, walked to the crease with the score sat at 6-100.
The seasoned veteran then became an agitating thorn in Nagambie’s side as he not only refused to get out but started to up the run rate.
Sirett struck an unbeaten 82 runs off 121 balls (two boundaries and two sixes) to guide Katandra to a commanding first innings total of 8-226.
Tail-ender Sam Green also produced his best performance for the season with the bat (27* off 58) to create a 93-run ninth-wicket partnership with Sirett.
The “Horse” has been galloping for Katandra this summer, hitting 203 runs at an average of 101.5, while also taking 14 wickets as an opening bowler.
THE GAME
Katandra 8-226 (Hadleigh Sirett 82*, Brady Black 37, Mark Nolan 4-63) lead Nagambie (yet to bat)
Katandra coach Ryleigh Shannon said his side was fortunate with how deep its batting line-up runs.
“It’s a luxury to be able to have Hadleigh come in that late in the order, especially with the power he has and he can really punish you later in the day,” Shannon said.
“To Greeny’s credit, he works really hard on his batting, even though he doesn’t get that many opportunities.
“It was important for us to nullify the bowlers up the top because it was going to get easier out there (later), especially with the heat.
“Mitch and Brady were able to do that for us and Hadleigh and Greeny were able to reap the rewards of that hard work.”
The importance of the Black brothers’ 58-run partnership can’t be understated when analysing Katandra’s performance.
Shannon was glowing in his praise of the young gun batters who saved the Eagles from a potential collapse.
“It is refreshing to not have to rely on our 30-plus-year-olds like we have done for the past six or seven years,” he said.
“(Mitch and Brady) really stepped up and they have become batters that we can really rely on.
“Teams should be concerned about them when they come to the crease in the next few games.”
From an opposition standpoint, Shannon said he was amazed — but not shocked — by Nolan’s fitness and continuity while bowling 30 of his side’s overs as a quick.
“I wasn’t that surprised as I looked through the stats and he bowls an enormous amount of overs,” he said.
“A few of us other fast bowlers were saying we would have keeled over by then, so it was extremely impressive.
“It’s why he is one of the premier fast bowlers in the league and why when he comes to Katandra he finds every inch that the wicket can give.”
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