Tatura rains runs on Euroa in an emphatic Haisman Shield performance

The round one victory over Shepparton Youth Club United was fierce.

But on Saturday, Tatura showed more bite than Euroa could withstand as Daniel Coombs’ side peeled off 276 runs for the loss of only three wickets, then backing it up by skittling the Magpies for 108 in a hostile attack at Friendlies Oval.

Coombs was among three Tat players to raise the bat on the day and was over the moon to string consecutive wins together to start the new campaign.

“I thought we did well; everyone contributed with the bat which was really, really good,” he said.

“I didn’t necessarily think the wicket was that easy to bat on — it was kind of a strange game, they’d tie us down for a few overs and then we’d hit three fours in one over.

“The outfield was very quick, you had to apply yourself and then just wait for the bad balls and put them away and then we were able to put a bit of pressure on them.”

Winning the toss and batting first on an electric outfield, Tatura got straight to work and had crossed the 50-run marker by the 13th over.

Import opener Matthew West was the first of only three casualties, ran out on 27 two overs later bringing Coombs to the crease alongside Preston Aurish.

For Tatura, this was where the fun began.

Aurish and Coombs smashed 82 runs for the second wicket, neither lifting a single maximum during their innings as they played good, smart cricket without risk.

Aurish was eventually trapped on 70 (13 fours), while Coombs had his castle crashed on 53, but Tatura’s young flames then carried the torch on a crusading tear to the 45th over.

Blake Armstrong made it back-to-back half-centuries as he chalked up 62 unbeaten runs, while Nicholas Watt chipped in with 37 not out, leaving Euroa with Mt Everest to climb on the chase.

Only one man — coach Andrew Squires — looked capable of scaling the summit.

However, when he walked on 55, the Magpies’ chances fizzled out spectacularly as Tatura’s rapier-like bowling brigade matched the batting display put on a few hours earlier.

Armstrong’s 3-29 was backed up by brother Jayden (2-10), while Chaz Cheatley was tidy for his 2-24 off nine overs.

Coombs also praised Aurish for a sturdy knock at the top and, while he’s not going the early crow, stated the foundations seeded for future success at Tatura were starting to break through the topsoil.

“There’s a good buzz and talk around the club that things are going in the right places,” Coombs said.

“There’s a lot of hard work that’s gone in through the last couple of years.

“We’ve invested in our junior players and I think we’re just starting to get to that age where they’re starting to mature and now we’ve got a team that we can give it a bit of a crack this year.”