It was a box the Kyabram Cricket Club was yet to tick, but now the Redbacks can officially call themselves Cricket Shepparton Haisman Shield one day premiers.

After a roller coaster day in harsh Kyabram Recreation Reserve sun, the Redbacks were initially crawling back to the shade, before finding some venom and aggression to bite Central Park-St Brendan’s hopes of back-to-back one day flags.

Kyabram won the toss and elected to bat, and it originally seemed like a decision that would come back to haunt the Redbacks.

As Central Park-St Brendan’s’ Dwain Vidler stood at his mark for the opening delivery, Kyle Fitzgerald tapped his bat once on the turf wicket as Vidler strode in, and once again as the Tigers paceman wound back his arm.

The ball was a scintillating peach.

A good length delivery, Fitzgerald played a straight bat but missed, with the top of off stump copping a white bullet, sending bails flying to the northern end of the ground and booking the Redbacks opener for a trip to the sheds, with a golden duck next to his name.

Billy McLay was next in line to feel the wrath of Vidler.

McLay kept out three deliveries, but on his fourth caught the edge, with a sharp slips catch diving down left taken by Jarrod Wakeling.

It was the start of “nightmares” for coach Jackson McLay’s side.

“After the first over, I was having nightmares about last year's one dayer,” McLay said, referencing Central Park-St Brendan’s one day flag over Nagambie last season.

“I think they were bowled out for around 40, so we just needed partnerships to get going.”

Fortunately, some level heads were at the crease to stabilise the sinking Kyabram ship.

Veteran Redback Paul Parsons and star bat Kyle Mueller dug deep against a firing Tigers attack, utilising their batting craft that has proved to be match winning across many games before to leap out of the hole Vidler had thrown the club into.

Across the next nine overs of action, the run rate began to tick over, and when Parsons’ stint ended with 18 runs to his name, Kyabram was in a far stronger position at 3-49.

Brendan Scott spun some magic to dismiss Mueller on 39, while a quick fire 25 from Cade Mueller saw the surname sharer fall just four runs after Kyle was dismissed.

It entered Alec Young into the middle, who continued hot form after a score of 65 the week prior to deliver his second-highest total of the season, making the highest score for the Redbacks in the one day final.

Young’s 44 off 77 contributed to 108 runs scored by Kyabram’s middle order, in partnerships that set up a defendable total.

An impressive 10th wicket partnership furthered Kyabram’s chance at glory, with 32 runs scored between Charlie McLay and Louis Sabbagh-Holt, the latter dismissed on the final ball of the innings to see the Redbacks finish all out for 182.

McLay was proud of his men for the fightback after the rough start.

“The boys just grinded away to get us to a solid position,” McLay said.

“I thought our middle order, and especially our tail enders, to get us to 180 - you haven't batted them out of the game, but you've put a total on the board that will back our bowlers to defend every day of the week.”

It left Kyabram to weave its restrictive web with the ball, but against a deep batting line-up like Central Park, it was possible the Redbacks’ form with the Kookaburra would fall flat in the final.

Initially, it was impossible to tell which club was on top.

Two maidens started the innings, but it would take until the 10th over for a breakthrough, with Charlie McLay catching the edge of Jack McCarten’s bat, which Tim Nelson simply caught behind the stumps, leaving the Tigers at 1-32.

While one brought two for the Tigers following their opening wicket, Kyabram had to continue to grind for its second.

Positively though, the Redbacks’ plan to “bowl in partnerships” was unfolding accordingly.

Central Park-St Brendan’s compiled a 29-run second wicket partnership, but it took 10 overs to score such runs, leaving scoreboard pressure in the favour of the Redbacks.

However, with plenty of wickets in hand, devil’s advocate could argue it was a well-paced innings from the Tigers.

But Parsons claimed a huge scalp for the Redbacks’ second wicket, bowling Tigers coach Tyler Larkin for 11 to impose doubts into Central Park-St Brendan’s run chase.

Runs remained tight for the Tigers, and soon the Redbacks would be rewarded for effort.

With enough pressure, the dam wall must burst.

After a game-high knock of 49, Rhiley Lau couldn’t help but shake his head after smacking a Samuel Langley delivery straight down long on’s throat in the 24th over.

If there was any doubt Kyabram was the team on top it quickly faded seven balls later.

If Larkin’s exit was crucial, then Connor Hayes was the next pick Kyabram would have wanted to see the back of, and with him firing at 13 runs off 16 balls, the Tigers still had high aspirations for victory.

But Kyle Mueller had other ideas.

Off a Charlie McLay delivery, Hayes punched it aerially, with a sideways running Mueller leaping at full height to take a one handed screamer at mid off, and turn the tide strongly in the Redbacks’ favour.

It was the match’s pivotal moment.

“He's called the ‘Wiz’ for a reason,” McLay said post-game.

“He's an unbelievable athlete, so you give him a sniff in the air with the ball, you're probably going to be out.”

Langley picked up another wicket shortly after Hayes fell to see the Tigers loss 3-6 and sit at 5-92, still requiring another 91 runs with 17 overs left.

Ramadan Yze used his experience to see out an unbeaten knock of 26, but he couldn’t pick out the gaps, often having to settle for singles that left the tail exposed to an elite bowling brigade at the peak of their powers.

A gritty 10th wicket stand ultimately just delayed the inevitable, and as Langley tore Thomas Mellington’s stumps out the ground at the close of the 42nd over, Kyabram was home by 43 runs.

In a full team effort, multiple names put their hands up for man of the match honours - Paul Parsons was revered by Kyabram supporters for his contribution in the stabilising third wicket partnership and timely wicket of Larkin, Alec Young’s middle order knock was arguably a match-winner, while Charlie McLay and Samuel Langley each claimed three poles in Kyabram’s ruthless bowling innings.

The umpires rewarded the latter, with Langley claiming two medals for his figures of 3-26.

It’s Kyabram’s first one day premiership in the current Haisman Shield format, adding a new form of silverware to the club’s esteemed history in the competition.

“Extremely rapt for the boys and the club,” McLay said.

“There's a lot of work that goes on in the background, we had 15 players roll through the side since round one, but unfortunately, only 11 can take the field.

“But I’m extremely proud, for the position that we were in early in the day, to be able to pull that off is huge.”

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Thursday, 18th December 2025

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