Sport
Gallery | Waaia scrapes through its 80 Haisman Shield overs to put a tough task on the hosts’ plate at Princess Park
It wasn’t easy on day one, but it looks like each team will have equal opportunity to bat in this Cricket Shepparton Haisman Shield affair.
Shepparton Youth Club United and Waaia took to Princess Park with different ambitions, but a visiting outfit known for being free-scoring on its day would have felt lucky to have first crack with the bat after losing the toss.
Unfortunately in the early going, though, Liam Evans’ struggles on offence would only continue courtesy of a five-ball duck inflicted by Sam Nash.
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Waaia's Jordan Cleeland and Will Trower catch up in the middle. Photo by Megan FisherImage 2 of 12
Waaia's Jordan Cleeland cuts one outside off. Photo by Megan FisherImage 3 of 12
Shepparton Youth Club United's Sam Nash dealt in typical fashion. Photo by Megan FisherImage 4 of 12
Shepparton Youth Club United's Joseph Hammond had to get it done in the field as well. Photo by Megan FisherImage 5 of 12
Waaia's Jordan Cleeland has automatic runs on his mind. Photo by Megan FisherImage 6 of 12
Shepparton Youth Club United's Sebastian Menzhausen just gets in the way of a four. Photo by Megan FisherImage 7 of 12
Shepparton Youth Club United's Joseph Hammond puts everything into fielding. Photo by Megan FisherImage 8 of 12
Shepparton Youth Club United's Abe Lake assesses his field. Photo by Megan FisherImage 9 of 12
Waaia's Will Trower eyes off a sweep. Photo by Megan FisherImage 10 of 12
Shepparton Youth Club United's Jake Smith gives it off after a dot ball. Photo by Megan FisherImage 11 of 12
Shepparton Youth Club United's Steven Tate takes a pause between deliveries. Photo by Megan FisherImage 12 of 12
Shepparton Youth Club United's Jake Smith fancies himself on a run out chance. Photo by Megan FisherWhile Nash has contributed his share of tremendous workhorse shifts across his stint in the Haisman, he deferred centre stage to Joe Hammond and youngster Brijesh Kumar, who each delivered breakthroughs when needed against a good batting side.
Mitch Cleeland had other ideas, as he typically does, and he made the run rate his primary responsibility in yet another swashbuckling knock that provokes questions about the batting title.
Of course, Kyle Mueller remains well in front for the Redbacks, but having not batted on day one against Old Students, Cleeland was able to close within 100 runs of the Kyabram dynamo courtesy of a damaging 91 which featured 11 fours and a six.
Hammond got his man in the end, but the lower order was determined to see day one out as Jesse Trower and Connor Brown combined brilliantly in a spirited late show.
Trower, in at eight, is obviously known for his bowling prowess but worked at exactly the pace his side needed to fall only two runs short of a half-century — not because he was dismissed, but because time simply ran out.
Having survived the day by the barest of margins, Waaia had more than its share of reward on the scoreboard in setting the combined 282 to win next weekend.
THE GAME SO FAR
Shepparton Youth Club United yet to bat trails Waaia 9-281 (Mitch Cleeland 91, Jesse Trower 48*, Brijesh Kumar 3-87)
Nash believes the game is still well and truly on.
“We’ll always back ourselves to try and make the runs,” Nash said.
“We feel we may have let them get 40-50 more than they should have from the position we had them in, but we gave a few different blokes a chance with the ball.
“Joe Hammond bowled really well, and probably the most he’s ever bowled in A-grade, and Brijesh was only playing his second game of A-grade today with close to 30 overs, so that’s really promising for us as a club.
“We back ourselves to chase any total, especially on our home deck. We haven’t had a great season, but there have been a couple of games where we’ve chased big numbers.
“If we go 80 overs, I’m sure we’ll get very close.”