Kyabram bring back the Bush Bash with ruthless victory over Numurkah

Numurkah won the toss and elected to bowl first at Kyabram Recreation Reserve, but the Blues were unable to forge a formidable partnership throughout its innings.

Blues openers Dylan Grandell and Matthew Price made a start, putting 28 runs on the board before Price was caught, and while Grandell would make a defiant 57, the rest of the order would fall like flies around him.

Kyabram spinner Louis Sabbagh-Holt did a lot of the early grunt work with the ball, claiming three of the top five while also being the man to catch out Price.

Nicholas Chambers’ late spell skittled the bottom order, while also claiming the elusive wicket of Grandell.

A middle order partnership between Grandell and Kody Jackson alleviated tension somewhat for Numurkah, but collapses of 5-26 and 5-28 were on either side of the pair’s 63-run stand.

“We had them around 5-50 going into the drinks break, but we had a 25-minute lapse where we went away from what we were doing well and gave them a bit of a sniff to get back in the game,” Kyabram coach Jackson McLay said.

“These little lapses we’ll have to iron out but overall I was pretty happy.”

Numurkah was bowled out for 145 halfway through the 42nd over, providing the Redbacks with confidence to chase down its target.

But it was a nervy start for the red and black.

Billy McLay was sent walking for a golden duck for an LBW call, and besides a well-timed cut shot for four by Paul Parsons, the Blues’ opening over was tight and pressure-filled.

What followed though suggested anything but the fact that the Blues were on top.

Parsons, Kyle Fitzgerald and second drop Kyle Mueller bashed the ball about at the crease across the next 10 overs, with four overs going for runs in double digits, and only once could Numurkah restrict Kyabram to under a run a ball.

The second and third-wicket partnerships combined for 105 runs, leaving the Redbacks 41 shy of victory - and 32 overs still remained.

“They were just hitting good cricket shots, hitting through the line of the ball,” McLay said.

The clinical scoring rate was infectious, leading to a trio of Redbacks falling cheaply, but there was little doubt Kyabram would find its way to the target of 146.

Numurkah’s Riley Dawson was the shining light with the ball, impressively managing a restrictive run rate and delivering a peach to bowl Lukas Hanslow.

But Kyabram’s ruthlessness will send a fierce warning to the competition about how venomous these Redbacks will be with both bat and ball this season.

And McLay thinks there is room to improve on top of such a killer display.

The Redbacks coach conceded there were 10-over patches in both bowling and batting innings where Kyabram went away from what had delivered such merciless results throughout the game.

With hopes to hone the focus for the entire 45 overs in future games, the Redbacks may still have more ruthless wins to come.

“It’s probably a little bit critical but I think we should have cruised through only two or three down, we were 2-100 but beat them with six down in the end.

“But we haven’t won in round one since season 2021, so to walk away with that against a side that’s challenging to play finals is a good stepping stone.”