Gallery | Rampant Redbacks destroy hapless United in A-grade T20 decider

Star all-rounder Kaine Herbert was the standout performer for the home side, taking 2-1 with the ball before whacking an unbeaten 50 to see the Redbacks to victory.

He claimed man of the match honours, while Kyle Mueller was deemed player of the tournament after striking 100 runs across the Redbacks’ three games.

But the win was set-up by a complete bowling performance, as all seven Kyabram bowlers registered a wicket to help roll United for a lowly 81.

This T20 title backs up Kyabram’s sparkling form in the one-day Haisman Shield competition, where it sits third on the ladder and in the midst of a seven-game winning streak.

Redbacks coach Jackson McLay said it was a fantastic feeling to come away with the win, but also noted it was a small step towards their ultimate goal.

“It is always good to put in a solid performance in a grand final and to get the medal was a bit of reward for effort over the course of the T20 series,” McLay said.

“We used the T20s as a chance to try a few things, especially with our batting order, and I was quite surprised with the commitment of the guys to back up with an extra game.

“That just shows the commitment and hunger of the group at the moment and how well we are clicking.

“We do understand that there are bigger fish to fry though and we go into the rest of the season with a lot of confidence.”

Winning the toss and batting first, United could never find any fluency with the stick, as each Kyabram bowler maintained the pressure to bring about consistent breakthroughs.

A quick-fire 25 off 10 by Darshana Lokuhettige provided the only real highlight for the visitors, who could not build a partnership of more than 40 to be dismissed within 17 overs.

“I thought we started well with the ball and in the field as well, we saved a lot of boundaries and applied great pressure with our intensity,” McLay said.

“We knew they were going to come hard, but our bowlers just adjusted their lines perfectly and continued to complement each other really well.”

Needing 82 for victory, the Redbacks stumbled early in the chase with Billy McLay departing for a golden duck and fellow opener Kyle Fitzgerald joining him in the pavilion shortly thereafter.

This would bring the deadly duo of Herbert and Kyle Mueller to the crease, who after putting together a match-winning partnership in a Haisman Shield victory over Northerners went about doing the exact same thing.

Herbert would take the lead this time around, showcasing his brute power and expert precision to find the boundary on eight occasions (five fours and three sixes).

While the in-form Mueller did what he does best in controlling the tempo of the game and putting the bad ball away to finish unbeaten on 18.

Sending the United bowlers to all parts, the pair put on 57 without a raising a sweat, with Herbert hitting the winning runs at the 11.4 over mark.

“Herb just backed himself and played his natural game and once he got going he basically put the foot down and got us home,” McLay said.

“But for him and Kyle to take the responsibility and make sure they got the job done, it is certainly good signs for us moving forward.”

Now with their eyes solely set on a shot at Haisman Shield glory, McLay said his team was in prime position to give it a good shake come the start of the finals series.

“We will obviously take a lot of confidence out of performing under pressure in this final, but we also know it will get a lot tougher from here,” he said.

“The way we are playing though it is very exciting and we cannot wait to test ourselves over these next few weeks.”