Saturday Sundries raises the bat one final time for the year

The 2023-24 season’s final edition of Saturday Sundries contains a story of sweet revenge from a previous entry in our column and some surprisingly good — and not-so-good — displays with ball in hand.

Bad days to bat, but Connor’s in the clutch

Opening this week’s edition is a rather familiar match-up in the Clyde Young Shield semi-finals, where the two teams set to duke it out this weekend for the Haisman Shield met in B-grade.

No doubt Mooroopna had the early ascendancy after removing Redbacks skipper Jason Parsons for nothing, with all six Cats bowlers collecting at least one wicket. (Isn’t it satisfying to read that on the scorecard? Everybody wins.)

Though there was some initial resistance from Kyabram vice-captain Tim Nelson, who top scored with 21 (five fours, meaning he produced one run off the other 35 balls), Mooroopna would happily accept the eventual victory target of 107.

At that point, the gloomy cloud — or McLeod — arrived over the visitors.

The game turned heavily off the arm of Connor McLeod, who produced a dazzling display in defending a bare-bones total.

He didn’t have to bowl twice as many overs as anyone else either; a fiercely economical 14-over spell brought 6-25 at 1.74 on a day every Redbacks bowler remarkably produced an economy less than two runs.

Taking vital top and bottom-end wickets, McLeod was the shining star as Mooroopna stunningly fell five runs short.

While Haisman Shield observers will crave higher scores when these two clubs lock horns for the top prize this weekend, the bar has been set high for suspense.

Here’s some better batting

Not everything went Kyabram’s way this weekend, although it sure had a few tickets in the raffle.

Much as the Redbacks comfortably accounted for Katandra in a Haisman Shield preliminary final, the two sides battled in the Whitelock Shield semis with a polar opposite result.

Though it hardly looked pleasant up and down the Kyabram scorecard, skipper Andrew Porch put the innings on his back with 43 (five fours, two sixes) to steer his side to an at least respectable 122.

It hardly came easily, with both Coates brothers falling for a single run, each followed by four ducks down the order.

Katandra’s openers must have been running late for an appointment, or perhaps just really wanted to get out and see the end of the Haisman Shield prelim.

Either way, Sam Smith and Bradley Murray, the latter having captured 2-3 in a potent bowling cameo, took it upon themselves to close the book on this one rapidly.

The duo put on an unbroken 125-run stand to ease into the E-grade grand final.

If only Smith had a little more breathing room after falling just two runs shy of joining Murray with a half-century.

Winning is always a good reason to miss out, though — just ask Alex Carey.

Talk about sharing the load equally

Wrapping up our coverage for the season is some sweet revenge in the Jim McGregor Shield meeting between Northerners and Invergordon, captured on the day by Rechelle Zammit.

It wasn’t that long ago Sundries highlighted the bowling brilliance of Northerners’ Tim Brett when these sides last met, but Invergordon came prepared this time.

Captain Aaryn Cormican and Brett Findlay each did the most in setting up Invergordon’s total of 153 — really, you can hardly split their contributions.

Findlay eventually holed out off Grant Hutchins for 28 off 62 balls with one four, but Cormican found some help later on through some frenzied cameo hitting.

By the close of business at 40 overs, Cormican had anchored the innings to finish unbeaten on — you guessed it — 28 off 62 balls with one four.

Arguably more critical to Invergordon’s survival chances, the visitors prevented Tim Brett from doing as he pleased once again, held to the one scalp.

Though he remained dangerous with the bat, leading the Northerners’ charge with 41 (three fours, two sixes), the magic ran out as Invergordon exacted its vengeance this time.