Haisman Shield ǀ Newman goes bang to deliver Tigers knockout blow

Waaia’s loss to Numurkah yesterday dumps the Tigers from finals in heartbreaking fashion, leaving the Bombers with the second-chance match-up this weekend.

With overcast conditions about, Redbacks skipper Kyle Mueller won the toss and opted to bat on the Tigers’ track on Saturday, confident his hitters would put their best foot forward.

Newman did his captain’s bidding by taking the game to the Tigers’ bowlers early, seeing off the strike partnership of Aidan Lloyd and Ramadan Yze.

He did so alongside Billy McLay who, while not necessarily providing what would be deemed match-winnings runs, hung around to manufacture an integral partnership with Newman that well-and-truly tamed the Tigers’ bowling unit.

Mueller entered from down the order to compile a handy 40 off 62, surging his side’s run-rate and ensuring Newman would raise the bat.

With ball in hand, the Redbacks were equally as lethal.

The menacing McLay strike duo of brothers Charlie (3-20) and Jackson (3-27) struck early in the Tigers’ innings — sending captain Brendan Scott packing in the second over.

His fellow opener, Tim Kelly, departed not long after; Tyler Larkin and Rhiley Lau summoned to the crease far sooner than they would have hoped.

Constant pressure from Kyabram’s bowling attack was where the Tigers came undone, wickets at regular intervals hampering any sort of momentum the batting side tried to gather.

The McLays dismissed Lau, Yze and Larkin in that order, before the Redbacks brought on their spin option Darin Ohlsen in the 20th over.

Ohlsen extracted Jarrod Wakeling and Jack McCarten in quick succession, before Jackson McLay ended a valiant knock from Connor Holland (38), the Tigers eventually falling for 128.

Coach McLay was full of praise for his side’s execution with bat and ball, and for the way Newman and Billy dug deep with the blade early in the day’s play.

“It’s a fantastic feeling, it was one of our more complete performances all year,” he said.

“It was a brilliant knock from Paul, I thought he put his natural game away and played a real elegant innings — to bat into the 40th over too was just a huge effort.”