McLay finished as the Redbacks’ only unbeaten bat after the outfit had 204 runs on the board, opening with the new ball shortly after alongside Louis Sabbagh-Holt, who scored the wicket of Ryan Ash at the start of the Tigers’ batting stint.
Kyabram’s total of 204 is modest considering the start it had.
After 50 overs Central Park had only removed two Redbacks bats until Jarrod Wakeling walked in and spun a web, turning the game on its head.
With an immense effort needed with the ball this weekend against a free-scoring Tigers order, McLay’s post-match assessment was a sombre one.
“We did a lot of good, hard work early and got to tea for 130, and after tea we really let ourselves down and let them back in,” McLay said.
“We got that late wicket, so it’s probably an interesting position to be in.
“We would’ve liked to have more runs on the board, but it is what it is and we think if we can bowl and field well and a bit of rain around this week hopefully helps the deck.
“Having to go out for two overs, it was good to get the one wicket. It would’ve been nice to finish out the over and have a look at a couple more, but that wasn’t the case.
“Hopefully it makes our job a little bit easier next week, we’ve only got to get nine wickets instead of 10.”
Central Park bowler Ethan Baxter did the early legwork and took the scalps of Tim Nelson and Cade Mueller and Keiran Hogeboom claimed the crucial wicket of Kyle Mueller (75).
However, from over 53 onwards, it was the Wakeling show.
The left-arm orthodox spinner sent Billy McLay’s bails flying, trapping Charlie McLay the next ball.
Kyle Fitzgerald avoided being the hat-trick ball, but he holed out in the first delivery of the next over, with Angus McKenzie also going for a duck two balls on.
Wakeling rounded out with dazzling figures of 5-39, while youngster Hogeboom ended with an impressive 3-25.
McLay was proud of Mueller for his stand, but was equally disappointed in the lack of support through the middle as Kyabram fell well short of its intended score.
THE GAME SO FAR
Kyabram 204 (Kyle Mueller 75, Billy McLay 39, Jarrod Wakeling 5-49) v Central Park-St Brendan’s 1-2 (Andrew Cowen 2*, Michael Dann 0*, Louis Sabbagh-Holt 1-0)
“It’s pretty hard to go past Kyle, he sort of had them on the ropes there for a bit and he looked like he was going take the game away from them,” he said.
“Billy up the other end, he finished with 39 but he was able to grind away and build a partnership with Wiz.
“Those two did a fantastic job to get us into the position we were and we probably let them two boys down by not pushing on and getting that 270, 280 score that was on the cards at tea.”
Central Park-St Brendan’s will resume a 1-2 after 1.3 overs, with Andrew Cowen (two not out) and Michael Dann (yet to score) at the crease.
