At the weekend Mooroopna delivered the grandest response to its latent Haisman Shield start.
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Back on home turf, Luke Zanchetta’s side put the past three weeks to bed with a dazzling eight-wicket win over a previously unbeaten Shepparton United.
And what a way to do it.
Winning the toss and electing to bat, United built a solid early base before losing a string of wickets in disastrous fashion.
Sam Nash’s charges lost five batters for 29 runs, with Zanchetta removing four of the order’s top half.
Nash was the latest to depart in United’s wonky 12-over spell before Rehan Bari and Steven Tate managed to stop the rot with a vital 59-run stand.
Tate would eventually succumb to a Nick Breslin delivery for 31, while Bari pressed on and made his 50, his third consecutive Haisman Shield half-century.
Bari was dismissed near the end for 61, but by then had helped the visitors avoid total capitulation with a reasonable 8-184 on the board.
Zanchetta was the pick of Mooroopna’s bowlers, claiming 4-25, while Joel May notched a respectable 2-30.
But if the home side’s bowling efforts were impressive what came next with the bat was absolute vintage at the top of the order.
Mooroopna openers Tasman Hall and Brodie McDonald came out swinging with a partnership that oozed composure, the pair bringing up 100 for the team midway through the innings without loss of wicket.
McDonald was the first to go for 66, Hall followed for 76 and the rest of the groundwork was done by Matthew Price (25 not out) and Breslin (nine not out) to put Moorooopna on the board for the first time this season.
Tate and Connor Green were the wicket-takers for United during the loss, which pushes it down to sixth on the ladder, three points above seventh-ranked Mooroopna.
THE GAME
Mooroopna 2-185 (T Hall 76, B McDonald 66, C Green 1-13) d Shepparton United 8-184 (R Bari 63, J Callow 22, L Zanchetta 4-25)
STAR PLAYER
Tasman Hall (Mooroopna): The youngster beats out his coach for top honours in this one - but not by much. A knock of 76 at the top of the order paired with two catches is a sure-fire way to lock down a spot in the side and impress the selectors.