mmg.com.au

Kyabram Cricket Club’s Under 14 side has claimed the club’s first home-and-away season premiership in Cricket Shepparton with a comprehensive win over Notre Dame-St Brendan’s in the premiership showdown on Sunday.

After rolling their rivals for 94 in 42.4 overs in the game at Vibert Reserve Shepparton, the Kyabram batsmen, led by opener Kyle Fitzgerald, took only 21.5 overs to land the historic flag.

The consistent Fitzgerald contributed an unbeaten 42, with four boundaries, to inspire his teammates as Kyabram lost just five wickets in reeling in their rivals’ score.

Angus McKenzie with 18 also helped with the bat to wrap up the victory set up by the team’s bowlers led by Rylan Cunningham and McKenzie, who both claimed two wickets.

Cunningham was particularly accurate with 2/6 off 5.4 overs.

McKenzie conceded just 15 runs off his six overs for his two victims while Kyle Fitzgerald, Layne Holden, Nick Ryan and Dylan Joyce all kept the pressure on the combine batsmen.

Kyabram coach Peter Cunningham said sticking to the basics had been a big key to the win.

‘‘We worked very hard on our fielding, bowling the right lines and not trying to invent cricket shots, just putting away the bad balls,’’ said Cunningham who said his club was blessed to have a good bunch of juniors such as this team.

■In the Under-16 minor premiership battle, contested by teams which didn’t make the finals, Kyabram went down fighting to Notre Dame-St Brendan’s.

Kyabram was chasing 168 to win the game and Cade Mueller with 61 retired, Aaron Hatch with 29 and Zac Norris with 24 almost pulled off the double for the day for the club when they helped get the score to 162.

—Gus Underwood