mmg.com.au

Numurkah master blaster Mark Brown says Kyabram’s mighty day-one tally of 6-281 is not beyond his high-flying side next Saturday.

Sam Nelson, in just his second game of the season, hit an unbeaten 108 to rescue the Redbacks, who were winless in seven Haisman Shield one-dayers, from perilous positions at 2-7 and 4-80 at the weekend.

Three of Kyabram’s top four batsmen, including star Paul Parsons, failed to reach double-digits as it looked headed for a continuation of its tough Cricket Shepparton initiation.

Opener Joe Fowler (48) was the exception, but he survived a skied chance before in-form Blues bladesman Jahlan Lau ran him out.

Then came the resistance.

All-rounder Rob O’Donnell (42), who has been the Redbacks’ best player this season, shared in a 79-run stand with Nelson, before Jason Parsons (38) and captain Tom Roberts (21 not out) also made valuable cameos.

Young tearaway Tim Arnel was Numurkah’s sole multiple wicket-taker, with Tim Braybon, Matt Smyth and Priyankara Silva claiming one apiece.

Silva, fresh from 10 no-balls in the previous week’s 119-run loss to Central Park-St Brendan’s, again had trouble with over-stepping.

Blues captain Brown said ‘‘deplorable’’ fielding helped Kyabram’s case.

But Brown, the season’s leading Haisman Shield run-scorer, was talking tough at the halfway point.

‘‘It’s certainly not an unassailable lead. It’s a total if we bat well, bat our 80 overs and put value on our wicket, we stand every chance of chasing down,’’ Brown said.

‘‘It’s a matter of making sure we do just that. The emphasis swings to our batting and making sure we bat our 80 overs, take our time and build our innings.

‘‘We’ve got the bats that score quick enough and I don’t think 280 is beyond us.’’

Brown said he imagined the Redbacks would be happy with their tally, but this Saturday’s run chase was a chance for Numurkah to prove it deserved a place in the competition’s upper echelon.

‘‘Winning form is good form and it will drag us back to the pack a bit (if we lose),’’ he said.

‘‘But, at the end of the day, we’re five (wins) and two (losses) and we’re still sitting second, so it’s certainly not desperation stakes.

‘‘If we’re going to be a good cricket side and challenge the best sides in the competition, we’ve got to be able to make 280 consistently.

‘‘It’s only 3.5 runs an over, so it’s not hell for leather from the word go ... If we’re going to be the side we want to be, and we’re not there yet, we’ve got to be able to make 280s.’’