Having struck 6-98, the Redbacks had no choice but to bowl the lights out with five overs remaining against Shepparton Youth Club United, with a red inked equation favouring the host.
Thirty balls left, 32 runs to win, nine wickets remaining.
With two in-form batters at the crease, SYCU held all the marbles in the run home, yet it was Kyabram’s Lucy Parsons who, despite bowling three extras in the final over, was able to outfox Dianne Poole and Mel Saunders at the death.
SYCU was left stranded, three runs shy of the Redbacks’ total, and Kyabram was off the hook.
Earlier in the day, United got off to a flyer as Alicia Kazayi baited Mel Parsons into an edge for a two-ball duck as Kyabram started its batting innings shakily.
Cathy Dervish and Rebecca Bowles set about racking up a total and, though Rebecca Laino sealed the former’s fate on nine, Bowles made significant inroads with a near run-a-ball 21.
However, the game-changing cameo came from Penny Mason.
Kyabram’s number four struck a tempered 31 during an 11-over stint at the crease, prodding the pink ball around Princess Park at regular intervals through the game’s bulk.
She eventually met her end via Phoebe Hawker’s bowling with 13 balls left in the innings and, with Saunders snaring a wicket and a run out in the final over, Kyabram probably felt 6-98 was slightly undercooked against a strong SYCU batting order.
And after 11 overs without a wicket, that feeling only heightened.
Kyabram’s breakthrough finally arrived in the 12th over as Hawker was run out on 14, bringing Saunders and Poole together with the required run rate starting to creep up.
Saunders played the aggressor role and plundered 15 runs in one over, while Poole anchored down, but it turned out to be too little, too late as the pair stood 31 and 30 not out by the last ball with victory out of sight.
The result had minimal effect on the table, though, due to Nagambie’s carefree win over Mooroopna.
The Lakers have set the benchmark as the competition’s in-form side this season and only furthered that reputation in a nine-wicket triumph over the second-ranked Cats.
Mooroopna won the toss and elected to bat, reaching 5-90 from its allotted overs as Amani Issell (37 not out), Poppy Vandermeer (21) and Amelia Gall (14 not out) stood as the main contributors with the willow.
Sandy Ezard (2-6) was classy with the Kookaburra, while Kelsey Abbott, Madison Albers and Sharay Slivarich snatched a wicket each.
On the chase, Nagambie got off to the worst possible start as Shelley Houston was removed by Mia Earl (1-4) for a golden duck in the third ball – but from then on, it was all smooth sailing for the Lakers.
Victorian Country representatives Kayla Shepherd and Albers proved why the state scouts are swooping on the duo, cracking the needed runs in 15.4 overs to make it six wins on the spin for Nagambie.
Shepherd blasted 54 not out off 49 balls – her fourth half-century this season – while Albers chimed in with an unbeaten 30, with Nagambie now firming as a favourite to score a maiden women’s premiership this season.
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