With the floodlights on in rapidly fading light and Kyabram needing 17 runs off 16 balls with their last two bats, English imports Maroofkhel and Louis Sabbagh-Holt, at the crease, rain forced the players from the field and the Duckworth-Lewis system was then used to calculate the visitors had won the game.
The DLS method decides the target or outcomes by calculating the runs scored by both teams if the resources available to both sides were equal.
Sabbagh-Holt and Maroofkhel had added 10 for the last wicket and needed a run a ball off the last 16 deliveries to pull off an unlikely win for the home side.
After dipping to 3-20 in reply to Nagambie’s 5-181 of which James Wilson scored a half-century and Mitch Winter-Irving 48, Kyabram skipper Kyle Mueller and Ethan Hart produced a 57-run stand for the fourth wicket to give Kyabram some hope.
Hart fell for 14 and when Mueller was caught for a half-century and Kyabram had dipped to 7-113 Nagambie was back in charge.
But Lukas Hanslow clubbed 38 before Sabbagh-Holt and Maroofkhel kept Kyabram in it until rain ended the game.
In Nagambie’s innings Maroofkhel was the pick of Kyabram bowlers with 3-27 off eight overs after opening bowlers Jackson and Charlie McLay had each taken a wicket.
But Kyabram’s attack found it hard to get on top after Nagambie won the toss and elected to bat.
Kyabram travels to Mooroopna this Saturday to take on the team it beat for last season’s flag to win its first Haisman Shield.
· Kyabram’s B-grade side suffered a one-wicket loss to Nagambie in a nail-biter at Nagambie.
Four Kyabram batters didn’t get off the mark and Matt McDonald with 24 , opener Jasons Parsons (18) and Nathan Pell (16) were the only players to reach double figures in a disappointing score of 91 after batting first.
Nagambie made heavy weather of its run chase as Mason McDonald and Lachlan Dennis both picked up three wickets and Matt McDonald two.
After an opening stand of 48 Kyabram hit back to have Nagambie reeling at 8-79 and 9/91 in the gripping finish.
