Needing to chase down 194 for victory, league leader Katandra made its way to 198 with six wickets in hand and more than nine overs to spare.
Jedd Wright led the charge for the Eagles, top scoring with a fantastic 95 as his side flew past United’s total.
With a huge clash against third-placed Kyabram this weekend, Wright said it was key to get a positive result against United.
“It was good to get the win, it was pretty important with Kyabram coming up next and then the bye last,” Wright said.
“They batted really well and probably got an extra 40 or 50 more than what we wanted them to, so it was good to chase them down.
“They batted well and took the game on, but we were really confident that if we gave ourselves a chance, we would be able to chase it down. We are a pretty attacking team and we managed to get away with a good one on Saturday.”
After winning the toss and batting first, United reached 0-48 before openers Tyler Green (26) and Fahad Mirza (12) were dismissed in quick succession.
That brought Rehan Bari to the crease and he turned in his best performance with the bat this season, reaching a season-high 81 runs from 91 deliveries.
A late 56-run partnership between Bari and Darshana Lokuhettige (23) helped boost United’s score as the home side reached 7-194 at the close of its innings.
But the respectable total was not enough against the highest scoring team in the league, with Katandra cruising to victory thanks to Wright and Andrew Riordan.
The Eagles were at 2-46 before the pair put on a match-winning 113-run partnership.
Riordan made 42 before he was bowled by Mahesh Kodamullage, but the Eagles were in a much stronger position at 3-159.
Wright came close to bringing up his century as Katandra neared victory, but he came up short as he was skittled by Kodamullage.
“I knew I needed six and we needed one to win, so I had a big slog and got out, but I’m not too fussed,” Wright said.
It was a breakthrough score for Wright, who had been out in single digits in his past four games.
“It was pretty scratchy to start with, but I slowly got going towards the end. I have been a bit out of touch the last few games, so it was good to get a couple of runs. With a bit of luck I’ll carry that form in to finals,” he said.
Nathan Hickey then clinched Katandra’s ninth victory of the season with a boundary to lift the Eagles past United’s total.
Katandra will now take on Kyabram in round 13 before closing the season out with a bye.
THE GAME
Shepparton United 7-194 (Rehan Bari 81, Tyler Green 26, Billy Holmes 2-18) lt Katandra 4-198 (Jedd Wright 95, Andrew Riordan 42, Chaminda Vidanapathirana 2-31)
STAR PLAYER
Jedd Wright (Katandra): Wright led the way for Katandra, with his impressive knock of 95 serving as the backbone of his side’s innings. Wright admitted he had been out of touch in recent weeks, but he was able to come through for the Eagles on Saturday with a stellar score to play a vital part in Katandra’s victory.
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