A pair of mid-season recruits have sent shockwaves through the league, and if their recent form is any indication, Wangaratta Magpies will be tough to stop.

The ‘Pies unleashed new signings Harkaran Mann and Akhil Kumar in their recent match with City Colts, and they proved instantly effective as Wangaratta waltzed to a 226-run win at Norm Minns Oval.

Batting first, the Magpies posted a season-high score of 7/297 from 45 overs, before rolling the Colts for 71.

Magpies skipper Cooper Matheson was clobbering everything in his zone, smashing 60 from 56 in an innings which included two maximums and seven fours.

Kumar only managed to make 17 from 19 balls, but he looked solid at three before he was run out at the non-striker’s end.

It was a comical dismissal – Thomas Moore was repositioned right near the edge of the pitch at a shortish mid-off, and when the ball was hit straight to him, Kumar had backed up too far down the pitch and was found short of his ground.

No stranger to the competition, having played with Ovens Valley United in 2022/23, Mann was punishing with the willow, his 71-run knock containing five fours and a six.

The runs kept coming, with James Thewlis notching up a half century off better than a run a ball, while Nic Bonwick smashed 31 off 18.

It was a consistent effort from a deep batting list, something which skipper Cooper Matheson was understandably pleased with.

“I said after the game, how we went about our batting, that’s exactly how we need to do it every week,” he said.

“Harky just showed his class on Saturday, even Akhil with the bat, he looked unreal for his 17 before he got run out pretty unluckily.

“Bottles [Bonwick] absolutely teed off, he hit 31* off 18 and Jimmy [Thewlis] was unreal.

“Even Dave [Killen], I think he got just under 20, but everyone who came in just turned the strike over and we put on a massive score.

“The ground was quick, so it was very easy to score on.”

With the total set, the Magpies needed to perform with the ball, and perform they did.

The first wicket would come thanks to some clever fielding behind the bat, with the ball gathered off an LBW appeal and the stumps thrown down while Aaron Thrum was out of his ground.

While he missed out with the bat, Kumar showed he will be a force with the ball, sending down some absolute peaches at extreme speed.

He’d take 5/24 off 8.2 overs, ripping through the middle order.

Chris Clement (2/22 off seven), David Killen (1/7 off three) and Nic Bonwick (1/6 off one) all picked up wickets, while James Thewlis was economic, only conceding a single run from his four overs.

While the result was a positive for the Magpies, Matheson thought they could’ve done more to ice the game earlier.

“We spoke about it when we had them 6/16, there have been a few times throughout the year where we get early wickets and have them on the ropes, but can’t finish games off,” he said.

“It would’ve been good to get them for under 50, but bowling them out for 70-odd is a fair effort.

“It gets you very up and about when you have a few new blokes come in, especially Akhil when he was bowling.

“Jacko [Davies] said he’s never stood so far back keeping, he bowls very fast.

“He just dawdles into the crease, he’s short and you don’t think he can bowl that quick, then he sends them down, it’s pretty wild.”

The competition will take a week off over the Australian Day long weekend, with matches resuming on 31 January.