Sport
13 January, 2025
A 'super effort': Carter proud of HCA's efforts at under-17s country week
The Horsham Cricket Association progressed to the semi-final.
Cricket
Warrnambool
A young Horsham Cricket Association squad defied expectations at the under-17 country week carnival, finishing atop their pool and earning a semi-final spot in a thrilling campaign.
Coach Peter Carter was thrilled at how the largely bottom-age squad performed across the five-day tournament.
"They handled it really well. I think we had five or six top age kids, the rest were bottom age," Carter said.
"So it was a really big week for them, and it sort of took its toll a bit."
A 10-wicket victory against Warrnambool Moyne Blue was a standout for Carter.
"[January 7] was the highlight [against] one of the premier teams... and to beat them comfortably was just a super job," he said.
"And whether we played our grand final there, I'm not sure."
A hard-fought victory against Wimmera Mallee followed before the defeats to Warrnambool Moyne Gold and Portland.
Carter was impressed by the depth of the squad.
"There was people chipping in all the time, there was no big drop offs," he said.
Looking at some individual performances, Dezi Carter made an impact with the bat in hand.
Carter added 179 runs with a top score of 58 in the semi-final.
"He and a good week with the bat, he's really happy personally," Carter said of his son.
He was fourth overall for the tournament in runs and led the averages [89.5] overall for the week.
Carter also shared a 124-run partnership with Luke Miller in the big win against Warrnambool Moyne Blue.
Miller also influenced the carnival with the ball in hand.
He took six wickets with best figures 2/10 as he shared the new ball with Jack Combe.
"He [Combe] would've been one going down there thinking that he might get a few overs and bat probably six or seven," Carter said.
"But he opened the bowling for us and bowled 25 overs, took 5/50 in total and went an economy rate of two an over.
"He just bowled absolutely line and length. And it was him and Luke, from a bowling point of view, that put us in every every game we played."
Carter was also impressed with the efforts of Jobe Dickinson and Jarvis Mitchell.
With a team of the carnival soon to be announced, Carter is would like to see the association well-represented.
The selected team would form the Western Waves under-18 squad.
"Hopefully, we can get a couple of players in that," he said.
"Because making the semi-final, I'd like to think that they look at us and hopefully put a couple of players in there because they deserve to be in."
Carter sees participation as important for the players involved, particularly with many eligible to return in 2026.
"It's massive because you're really stepping up in levels in a junior sense," he said
"To make the semi-finals was a super effort with a good young squad that a majority of that will be able to go back next year."