Sport
12 January, 2024
Horsham U15 representative team unbeaten at country week
Jobe Dickinson, Luke Millar, Harrison Hoffmann, Phoenix Hopper and Hugh Weidemann shone for the Horsham Under 15 representative side in country week.
Horsham Under-15 won all four of their matches, narrowly missing out on the Grand Final on Friday.
On Tuesday, January 9, at Minyip Recreation Reserve, they kicked off their campaign with a 47 run win over Hamilton. After losing the toss and being sent in to bat, Hugh Weidemann and Luke Miller made use of the great conditions and put on a 70 run opening stand.
Myles Alderman made the breakthrough claiming both Weidemann and Miller for 31 and 29 respectively. When Phoenix Hopper was out shortly after, Horsham were 3/75.
Jobe Dickinson and Harrison Hoffmann rebuilt the innings. Hoffmann top scored with 58 to guide Horsham to 224.
In response, the Horsham bowlers bowled tight with Phoenix Hopper and Hugh Weidemann taking 3/48 and 3/28 respectively, and with Jarvis Mitchell chipping in with 2/16, they bowled Hamilton out for 177 in the 45th over.
Wednesday at Dudley Cornell Park they had a tight encounter with South West Cricket Association.
They bowled them out for 11 with Jobe Dickinson and Archie Sostheim both claiming 2/12 and 2/13 respectively.
In reply they found it hard, but it was Phoenix Hopper that led them home. They were 9/111 and he hit the winning runs. He finished with 22 and his partnership with Austin Simpson was vital, with Simpson scoring 21.
Hopper said it was an unreal win.
"It was unreal to hit the winning runs and get the win in tough circumstances," he said.
"It was a good performance by the boys with the ball and we started off well with the bat and a couple mistakes cost us but we got a few good partnerships happening.
"We were 6/58 and it was good to get a solid 33 run partnership with Austin. I was a bit nervous in the end but we got there and it was good."
At Coughlin Park on Thursday they played their northern neighbours, Wimmera Mallee. Needing a big win to put themselves in contention for the Grand Final, they did just that, winning by 193 runs.
Luke Millar scored 92 with Harrison Hoffmann continuing his great campaign remaining unbeaten on 53 to help steer them to a total of 238. Hugh Weidemann, 35 and Jobe Dickinson, 27, also made starts.
They made little work of the Wimmera Mallee batters, bowling them out for 45 in the 31st over.
Jobe Dickinson was the pick of the bowlers with 3/10 with Hugh Weidemann, 2/11 and Jarvis Mitchell, 2/3 also bowling well.
The day belonged to Luke Millar who beat his previous best score of 69. Millar plays for the Homers and has been playing A-Grade this year and he was happy with his score of 92.
"I would have liked to get it but I'll take that score any day. I was hitting the ball well," he said.
Unfortunately the win wasn't enough to get them in the Grand Final, with both Mount Gambier and Warrnambool Gold both finishing on three wins but having the superior quotient.
On Friday, against Hamilton, they won the toss and set a total of 160 after their 40 overs, which was led by captain Jobe Dickinson with 60.
The bowling was sensational. Led by Phoenix Hopper, with his second three wicket haul of the week, Hamilton were bowled out for 98.
Hopper finished with figures of 3/5 off three overs. He was the leading wicket taker for Horsham with seven.
Laharum's Harrison Hoffmann had a great campaign. He scored 121 runs with two half centuries and said it felt good to have a nice consistent week.
"It has been a good week. Last year went alright and it was good to get back out with the boys and do well this year," he said.
He has been playing A-Grade this year and said that he is developing and enjoying it.
"I am still developing and getting used to the higher level. I like it with the pace of the ball as you don't have to hit it as hard as you do in the juniors. I am enjoying my cricket," he said.
West Wimmera's Jobe Dickinson led from the front scoring 130 runs and taking five wickets whilst Luke Millar top scored for the week with 134 runs. Rup-Minyip's Hugh Weidemann put in a great all round performance with six wickets and 73 runs.