Sport
10 March, 2023
Warriors claim minor premiership
WEST Wimmera Warriors has rebounded onto Horsham Cricket Association’s A Grade winners list in strong style with a final round win that secured minor premiership status. After sitting out a bye in the second last round of the season and suffering...
WEST Wimmera Warriors has rebounded onto Horsham Cricket Association’s A Grade winners list in strong style with a final round win that secured minor premiership status.
After sitting out a bye in the second last round of the season and suffering a shock loss to Jung Tigers in the final round, the Warriors tasted success over Rup-Minyip and held out Bullants to claim top billing on the ladder.
The match at Minyip produced a big day on the pitch which also included a win to Bullants who claimed a big win over Homers at City Oval.
Playing a one-dayer after the first day of the final round was washed out, West Wimmera Warriors produced a powerful batting display against the Blue Panthers.
Winning the toss and batting, Warriors opener Brad Alexander set the tone for a big total at the top of the order and shared vital partnerships with skipper Mitch Dahlenburg, nine, and Liam Preston, 12, before being joined by brother Nathan for another strong partnership.
The brothers put on 36 runs for the third wicket before Brad departed for 47 off 74 balls, setting the scene for Nathan to explode and lift the scoring rate to over six runs an over.
Brad took the Blue Panthers bowlers to all parts of the ground during a 79-ball stay at the wicket which yielded 95 runs and included seven boundaries and five sixes.
With strong contributions from Jeremy Weeks, 24, Luke Smith, 26, and Trevor Polkinghorne, 17, the Warriors scored freely as Alexander and Weeks put on 60 runs for the fourth wicket.
Alexander remained unbeaten at the crease as the Warriors finished their 45 overs at a potent 6-259.
The Blue Panthers bowlers toiled hard for their wickets as five bowlers claimed one wicket each.
In reply, the Blue Panthers made a strong early fist of their run chase but was always going to find the target too great and were dismissed for 132 in the 35th over.
Opening bat Connor Weidemann made a top score of 52, while skipper Jamie Byrne, 16, Lachie Weidemann, 14, Daniel Schaper, 11 and Damiano Boddi, 19, made starts but were unable to push on for the important big score.
Preston was a standout for the Warriors with the ball to claim 4-17 off six overs, while opening paceman Xavier Bone applied the early pressure to claim 2-9 off 6.2 overs.
The match at City Oval saw Bullants claim its final round win on the back of a strong bowling performance which reduced Homers to a modest total of 80 runs off 39.2 overs.
Early pressure from skipper Matt Combe and Heath Lang had Homers on the back foot losing three wickets for 25 runs before skipper Adam Atwood and Monty Wynne came together for a 24-run stand for the fourth wicket.
At 4-60, Atwood, 22, and Wynne, 17, looked to build on the partnership but both fell in the space of seven runs as Bullants ripped through the middle and lower order to claim six wickets for 20 runs.
Ben Anson was the main destroyer and finished with impressive figures of 4-8 off 5.2 overs, while Combe, Tony Cutter and Shane Oakley claimed two wickets each.
Taking off in chase of its required target and with percentage on their mind, Bullants attacked its target hard with openers Jarred Combe, 20, and Oakley, 16, putting on 41 runs for the first wicket before number four Garret Liston finished the job with a quickfire 31 runs off 25 balls.
The attacking play saw Bullants eclipse its required target in the 18th overs and finished the day at 2-83.
Logan Miller and Baxter Perry claimed one wicket each for Homers.
The race for the last finals places in the B Grade competition came down a thrilling finish when Laharum secured fourth place with an upset win over Lubeck-Murtoa.
Needing to win its final round clash, Laharum produced the goods, as did Rup-Minyip who secured third spot with a strong win over Colts.
Missing out was Blackheath-Dimboola, who despite dominating a clash against Bullants, finished two points shy of the top four to finish in fifth place.
The final game of the round saw Horsham Saints claim victory over Jung Tigers.
Laharum 7-108 (Max Bunworth 38, Dayan Wilfred 24; Nick Ballagh 2-13, Cameron Newell 2-20) d Lubeck-Murtoa 75 (Cameron Newell 20, Shannon Reddie 16; Connor Cowan 4-11, Max Bunworth 3-25).
Rup-Minyip 2-116 (Clint Midgley 75no, Brent Hudson 22no) d Colts 9-114 (Josh Colbert 30, Dylan Newell 20, Daniel Lawson 20no; Leigh Funcke 3-7, Clint Midgley 2-18).
Blackheath-Dimboola 7-236 (Sam Polack 82, Daniel Polack 70, Brenden Marrs 27no; Deegan McKenry 3-33, Riley Lane 2-38) d Bullants 86 (Connor O’Beirne 30, John Heard 16; Daniel Collins 4-14, Sam Polack 3-5)
Horsham Saints 212 (Ben Sawyer 60, Gary Davidson 55, Mark Crafter 22; David Puls 4-24) d Jung Tigers 8-174 (Prabath Bandara 72, Luke Sonego 22, Jake Durdin 19, Aaron Leith 18; Jono Carroll 2-20, Saxon Sounness 2-57, Ben Sawyer 2-12).
Like the B Grade, the race for the last finals spot in C Grade came down to the wire with Laharum lifting themselves into fourth place with a final round win.
Laharum started the final round 4.81 percent behind Horsham Saints but finished 2.59 percent in front after claiming an eight wicket win over Lubeck-Murtoa.
West Wimmera Warriors ensured third place with a win over Colts, while other winners included Quantong over Blackheath-Dimboola, Homers over Jung Tigers and Horsham Saints who defeated Natimuk.
Laharum 2-74 (Tristan March 22no, Brodie Foster 17no) d Lubeck-Murtoa 68 (Seth Callaby 16, Riley Downer 10; Jordan Matuschka 3-5, Josh Hutchinson 2-16, Matt Whelan 2-4).
West Wimmera Warriors 8-188 (Jordan Gurry 37, James Crowhurst 35, Byron Merrett 31no; Mark McPhee 3-11) d Colts 7-113 (Jaxon Crooks 50ret, Brydon McPhee 13; James Crowhurst 2-15, Jobe Dickinson 2-9).
Quantong 1-40 (Nick Caris 31no) d Blackheath-Dimboola 39 (Nathan Schorback 11; Stuart Jose 5-3, Nick Gardiner 2-6).
Homers 4-123 (Peter Drummond 50, Sam Peachey 23, Tim Hofmaier 20no; Zarli Knight 2-17) d Jung Tigers 8-122 (Marty Knight 48, Lava Kiran Voora 12, Frank Marklew 12no; Peter Drummond 2-10, Clint Garwood 2-14).
Horsham Saints 137 (Rod Kirkwood 59no, Lesley Crute 23, Sean McDonald 22; Jed Uebergang 4-17) d Natimuk 61 (Kyal Murray 14, Jett Munn 13; Hassaan Masood 3-2, Rod Kirkwood 2-12, Harry Crute 2-24, Sean McDonald 2-7).
This week’s A Grade semi-finals played tomorrow and Sunday will see West Wimmera Warriors play Homers at City Oval, while Bullants will play Rup/Minyip at Dimboola Recreation Reserve.
In B Grade, also over two days, Lubeck-Murtoa will play Laharum at Coughlin Park, while Horsham Saints and Rup-Minyip will clash at Dudley Cornell Park’s number one oval.
In C Grade, a one day contest will decide grand finalists when Homers and Laharum clash at the Dimboola Road Oval and Quantong and West Wimmera Warriors meet at Minyip.