THE best of the region’s young cricketers beat Sunraysia’s best last week, stealing victory with a total score of six match wins to five in the Junior Country Week tournament.
Three age groups, under-13, under-15 and under-17 competed in a total of 11 matches played on different grounds, in different formats, different weather conditions and a night game also provide different light settings.
Swan Hill under-17 side dominated their contest against Sunraysia, winning all four contests, while the under-15 side had the opposite luck, going down winless.
The under-13 side had a harder battle, but did manage to win two of their three matches, taking victory and giving Swan Hill District a one match win across the total three-day series.
Day one play was held at Riverside Park in Kerang while the remaining two days were played across multiple locations in and around Swan Hill.
Representing Swan Hill were players from both Gannawarra and Swan Hill regions, while Sunraysia’s sides were filled by Mildura and district players.
Under-13s
Swan Hill took the win in the under-13 three-day contest, taking out two of three matches convincingly.
In the first round, the side elected to bat and Elijah Curran and Brady Caldwell were the top scorers, taking 49 and 33 runs.
For the bowling attack, Jasper Munro and Charlie Garcia both got one wicket each.
Swan Hill District finished 8/176, topping Sunraysia 5/122
In the second game, Swan Hill District were given the target of 114 runs but could not chase down the target.
Sunraysia set off quickly, getting the wickets of openers Alby Lancaster and Aarav Brar early on in the innings.
Elijah Curran tried to keep Swan Hill District’s hopes alive with his 33-run knock but was caught.
Sunraysia’s Oliver Hobbs from Mildura West did a large portion of the work for the winners, taking four wickets for 24 runs with an economy of 3.00.
The side took a break in the third round but were back in the fourth to play their final match at Woorinen Recreation Reserve.
In a One-Day format, Sunraysia won the toss and elected to bat first.
Elijah Curran got the opening wicket of Oscar Finch early on in the contest and the wickets continued to fall fairly thick and fast.
Curran, Brady Caldwell, Jasper Munro and Lenny Hall all took two wickets each while Charlie Garcia took a single.
Hayden Rowe from Irymple was the highest run maker, notching 21 runs, but Sunraysia had set Swan Hill a fairly easy task of 73 runs to chase.
Jasper Munro’s 33 not-out knock and Elijah Curran’s 21 runs set the stage early and the side were victorious with a total score of 1/74.
Under-15
In the first under-15 contest, Sunraysia won the toss and sent Swan Hill in to bat.
Opener Hugo Warne was the highest scorer earning himself 51 runs, while Mitchel Gilbert, Jobe Hein and Jarra Kelly all got to double digits, scoring 18, 17, and 11.
The side finished up with 5/129 total.
In the bowling, Swan Hill’s Flynn Barnes was the highest wicket taker with two, while Harrison Pearson and Seth Rowe both got themselves a wicket each.
But in the end, Sunraysia managed to get the required runs rather easily thanks to Irymple’s Paddy Connelly and Gol Gol’s Cooper McDowall getting 42 and 31 runs each to win by six wickets.
The side’s second match was moved from Alan Garden Reserve to Swan Hill Showgrounds in the T20 format.
Swan Hill District won the toss and elected to bowl.
In a fairly efficient effort, most bowlers earned themselves a wicket during their spells and ended Sunraysia’s first innings 6/104.
Sunraysia’s opener from Mildura West Cricket Club, Max Fleri was the top scorer for the side, notching 28 runs while Paddy Connelly was the second highest run scorer with 21 runs.
Swan Hill District’s batting was less remarkable however, as Sunraysia ran over the top of them early to win by 24 runs.
Murrabit’s Jobe Hein was top scorer with 28 runs while Lenny Ryan scored 13 runs.
Mitchell Munro was the top wicket-taker for Sunraysia with three while Jimmy Milsom, Jake Butcher and Korban Griffiths earned two wickets each.
The final match was played at 2pm at the Swan Hill Showgrounds again in the T20 format, in hot weather.
Sunraysia won the toss and elected to bat first.
Batting opener Elijah Weinert from Merbein Cricket Club was the top scorer for the side, notching 32 runs, while Paddy Connelly and Max Fleri had 22 and 19 runs.
Seth Rowe was the top wicket-taker for Swan Hill, taking two wickets, while Hugo Warne took the third wicket.
The final wicket was a run out from Cooper Hein and Ryan Fraser. Sunraysia’s set a score of 4/100 for Swan Hill to chase.
At the crease, Openers Hugo Warne and James McDonald had a solid partnership of 39 runs before Hugo Warne was run out by Nicholas Walder for nine.
It all fell apart from there as wickets fell left, right, and centre and the side was all out for only 68 runs.
Gol Gol’s Mitchell Munro was the key contributor in the bowling, taking four wickets while his Gol Gol teammate Cooper McDowall and Irymple’s Jimmy Milsom took two wickets each.
In their final match up, the under-15 side headed to Tooleybuc for a one-day format game.
Swan Hill District won the toss and elected to bat.
Sunraysia made short work of the first four batsmen, dismissing each for a duck.
The tailenders Sam Brown and Flynn Barnes managed to save Swan Hill District somewhat, with 17 runs each, bring the home side to a 67-run target.
Cooper McDowall and Jimmy Milsom were crucial for Sunraysia in the bowling attack again, with both taking four wickets each.
In the batting, Sunraysia managed the 67-run chase easily with opener Elijah Weinert and Paddy Connelly getting 29 runs each.
Sunraysia won by eight wickets after 20 overs and secured the series with a clean sweep of all four matches.
Under-17
In the under-17 clashes, Swan Hill dictated the event taking out all four matches in convincing style.
In the first round, Sunraysia won the toss and sent Swan Hill District to bat first.
The Ultima Tuf and Mallee Murray Suns batter Riley Hender was the highest run scorer for Swan Hill District with an unfailing 53 run innings while Calder United’s Les Cooper had a level-headed 32 not out performance for a final score of 199 runs.
The side then ran over the top of Sunraysia in the bowling, with Samuel Hollingworth, Riley Hender, Max Parsons, and Jackson Hughes all earning two wickets and Rory Bell and Les Cooper getting a wicket each to finish Sunraysia off with 95 runs.
In the next match, the under-17s headed to Woorinen to play a T20 format game.
Swan Hill won the toss and elected to bat first and Wandella and Mallee Murray Suns batter Flynn McKnight was the highest run scorer with 44 runs.
Barham and Mallee Murray Suns teammate Kynan Laursen had a 22-not-out innings and the side finished with a score of 6/102.
Taking to the field, Swan Hill District was too strong with the ball and kept Sunraysia down to just 57 runs. Only one batsman, Merbein’s Samuel Longeri, could reach double digits with 15 runs.
Samuel Hollingworth, Les Cooper, Max Parsons, and Riley Hender took two wickets each while Ben Rogers got the final wicket.
The third match was played under lights at the Swan Hill Showground in a T20 match.
Sunraysia won the toss and elected to bat first but it proved to be a bad decision with Sunraysia struggling to find the scoreboard.
Swan Hill District dominated the game with the ball and kept Sunraysia to a score of just 37 runs.
Irymple’s Tyler McGregor would be the highest run maker with 14, and half of the batting side were dismissed for ducks.
Ethan Curran, Les Cooper and Max Parsons all took two wickets each, while Samuel Hollingworth, Riley Hender, Jackson Hughes, and Jaspa Chamberlain took a wicket each for Swan Hill.
Swan Hill District were able to succumb the run-chase of 37 fairly easily, with Charlie Kingwill getting 19 runs and Flynn McKnight getting 14 runs, ending the innings after just four overs.
In the last match of the series, the under-17 side headed to Nyah Recreation Reserve to take on a one-day match. They won the toss and elected to bat.
Jackson Hughes from Woorinen was a crucial batter for Swan Hill District, getting himself 39 runs while Les Cooper, Ethan Curran, and Kynan Laursen all made 29, 24, and 20 runs to finish up all-out for 175 runs.
In the field, Sunraysia’s Kyle O’Brien from Tempy was the top wicket-taker notching up four wickets.
Sunraysia went out to bat and came under attack immediately.
Les Cooper was a man on a mission in this contest, taking a staggering seven wickets and not conceding many runs with an impressive 1.44 economy.
Lars Castleman and Riley Cox did help Sunraysia rack up 17 and 20 runs, but it wasn’t enough to keep Swan Hill at bay.
They went on to take all of Sunraysia’s wickets and win comfortably by 84 runs.
