Cricket
13 March, 2026
Bullants, Warriors ready for premiership glory
In a case of deja vu for the West Wimmera Warriors and the Noradjuha Toolondo Bullants, the two teams will play for the 2025/26 Horsham Cricket Association A grade premiership this weekend, March 14-15.
Commencing at City Oval from 1pm, the Bullants will hope to replicate their one-day premiership in February, where they overcame the Warriors in a high-scoring affair.
Having topped the regular season ladder for the fourth straight year, the two-day premiership has evaded the Warriors since 2022/23, something skipper Nathan Alexander hopes to change this weekend.
“We’ve been striving for it for a long time now,” Alexander said.
“It means a lot to us, but it’s the one that just keeps getting away every year.
Despite defeating the Bullants in two out of their three encounters, Alexander is wary of a Bullants team with talent across the lineup.
“I think the teams match up nearly like for like the whole way down the list,” Alexander said.
“They’ve got a really solid bowling lineup with Cacc (Tony Caccaviello) and Melons (Matthew Combe), to guys like Truck (Jordan McDonald) and Phoenix Hopper, who bowls some nice little tweakers and that.
“Jason Harris with the bat is one we have to watch, he always seems to make runs against us.
“But they can bat all the way down as well.”
While Brad and Nathan Alexander took home all but one of the HCA A grade awards at Tuesday’s presentation night, Bullants skipper Tony Caccaviello believes the Warriors side is full of danger men that his side has to watch out for.
“They’re a really deep team both batting and bowling-wise, and I think that’s part of their success,” Caccaviello said.
“It’s not just Brad and Nathan who get the job done every week; they’ve got 11 dangerous players we’ve got to be aware of.
“Josh Lees is really blossoming as a class bowler; I think he gets underrated a lot.
“Xavier Bone, Austin Merrett and Tim Braendler are very good with the ball too, so they have a really strong bowling attack, and that’s even before we get to their batting, which is very strong.
Alexander admits that a full team effort is likely required to see his side over the line.
“The semifinal was a great showcase of our depth,” Alexander said.
“With the bat, Mitch (Dahlenburg) and Brodie Cramer really stuck it out to reach stumps on day one, and almost everyone who batted on Saturday did an awesome job to get us across the line.
“Everyone chipped in with the ball as well on day one.
‘So that’s what we will be looking for again in the grand final, where we will be better off with a team performance than just one standout.”
With little separating the sides, Caccaviello admits the cliche that 'catches win matches' could be the determining factor.
“The team that fields the best is going to win this game,” Caccaviello said.
“I think whoever holds their catches, and the opportunities will come, whoever is able to snaffle them, whichever team it is, they're going to be the one that walks away with it.”
The B grade grand final sees the Rup-Minyip Panthers take on Swifts-Great Western at Dudley Cornell Park.
After a slow start to the season, the Panthers have won 10 out of their last 11 matches and have a mix of young and experienced talent with both bat and ball.
But the Lions won the one matchup between the two teams way back in round one, and the newcomers have shown they can match up with any opponent all season.
In the C grade one-day grand final on Saturday, Swifts-Great Western will play Laharum for the premiership at Dimboola Road Oval.
Each side defeated the other once throughout the season, with each side’s bowling unit among the strongest in the competition.