Cricket
28 October, 2025
Four teams register second win
The Bullants, Donald Jeffcott, West Wimmera and Swifts-Great Western have backed up their round-one wins with victories in the second round of the Horsham Cricket Association A grade competition on Saturday, October 25.
At Noradjuha, a strong opening partnership between stand-in captain Troy Dumesny and Jack Combe was the foundation of the Bullants' win as they defeated Laharum by 37 runs.
Sent in to bat by the visitors, Dumesny (52) and Combe (33) put on 94 runs before Jason Kannar removed Dumesny.
Amidst various contributions in the middle order, Phoenix Hopper finished with 25 not out off 23 balls to help the Bullants reach 8/196 off the 40 overs.
In response, Laharum opened their innings well as Daniel Griffiths hit 59, while contributions from Max Bunworth (20) and Monty Wynne (23) helped the Demons reach 1/90 at the 20-over mark.
Consistent wickets from the home side disrupted Laharum’s run chase, and they eventually finished with 9/159 at the end of the innings.
Phoenix Hopper was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/28 from eight overs.
Asked about the side’s performance, Dumesny credited the all-round team effort with both bat and ball.
“I’m pretty happy with it (the performance),” Dumesny said.
“We got off to a pretty good start there, making 100 in 20 overs.
“Jack Combe batted really well.
“We had good cameos all the way through, and Phoenix finished it off, along with Tim Crick.
“Our bowling, we would have liked a few early wickets; we had the pressure there.
“But we bowled pretty well in the end.”
Playing at home, Lubeck Murtoa sent West Wimmera in to bat, with Nic Ballagh capitalising with the third ball of the innings to dismiss Brad Alexander.
But contributions throughout West Wimmera’s top and middle order, which included 27 each from Mitchell Dahlenburg and Jeremy Weeks, allowed the Warriors to get 8/142.
Aaron Leith (3/21) finished with a rare hat-trick, dismissing Weeks on the first ball of the 37th over, having taken wickets on the fifth and sixth balls of his previous over.
Nic Ballagh also impressed with the ball, with figures of 2/24 from his eight overs.
West Wimmera’s Nathan Alexander and Joshua Lees caused early trouble for the Mudlarks, having them 4/11 in the eighth over.
Middle and late order resistance brought Lubeck Murtoa back into the game, including 27 from skipper Cameron Newell, but the home side were bowled out for 102.
Tim Braendler (3/15), Nathan Alkexander (2/6), Jobe Dickinson (2/14) and Joshua Lees (2/21) made key contributions with the ball to help the Warriors win by 40 runs.
Captain Nathan Alexander said the slow outfield impacted the team’s final score, but acknowledged contributions from various players in both innings helped set up the victory.
“First innings, no one really stood out with the bat,” Alexander said.
“It was a good team effort to get 140-odd.
“We were pretty happy with that, as this oval is a bit slower, so 140 is 160-170 on a normal oval.
“They bowled well.
"They didn’t let us get away and took constant wickets throughout the whole innings.”
“Only one of our bowlers didn’t take a wicket, so it was a great effort from all the boys.
“Tim Braendler bowled really well and Joshua Lees bowled well at the start, taking two for not many to set us up for the innings.”
Donald Jeffcott demonstrated they are a force to be reckoned with, defeating the Tigers by 154 runs in their first home game.
Electing to bat, the home side got valuable contributions from their top five, with each scoring at least 30 runs as Koby Westerland led with 59 runs.
Forty-two off 43 balls from Dylan Ruurds and 41 not out off 25 from Eddie Landwehr helped the home side finish at almost a run a ball on 4/236 from 40 overs.
Prabath Bandara led the Tigers’ bowling unit with 1/29 off eight overs.
After two early wickets, a 33-run partnership from Callum Jackson (29) and Bandara (19) kept the Tigers in the contest before Donald Jeffcott dismantled the middle and lower order as the Tigers were bowled out for 82.
Koby Westerland (2/2), Cooper Anderson (2/16) and Jack Landweher (2/19) all finished with two wickets for Donald Jeffcott.
Playing at home, Brim Kellalac Sheep Hills (Brim KSH) won the toss and sent the Colts in to bat, with the result that they struggled to get going against a formidable bowling performance.
Luke Deutscher (16) and Dylan Arnott (11) were the only batsmen to reach double figures as the Cotls were bowled out for 64.
Tim Bell led Brim KSH’s bowling attack with 4/16, well supported by 3/6 from Isaac McPherson and 2/7 from Lachlan McGinniss.
Despite Logan Millar (2/8) getting the key wickets of Bell and McGinniss, leaving the Eagles 3/37, Mark McPherson (30 not out) helped see Brim KSH home to win by seven wickets.
At Central Park in Stawell, Swifts-Great Western delivered their first A grade home win in the association, defeating St Mary’s by seven wickets.
St Mary’s elected to bat first, where the opening partnership of Daniel Westerland (39) and Nathan Priest (17) got the visitors off to a solid start.
Despite multiple players getting starts, consistent wickets disrupted the St Mary’s momentum as they finished all out for 139.
Jayden McCartney (4/35), Zach Marrow (3/19) and Matt Heffer (2/17) were the Swifts-Great Western wicket-takers.
Despite the early loss of Max McMahon, 62 from captain Aiden Graveson and 49 not out from Marrow helped the home side chase down the runs with 14 overs to spare.
For St Mary’s, Aiden Keys starred with the ball, taking 3/21 from eight overs.