Cricket
20 October, 2025
Strong starts, close finishes in cricket's return
A match-winning knock from Jeremy Weeks saw West Wimmera defeat the Colts in a close A grade encounter of the opening round of the Horsham Cricket Association season.
A match-winning knock from Jeremy Weeks saw West Wimmera defeat the Colts in a close A grade encounter of the opening round of the Horsham Cricket Association season.
Playing at Dudley Cornell Park, West Wimmera sent the hosts in to bat, where the home side scored 27 runs before Warriors captain Nathan Alexander bowled Jaxon Crooks in the seventh over.
Dylan Arnott and Logan Millar steadily built the Colts innings, producing a 96-run partnership before Tim Braendler dismissed Millar for 45 in the 32nd over.
As the Colts increased their attacking play, a flurry of runs and wickets saw them finish with 8/175.
Arnott top-scored for Colts with 66 off 89 balls while Nathan Alexander was pivotal with the ball late in the innings, finishing with 6/34 off his eight overs.
The Colts struck early with the ball as Joey Nagorcka dismissed Bradley Alexander on the second ball of West Wimmera’s innings.
Mitchell Dahlenburg and Brodie Cramer appeared to settle things for the Warriors, putting on 26 runs.
However, the Warriors quickly lost 4/7 in the span of three overs to be 5/33.
Jeremy Weeks and Brett Jensz appeared to get things back on track for the Warriors, but after Brody Smith dismissed Jensz for 14, the away team required 112 off 18 overs with just four wickets in hand.
A 75-run partnership between Weeks and Joshua Lees got the Warriors right back into it before Lees was bowled by Jay Couch.
Needing 32 off the last five overs, Weeks and Bailey McQueen combined for 19 runs in the 36th over, giving the Warriors the advantage before closing the game out in the 38th over to win by three wickets.
Weeks finished with 79 off 78 balls while Nagorcka was the best of the bowlers for Colts with figures of 2/27 off eight overs.
West Wimmera captain Nathan Alexander praised the performance of Weeks and the support provided by Jensz and Lees, admitting his side missed some chances in their fielding effort.
“We dropped a few chances early but credit to the Colts, they made the most of their chances and put a good score on the board,” Alexander said.
“We were lucky we were able to drag them back a little bit in the back half of the innings, which was good.
“We started in a bit of trouble with the bat and they bowled well.
“But Weeks and Jensz put on a good little partnership, and then Weeksy and Josh (Lees) built a nice little platform.
“I think Weeks' innings is probably one of the best I've seen from a West Wimmera player for some time so that was really good.”
After adjusting to the bouncy pitch, Weeks said he grew increasingly comfortable throughout the innings.
“There was certainly a bit of tennis-ball bounce early on and the spinners were getting it to grip a bit,” Weeks said.
“Towards the end it really started skidding on so you could play forward and through the line of the ball.”
At Dimboola Road Oval, Lubeck Murtoa defeated the Horsham Tigers by eight wickets on the back of an impressive 97 runs from Shannon Reddie.
Electing to bat, the Tigers were 3/65 at the 20-over mark with Angus Adams and Ricci Marks at the crease.
Adams was pivotal for the Tigers for the remainder of the innings, producing 66 off 77 balls.
Contributions in the top and middle order from Aman Punia (27), Ricci Marks (22) and Marty Knight (25) helped the home side reach 7/175 from their 40 overs.
Oliver Garth Lindsay led the Mudlarks in wickets with 3/33 while Shannon Reddie finished with 2/29 off his eight overs.
Lubeck Murtoa openers Aaron Leith and Shannon Reddie quickly assumed control of the game for the Mudlarks, combining for a 167-run opening partnership.
Leith finished with 63 runs while Reddie produced 97 off 81 balls, falling agonisingly short of a century.
Joshua Hedt and Finnian Delahunty saw out the game, with the Mudlarks finishing with 2/192 with over six overs to spare.
Tyler Puls and Angus Adams each had a wicket for the Tigers.
At Laharum, the Demons elected to bat against competition newcomers Donald Jeffcott.
After Eddie Landwehr dismissed Sean Wouters early, Max Bunworth and Monty Wynne produced an 88-run partnership to have Laharum at 96 runs just after the 25-over mark.
Consistent dismissals for the remainder of the innings disrupted Laharum’s progress, but Josh Hutchinson scored an impressive 39 not out to help the Demons finish with 6/161.
Bunworth led Laharum with 58 runs, while Jack Landwehr (2/26) and Bronte Campbell (2/23) were the pick of the Donald Jeffcott bowlers.
Coming in at 1/27, Donald Jeffcott's Dylan Ruurds set up the game for the visitors, hitting 68 off just 48 balls.
Amongst the other contributions, 22 from Jake Needs and 26 not out from Koby Westerland helped Donald Jeffcott chase down the required 162 with six wickets to spare in the 31st over.
McInnes, Bunworth, Hutchinson and Connow Cowan each had a wicket for Laharum.
At Brim, Swifts-Great Western elected to put Brim Kellalac Sheep Hills in to bat.
After the dismissal of Leigh Dovaston for 13, Brim KSH were 1-23 in the fifth over, before economical bowling from the visitors limited them to just 20 runs in the next 15 overs to be 2/43 at the 20-over mark.
The pressure ignited three quick wickets, leaving Brim KSH at 5/50 a few overs later.
Some contributions from the middle and lower order, including 24 from Kobe Macgregor and 19 from Lachlan McGinniss helped the home side reach all out for 113 at the end of their 40 overs.
Wickets were shared among all Swifts-Great Western bowlers, including figures of 2/8 from Joseph Martin and 2/21 from Jayden McCartney.
McGinniss put the pressure right back on the visitors, dismissing four of Swifts-Great Western’s top five batsmen before a Charlie Dean wicket had them at 5/39.
But unbeaten innings from Jacob Dunn (38) and Wil Clough (24) helped the visitors chase down the required 114 to defeat Brim KSH by four wickets.
McGinniss led the Eagles, finishing with 4/20 from his eight overs.
Warracknabeal-based St Mary’s hosted the Bullants at Anzac Park, with the visitors sending St Mary’s in to bat.
That decision proved correct early as Matthew Combe dismissed the opening pair of Colby Schmidt and Nicholas Germano for ducks.
Daniel Westerland (26) and Brodie Dennes (13) provided resistance against the Bullants' attack before a 5/18 collapse had the home side reeling at 7/66.
Lower-order batsmen Sean Smith and Nick Toscano each added 30 runs, allowing St Mary’s to finish the innings with a respectable 9/130.
Matthew Combe was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with 4/21, supported by Angus Slatter (2/9) and Jordan McDonald (2/15).
The home side continued their momentum early in the Bullants' innings to have them 2/15 after eight overs.
But the Bullants, led by 36 from Matthew Combe and with contributions from all their middle order, were able to defeat St Mary’s by five wickets, totalling 5/132 with more than 11 overs to spare.
Brodie Dennes was the pick of the St Mary’s bowlers, finishing with 1/18 off six overs.
