Goulburn Murray Cricket’s under-12 boys side has emerged victorious against nearby associations at Junior Country Week.
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Downpours across the region on Monday meant a delayed start to proceedings, but associations still got in three days of cricket, with finals held on Thursday.
Shepparton, Bendigo, Cohuna and plenty of grounds in between played host to the six boys’ and two girls’ divisions.
While the GMC’s youngest competitors provided the highlight, there were plenty of great performances across the grades, five GMC teams featuring in finals.
Under-17 Boys
The under-17 boys got their carnival off to a good start, picking up a 58-run win over the Murray Valley Cricket Association.
GMC batted first and was led by a 50 from Echuca’s Easton Carlile, setting MVCA 7-203 to chase in the second innings.
Kyabram Fire Brigade prospect Riley Carver was the hero in the bowling innings, taking 5-29 to help GMC bowl out MCVA for 145.
On Wednesday, the side followed up with a match against Wangaratta District Cricket Association, the GMC beaten by 21 runs.
Echuca’s Ky Henson was in fine form with the ball, taking 3-7 to help hold Wangaratta to 142 in their batting innings.
Despite another strong batting effort from Carlile (45), on this occasion assisted by Bamawm-Lockington United’s Broden Wishart (31), the GMC was bowled out for 121.
The GMC’s net run rate was the best of the four 1-1 teams in the division, earning it a shot at undefeated Bendigo in the final.
Unfortunately, the GMC wasn’t able to keep up with BDCA’s batting, anchored by a sparkling 106 from 111 by Xavier Grant.
Henson (3-35) and Carver (3-31) were good with the ball again, effectively marshalling Grant’s supporting cast.
BDCA posted 205, a target GMC wasn’t able to get near.
The locals made just 9-93, a gritty 36 from 95 by BLU’s Kade Pearse the only highlight of the innings.
Under-17 Girls
The under-17 girls fought hard but ended up a few runs short against Gisborne and District.
The openers, Rochester’s Taya Monroe and Moama’s Beatrix Bray, led the way with the bat, making 21 and 19 respectively, but GMC was bowled out for 110.
The locals bowled well, but Gisborne and District snuck home with just one wicket left in the sheds.
The side’s final match came against Bendigo, where the opposition got the win by 50 runs.
Batting first, Bendigo set a target of 148, Moama’s Isla Laffy (3-25) and Cooma’s Sienna Brennan (3-11) leading the way for the GMC bowling attack.
The run chase fell well short of victory, Rochester duo Miranda Crawford (28) and Cadence Major (24) the only batters to reach double figures.
The two losses ended the GMC campaign at the group stage.
Under-16 Boys
MVCA proved too strong for GMC’s under-16 boys, winning by 34 runs.
Murphy Stevens made 50 for MVCA, Kyabram Fire Brigade’s Wil Harrison, and Moama’s Jackson Groves and Charles Connors each taking two wickets.
Chasing 173, the fall of wickets stalled the GMC innings, the side eventually bowled out for 139.
A 24 from Echuca’s William Kerr, batting at nine, was the top score for GMC.
The locals rebounded in their second game against Bendigo, getting home by 19 runs.
GMC batted first and set 8-176 as the target, with a host of strong batting contributions from Moama’s Kane Scott (29 not-out), Rochester’s Cale James (28) and Morgan Boyack (24) and Kyabram Fire Brigade’s Wil Harrison (28).
The bowling effort saw Moama’s Jackson Groves take 3-27, while Harrison added 2-22 as Bendigo DCA was dismissed for 157.
GMC edged out MVCA to earn a finals berth against Cricket Shepparton.
The local reps were up against it from the start, Shepparton opener Jack Mellington putting on 60 to set up a Shepparton total of 5-214.
Echuca’s Liam Beasley started the GMC innings well with 39, but his teammates couldn’t match his efforts, the locals crumbling to an all-out 127, defeated by 87 runs.
Under-15 Boys
MVCA also got the best of GMC in the under-15s, winning by 37 runs.
GMC kept its opponents to a respectable 6-166 but was bowled out for just 129 in reply.
Echuca’s Ben Henson (36) attempted to keep the GMC innings afloat, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win.
In a five-team division, GMC drew the bye in the final round, giving it no opportunity to improve its record and make the decider.
Under-14 Boys
The GMC made a great start in the under-14 division, earning a five-wicket win against MVCA.
Moama’s Landyn Maher was left cruelly short of a half-century, finishing the innings on 49 unbeaten as his side posted 5-139.
Jordan Swann reached the milestone for MVCA, making 50 not-out in the chase, but his teammates weren’t as productive, Nondies-Cohuna’s Oliver More the chief force for GMC, taking 6-21.
GMC continued to prove its quality in the next round, earning a 37-run win over Bendigo DCA.
Rochester’s Asher Rasmussen made 56 to guide GMC to an all-out 148.
More was again useful with the ball, taking 2-21 while Rochester’s Mac Dickinson (2-3) also added two wickets, as Bendigo fell from 5-77 to all-out for 101.
A perfect two from two, the GMC would again meet the MVCA in the division final.
The game looked in the balance after the MVCA innings, a pair of wickets each for Rochester bowlers Judd Cuttriss (2-18) and Harry Rasmussen (2-11) helping hold MVCA to 8-143.
In position to strike at 3-96 with 10 overs remaining, the wickets began to tumble for GMC, a middle-order collapse leaving the tail a little too much to do as the innings concluded at 9-131.
Cuttriss (23) and Kyabram Fire Brigade’s Charlie Pekin (29) both put in solid shifts in the middle.
Under-14 Girls
The under-14 girls had a tough opening to their campaign, downed in convincing fashion by Gisborne and Districts Green.
The GMC couldn’t put together much of a batting total, dismissed for 67 with only Moama’s Sadie Laffy, Rochester’s Trinity Hayler, and Stanhope’s Alyssa Braithwaite making it to double figures.
Gisborne batted on after quickly running down the total for the loss of three wickets, eventually finishing 6-130.
Following up against Gisborne White the following day, GMC reversed its result in a dominant win.
Rochester’s Keely Major (3-7), and Echuca’s Sophie Millar (3-9) led the way as GMC dismissed Gisborne for 53.
After reaching the total, GMC batted on, Millar top-scoring with 40, while Emma Moyle (35) also batted well.
Finishing third overall, GMC was held out of the finals by net run rate.
Under-13 Boys
A huge batting performance guided the under-13 boys to a big win over MVCA in their opening match.
Moama’s Max Johns (74) and Nondies-Cohuna’s Anantveer Sachdeva (79) led the way as the GMC posted a mammoth 4-231.
MVCA was precious with its wickets in the chase but fell well short of the target, managing only 4-126.
Although it faced a bye in the remaining round, GMC still finished on top of the ladder, taking on Bendigo in the final.
A late attacking barrage secured Bendigo the win, Fraser Maddren and Jensen Sawyer the late heroes as BDCA won by three wickets.
A triumphant opening stand from Moama’s Max Johns (42) and Ted Palmer (44) allowed GMC to set what looked a competitive total of 6-167 in the first innings.
Fellow Moama rep Sam McCleary took 3-24 with the ball, but a half-century from Jhak Burke (52) and 45 from Cale Polson set BDCA up for success before Maddren and Sawyer finished off the chase with two overs to spare.
Under-12 Boys
The under-12s took on Cricket Shepparton and came away with a 37-run win.
Rochester’s Cooper Rasmussen’s 58 helped GMC set a competitive 5-159.
Shepparton’s line-up featured a couple of good knocks, but the side crumbled to 9-122 off its 40 overs, Rochy’s Walt James the leading contributor with the ball for GMC.
Next up, GMC faced Bendigo and was defeated by 74 runs.
Logan Shatwell facilitated Bendigo’s big total of 7-186, making 96 from as many balls.
In response, no GMC batter could make a significant impact, Moama player Toby Teasdale’s 18 the best score in a 9-112 effort.
Despite the defeat, the under-12s did enough to earn a rematch with Bendigo in the final.
Learning from the mistakes of the initial encounter, GMC contained the Bendigo batting order to win by 31 runs and take the title.
Batting first, a late cameo from Seth Hunter, who top-scored from number 10 with 29, pulled GMC out of trouble at 8-64, the local side posting 108 all-out.
Bendigo’s Shatwell wasn’t able to replicate his heroics from the group encounter, making only 11 on this occasion, and the BDCA batting order wasn’t able to make up the runs, bowled out for 77.
BLU’s Finn Mundie led the way with the ball, taking 4-11.
Cadet sports journalist