Tongala and Cooma cricketers who found themselves without a home at the start of this season have had an immediate impact on Goulburn Murray Cricket’s under-17 competition in the opening rounds.
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Cooma and Tongala were both involved in last season’s under-16 competition, but they are not part of the new six-team GM under-17 format.
Echuca, Moama, Kyabram Fire Brigade, Rochester and Bamawm-Lockington United remain from last season, while Nondies-Cohuna is the sixth team.
Hunter Fawcett, a star with Cooma last season, is now playing with Fire Brigade and was a star in its 17-run win against Echuca.
Two of his teammates, twin brothers Bill and Jim Hipwell, were key players in Rochester’s nine-wicket, 120-run win against Nondies-Cohuna.
Former Tongala batsman Hudson Kellett and Rochester all-rounder from 2022-23 Liam Edge are both playing with Moama this year.
They both played leading roles in the team’s 73-run win against BLU. In the opening round of the season, Bill Hipwell was the stand-out individual. He took six Nondies wickets in a seven-over spell that saw him surrender just nine runs.
Bill Hipwell then made 22 off 28 deliveries before retiring. He twice took wickets with successive deliveries in his spectacular start to the season.
After being bowled out for 66, Nondies took just one wicket as Matt Harrington (50 from 54 deliveries), Oliver Williams (53 from 48, including seven boundaries and a six) and Aidan Roulston (21 off 12, with four boundaries) all retired after dominating the Nondies bowling as Rochester scored 1-186 from 36 overs.
Fire Brigade batted after winning the toss against Echuca, but lost James Hargreaves with the second delivery of the innings and, not long after, Tongala recruit Braith Northausen for seven.
A 78-run partnership between Lachlan Carver (27 from 68) and Hunter Fawcett (seven boundaries and two sixes) got things back on track.
Hunter Fawcett finished with an unbeaten 64 from 59 deliveries, with late support from another former Cooma player, Lachlan Werner (14 off 20), to post a total of 149.
Fire Brigade opening bowler Riley Carver took a wicket with the second ball of the innings and soon after Echuca was 2-12.
Lachlan Werner took 2-11 from four overs (three of which were maidens) and Braith Northausen also took a wicket as Echuca finished on 7-132 from 42 overs.
Hudson Kellett scored 45 from 50 deliveries and Liam Edge retired on 50 (from 46 deliveries) as Moama piled on 8-213 from 41 overs.
Bamawm-Lockington United was all out for 136 in response.
• In Friday’s night’s second round of under-17 matches, Echuca posted 5-222 from its 40 overs against Rochester, with Ben Henson smashing eight boundaries in his 50 retired and captain Easton Carlile striking 35 (from 30 deliveries) in support.
Round one hero Bill Hipwell went wicketless, with Aidan Roulston taking 2-40 from five overs.
• Two early wickets would have given Echuca South plenty of confidence in its decision to bowl after winning the toss in its opening round GMC under-15 match with Kyabram Fire Brigade White.
After over three, however, there was just one more wicket as Fire Brigade White amassed 3-263 from 41 overs.
Five successive batsmen retired, headlined by Patty Westerveld’s four-boundary and three-six total of 43 (from 29 deliveries). He had support from Oscar Carver (40 from 29), Isaac Grealy (27), Jack Hubble (28), Jasmine Greiner (24) and Nicholas Dodos (not out 21).
Patty Westerveld took 24 runs from a single over before he retired.
Echuca South was all out for 79 in reply, Nicholas Barbagallo taking 2-16 from four overs and Sam Bruhn chiming in with 2-9 from his two overs.
Kyabram Redbacks had a tough opening match, against Echuca White, which batted after winning the toss and made 9-170 from 38 overs.
James McKeown and Ewan Walsh both took two wickets for the Redbacks and four other bowlers took one wicket apiece.
In reply, the Redbacks worked hard for 22 overs, but fell well short of the target as Xavier Bice (13 from 11 deliveries) and a determined Quinn Wickham (three not out from 42 deliveries) tried to stem the tide.
Echuca Green had a convincing win against Fire Brigade Red, which bowled after winning the toss and dismissed the Echuca team for 121 from 39 overs.
James Priest’s five-over spell of 3-21 was a standout, while Max Stockdale delivered two maiden overs and took 1-23 from his five-over stint.
Number three batsman Will Harrison made 16 from 18 for Fire Brigade Red, with three boundaries, but only James Priest (11) and Archer Backway provided any further resistance in the loss.
Tongala elected to bat against Moama White after winning the toss, Seth Chandler (10 from 43 deliveries) holding up an end as the team lost four wickets.
He had support from Tyler Robinson (16 from 54 deliveries) and Jordan Reid (not out 11 from 24 deliveries, with two boundaries) as the team posted 83 from 33 overs.
Moama White was 5-181 in reply after 39.4 overs, River Townend’s 3-18 from 3.4 overs the best of the bowlers.
• Kyabram Redbacks won its opening GMC under-13 match with a 56-run result opposite Echuca Green, on the back of a dashing innings from Flynn Burrrows.
While several wickets fell around him, he struck seven boundaries and a six in a top score of 44, supported by Anthony Evans (19) and Riley Nicholson (not out 11 from 33 deliveries) in the 9-109 total (from 32 overs).
Echuca Green was bowled out in 25 overs, Riley Nicholson and Toby McKiernan both taking two wickets and supported by captain Georgia Leonard.
Fire Brigade replicated the Redbacks’ total, scoring 8-109 from 33 overs for a 40-run win against Echuca White.
Sent in by the Echuca team, Archie Sheppard scored 22 from 32 deliveries to set the tone and then had support from Ethan Greiner (not out 13 from 45 deliveries) and Xavier Dodos (five boundaries in his 28 off 26 balls).
Echuca White was all out for 69 in reply, Sheppard completing an all-round effort with three wickets from four overs, including three maidens.
He had support from Jonty Sefton, who took 2-14 from four overs.
Tongala fell just short in its run chase against BLU, having sent its opponent in to bat on day one of the match.
BLU was 9-108 after 30 overs, Angus Greenman the pick of the bowlers with 2-6 from four overs. Kane Pyke, Kevin Maurizi and Couper Williams all provided bowling support.
Tongala then managed 5-93, falling 15 runs short of the target after Kevin Maurizi had scored an unbeaten 17 (from 38 deliveries) and Couper Williams had retired for 10 (from 30 deliveries).
• After an opening gala day round of matches, the GMC under-11 competition started its 10-round season, with 11 teams entered for 2023-24.
Kyabram Redbacks had a thrilling finish to its match with BLU, losing by just six runs after being sent in to bat.
The Redbacks managed 116 from 20 overs and only just failed to hold off their opponents, who were all out for 122.
Noah Virivirilau struck three boundaries in his score of 15, while Patrick Giffin scored seven not out in the Redbacks score.
Lucas Mangan took two wickets for the Kyabram team in the BLU innings.
Fire Brigade sent Tongala in to bat after winning the toss, Nate Chantler top-scoring with 12 not out as the team scored 82 from 20 overs.
Ella and Tilly Forde also did their bit, both scoring eight from their 15 allocated deliveries.
Ryder McCormack was a star for Fire Brigade in reply, striking three boundaries in his 21. Billy Sheppard scored 15 and Levi Cleveland was not out eight — Fire Brigade finishing on 0-128.
Nate Chantler and the Forde sisters all took two wickets for Tongala.
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