Bamawm-Lockington United’s Royce Serpell guides one into the onside for GMC’s under-17 boys against Cricket Shepparton on Wednesday. Photos: Jordan Townrow
Goulburn Murray Cricket and Cricket Shepparton’s talented youngsters have been in the spotlight, battling other associations in the Northern Rivers region at Junior Country Week.
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Grounds as near as Tongala and as far afield as Cohuna, Bendigo and Shepparton were in use as GMC featured in seven grades, under-12 to under-17 for boys and under-17 for girls.
Select grades got under way on Sunday, January 4 with all grades in action from Monday to Wednesday.
GMC under-17 boys squad had the draw closest to home, playing at Cohuna on Monday before fixtures at Tongala and Moama to close out their tournament.
Kyabram Fire Brigade’s Wil Harrison looks to play off his pads. Photo: Jordan Townrow.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
The side started on the back foot, falling to Murray Valley Cricket Association by 15 runs on day one, and suffering a two-wicket defeat to Wangaratta on day two.
However, some starring performances on Wednesday saw GMC get on top of Cricket Shepparton by 12 runs.
From 5-30, a partnership of 82 between Echuca’s Liam Beasley (45 not out) and Kyabram Fire Brigade’s Wil Harrison (37) helped GMC post 6-120 in the heat-shortened Twenty20 contest.
Ben O’Brien unleashes a rocket for Cricket Shepparton.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
Jackson Groves then helped complete the victory with the ball, bowling a miserly 3-4 from four overs, while Cale James (3-20) also took three wickets.
Despite the win, GMC did not qualify for finals.
In its other games, Cricket Shepparton scored two strong wins over Wangaratta and Seymour District Cricket Association to reach a final against MVCA, where Nathaniel Timson’s 3-7 helped the side claim the title by 30 runs.
The GMC under-17 girls weren’t able to pick up a win in either of their fixtures, first going down to Bendigo District Cricket Association by three wickets.
Echuca’s William Kerr gets behind the line.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
In the squad’s second match, strong bowling by Echuca’s Sophie Good (3-7) and Moama’s Sadie Laffy (2-21) had GMC on the brink of claiming victory, but Gisborne was able to find the boundary with the final delivery of the match, winning the game at the last opportunity.
In a hard-fought under-16 boys division, GMC won one of three matches, but managed to scrape into the grand final round.
A big win over MVCA got the side over the line after strong scores from Jasper Hare (Leitchville-Gunbower), Macklan Dalziel (Echuca) and Ryan Caldwell (Echuca).
Against an unbeaten BDCA outfit, the squad wasn’t able to claim the tournament title in the final, posting 4-96 in its 20 overs, a score than was run down by the opposition within 14 overs.
Cricket Shepparton celebrates a wicket.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
Cricket Shepparton’s lone win in the division came over GMC, a starring bowling effort from Clancy Keenan (3-12), Dayne Wilson (2-3) and Jack Hudson (2-5) guiding the side to a 10-wicket win.
GMC’s under-15 boys had a positive campaign, scoring two wins from three games, defeating BDCA and MVCA.
The highlight performance of the squad’s tournament was Makore Dickinson (Rochester) taking 5-19 to lead his side to victory over BDCA, while club teammate Asher Rasmussen also made 43 in the same game.
Kyabram Fire Brigade’s Archie Sheppard fell short of a half-century against MVCA, making 49 from 44 deliveries.
The side missed out on the final by quotient.
Cricket Shepparton picked up a single win from its three matches, taking down SDCA by three wickets after a leading performance of 67 from 43 balls by Flynn Bush.
GMC’s under-14 boys headed to the grand final after winning two of three fixtures.
The side put on 191 in its 40 overs against MVCA after a clinical 81 at the top of the order from Moama’s Max Johns, winning by 72 runs.
Mowers teammate Sam McCleary took 4-6 in the following day’s 66-run win over Cricket Shepparton.
Archy Harrison sends one down for Cricket Shepparton.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
Battling BDCA in the final, GMC fell short of chasing down the opposition’s 6-130.
A strong knock of 45 from 39 balls from Leitchville-Gunbower’s Jax Hare built hope for a successful chase, but the middle order faltered, leaving GMC 23 runs short.
Cricket Shepparton went winless over its three games, but a grandstand finish against MVCA saw two wickets and five runs in the final over, resulting in an 83-run tie.
The under-13 boys GMC side wasn’t able to secure a win in any of its three fixtures across Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
The squad’s highest team score was 149, compiled against Cricket Shepparton on Monday, the innings led by 51 from Rochester’s Cooper Rasmussen.
Shepp won two of its three matches to reach the final against BDCA, but the side wasn’t able to muster any scoring momentum, falling well short of the 143 required.
GMC under-12 boys were front-runners throughout after winning all three round matches over MVCA, Cricket Shepparton and BDCA.
The side put up 8-160 against Cricket Shepparton, led by Moama’s Toby Teasdale who made 81.
In the grand final, a thrilling finish saw BDCA take 11 from the last over to force a tie, both sides managing 101 from 20 overs.
Cricket Shepparton picked up one win in the grade, defeating MVCA by 71 runs after a game-defining partnership between Thomas Goss (59) and Zavier Parsons (53).
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