Cricket
23 December, 2025
Head-to-head season a success at midway point
Warracknabeal District Junior Cricket Association kicked off in mid-October this year with a new-look competition.
As participants are again on the decline, the junior comp now consists of two teams: Southern Mallee Giants and Warracknabeal Stars.
A draw was adopted at the annual preseason meeting with start dates and the welcome inclusion of two-day games.
The change to two-day cricket was brought about to enable as much participation as possible with a genuine focus on developing skills and increasing time spent in the middle.
The fixture includes six rounds of two-day games and a feature T20 game on a Friday night at Beulah to support and involve the local Beulah community.
To encourage competition between the two teams, the six two-day games and one one-day game form a tournament series, with points awarded for each match and an overall winner to be declared at season’s end.
The winner will be the team with the most points accumulated through the year of cricket.
The season opener was played at Brim on October 18 and 25 and it did not disappoint.
Warracknabeal won the toss and batted well, compiling 4/93 from 40 overs.
The following week the Giants got away to a shaky start and never really recovered, being dismissed for 86 runs going down by seven runs in a tight finish.
Warracknabeal’s Sam Williamson was the standout with 37 runs and three wickets.
Round two was played up the road at Hopetoun and Sam Williamson was in the runs again for Warracknabeal, making 25.
Sam was well supported by Bayden Jenkinson with a patient eight and Jed Hartnett with a handy 22-run knock.
However, the 116-run total was never going to be enough as the Giants led by a wonderful 51* retired from Lenny Wier and a calculated 16 runs from Colt Decker, allowing the home team to record a 62-run victory with a total of 5/188.
Coming into the third round, the junior series was level with one win each, and that is how it was going to stay as rain interrupted the second day of the Anzac Park game, resulting in a draw.
Warracknabeal did, however, bat well on day one, amassing 116 for the loss of just two wickets with Sam Williamson 27, Bayden Jenkinson 36 and Oliver Holland 21 runs not out.
In the final round before Christmas, Hopetoun was again the venue and on a rather warm morning the Giants won the toss and elected to bat.
It's safe to say runs were plentiful as every Giants player scored freely and a substantial total of five for 185 was scored.
The run scorers included Parker Hallam 21, Lawson Hallam 18, Cult Decker 31, Axel Decker 12 and Ned Jones 31, and the two not out batters, Lewis Webster and Dorson Hallam, scored eight and 20 runs respectively.
Day two on Saturday December 14 was always going to be an uphill battle for the Warracknabeal boys, but with positive running between wickets and a season high knock of 51 runs retired from opener Oliver Holland the total was almost looking like it was going to be reached.
Holland received good support from Charlie Slater and Bayden Jenkinson, both scoring 14, and Isaac Credlin with 12.
However, late wickets saw the run rate slide down and finally the overs and time ran out, seeing Warracknabeal finish 17 runs short with 8/168 from their 40 overs.
The teams now rest for the Christmas break and will return in January 2026, when many of the junior players will represent Wimmera Mallee Cricket Association in junior country week cricket.
This will be played as:
- under 17sin Warrnambool on January 5, 6, 7 and 8
- under 15s in Horsham on January 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9
- under 13s in Portland on January 12, 13 and 14.
Warracknabeal District Junior Cricket Association will also host Ouyen in Brim on Sunday February 1 in the annual Mallee Cup game.
We wish all involved the very best.The squad comprises Oliver Holland, Jaiden Cooksley, Bayden Jenkinson, Sam Williamson, Colby Anderson, Jed Hartnett, Issac Credlin, Parker Hallam, Lawson Hallam, Denzel Hallam, Axel Decker, Colt Decker, Lenny Weir, Louie Webster, Ned Jones and Clancy Weir.
