After two days of Ripping Cricket, the West Wimmera Warriors’ team came away with the Horsham Cricket Association’s C grade premiership on Sunday afternoon.
B Grade Game One - West Wimmera Warriors 111 (A Danaha 32, D Bullen 19, B Zimmermann 17) defeated Quantong 95 (B Zimmermann 3/8, R James 3/12)
The first of the best-of-three grand final games was played in near-perfect warm and sunny conditions under the watchful eye of stand-in captain Dylan Webb, in the absence of regular leader Jack Crowhurst who was attending his brother’s wedding. Upon winning the toss, he gave the Warriors the challenge of setting a target.

From a shaky start that saw the team at 2 for 18 then 7 for 48, Alias Danaha and Lochlyn Hahne combined to boost the total above the century, with Hahne dismissed on the last ball of the innings for 15 and Danaha remaining not out on 32, his highest score for the season.

With only 111 to defend, the Warriors’ bowler started strongly with two early wickets before Quantong had made five and a further three wickets before 20.

A 38 run partnership for the sixth wicket kept the game alive, but the bowlers and fielders held their nerve and dismissed their opposition just 17 runs short of the target to take a one-game lead.

Bailey Zimmermann took 3 for 8, and Ruby James took 3 for 12 from six overs each, and Danaha took two wickets.
B Grade Game Two - West Wimmera Warriors 8/156 (Dickinson 50 retired not out, L Hahne 33, J Crowhurst 24) defeated Qunatong 9/132 (A Dickinson 3/11, R James 2/14, B Zimmermann 2/15, J Crowhurst 2/25)
Sunday morning presented the opposite weather conditions to the day before, with heavy cloud and light rain threatening to curtail the game.

This game started two hours earlier in the hope of finishing before any significant rain, with the Warriors making just one change to their team with Crowhurst resuming the captaining duties.

Batting first again, the team struggled to 4 for 20 when Darcy Bullen and Ash Dickinson came together.

Bullen played a patient innings that yielded 17 runs from 82 balls but proved to be the perfect foil for Dickinson at the other end, who plundered 50 before retiring not out from 40 balls which included five boundaries and two that cleared 6s.

Late innings contributions of 24 by Crowhurst and 33 not out by Hahne saw the team finish with 156 for the loss of 8 wickets after their 40 overs.

The Quantong innings began with a couple of early wickets from Zimmermann’s bowing, but despite some tight bowling from all eight Warriors bowlers used, they kept in touch with the required run rate for much of the innings.

Ruby James kept the pressure on with two mid-innings wickets, and it was only by the 33rd over of 40 that the required run rate reached one run per ball.

In the face of some tight bowling and energetic fielding, the Quantong batsmen could not match this, and it was Crowhurst (2 for 25) and Dickinson (3 for 11) who brought the run chase to an end 24 runs short of the target.

The umpires judged Dickinson to be the best player over the two games, having taken four wickets and made 50 runs.

Across town at the Horsham City Oval, the Warriors’ A grade team narrowly missed sending their grand final series into a third game against the dominant Noradjuha Toolondo combination.
A Grade Game One - West Wimmera Warriors 58 (N Alexander 20) lost to Noradjuha Toolondo Bullants 3/59 (N Alexander 3/18)
Batting first in the opening game, the Warriors got off to a bad start when only one batsman made it into double figures in their total of 58. Nathan Alexander scored 20 of those runs, but the innings’ highlight was 5 for 12 by Bullant bowler Jordan McDonald.

With such a small target to defend, it was only a matter of time before the Bullant’s strong batting line up passed this total in the fifteenth over. Alexander was also the pick of the bowlers, taking all three wickets to fall for 18 runs off eight overs.
A Grade Game Two - Noradjuha Toolondo Bullants 9/112 (H Smith 3/14, N Alexander 2/27) defeated West Wimmera Warriors 102 (A Smith 51, T Braendler 16)
One advantage of the new best-of-three format is that one below-par innings need not define the finale, so for the Warriors, Sunday was a new opportunity to show why they deserved to play off for the title.

Despite the less than ideal weather conditions for cricket, the Warriors approached this second game with enthusiasm. An excellent all-round bowling performance saw the Bullants restricted to 9 for 112 at under three runs per over.

Opening bowler Josh Lees conceded a miserly 1.75 runs per over, but the highlight was Henry Smith’s three wickets that cost just two runs per over. Alexander took two wickets, and Austin Smith and Austin Merrett took one each.

The run chase was not looking good when the three top batsmen were back in the pavilion for just 13 runs, but this provided the opportunity for others to step up.

With his second half-century for the seaosn, the other also against the Bullants, Austin Smith held the middle of the inning together with 51 and Tim Braendler contributed 16.

As the Warriors crept closer to the target, the Bullants also built towards their target of ten wickets, and when they took the last one, in the 37th over, the Warriors were stranded just eleven short.

Although they did not get the desired result, as the spectators left the ground, they praised both team’s approach to the game and were all satisfied that they had seen a game worthy of a title decider and would not be surprised to see the Warriors back at the same time next year.

Qualifying two senior teams for the grand finals in their respective grades was in addition to the Warriors’ team playing off in the Under 16.5 competition grand final two weeks ago, completing off a very successful season for the club.

In the B grade grand finals played at Dudley Cornell Park in Horsham, Colts won two closely fought games to be the 2020/21 premiers in that grade.

Former West Wimmera players and umpires Jeff Muller and Trevor Albrecht officiated as umpires in the B- and C-grade grand finals, respectively.



Horsham Cricket Association - A Grade - Grand Final #2 - Limited Overs Match

Noradjuha Toolondo Bullants won by 7 wickets

West Wimmera Warriors

N Alexanderct. T Caccaviello   b. J McDonald20
M Dahlenburg b. M Combe4
B Alexander b. J McDonald5
A Smithct. J Beddisonb. J McDonald2
J Leesct. k Hairb. H Lang2
T Braendlerct. B Willsb. H Lang0
L Prestonlbwb. M Combe6
T Polkinghorne    b. J McDonald0
H Smithct. T Caccaviellob. J McDonald6
L Smith b. T Caccaviello   3
A Merrettnot out 5
Sundries  5
TOTAL(34.2 overs)58

Noradjuha Toolondo Bullants Bowling

     O    M    R    W
M Combe5.21112
T Caccaviello81221
J McDonald83125
H Lang83102
J Beddison  5410

Noradjuha Toolondo Bullants

J Combect. T Polkinghorneb. N Alexander12
T Caccavielloct. T Braendlerb. N Alexander16
M Combenot out 13
K Hairct. T Polkinghorne   b. N Alexander4
J Beddisonnot out 8
Sundries  6
TOTAL(15 Overs)3 for 59

West Wimmera Warriors Bowling

     O    M    R    W
N Alexander  82183
J Lees30200
L Smith2080
A Smith2080



Horsham Cricket Association - A Grade - Grand Final #2 - Limited Overs Match

Noradjuha Toolondo Bullants won by 10 runs

Noradjuha Toolondo Bullants

J Combect. B Alexanderb. A Merrett8
K Hairct & b. N Alexander   10
M Combect. A Merrettb. H Smith23
J Beddisonct. M Dahlenburg   b. H Smith11
T Caccaviellorun out 12
S Oakleyrun out 24
T Dumesnylbwb. H Smith0
J McDonaldct. T Polkinghorneb. A Smith7
B Willsct. T BraendlerN Alexander5
H Langnot out    0
C Obeirnenot out 1
Sundries  11
TOTAL(40 Overs)9 for 112

West Wimmera Warriors Bowling

     O    M    R    W
J Lees  4270
N Alexander83272
A Smith80201
T Braendler52140
A Merrett80251
H Smith72143

Noradjuha Toolondo Bullants Bowling

     O    M    R    W
M Combe80143
T Caccaviello6292
J McDonald6.41232
H Lang31110
J Combe  51120
J Beddison72233
B Wills  1070

West Wimmera Warriors

N Alexanderct. T Dumesnyb. T Caccaviello   1
M Dahlenburgct. T Dumesnyb. T Caccaviello7
B Alexanderlbwb. M Combe0
A Smithct T Caccaviello   b. J Beddison51
J Leesst. T Dumesnyb. J Beddison4
T Braendler b. J McDonald16
L Smithct. S Oakleyb. J Beddison9
L Prestonct. J Beddisonb. M Combe1
T Polkinghorne   ct. J Beddisonb. J McDonald7
H Smithct. C Obeirneb. M Combe0
A Merrettnot out 0
Sundries  6
TOTAL(36.2 overs)102



Horsham Cricket Association - C Grade - Grand Final #1 - Limited Overs Game

West Wimmera Warriorswon by 16 runs

West Wimmera Warriors First Innings

S Gusmanlbwb. S Jose10
D Webb&bb. N Hill7
B Zimmermann  lbwb. T Brand  17
D Bullennot out 19
A Dickinsonlbwb. T Brand0
T Mitchellct. S Ezard   b. T Brand0
X Bonerun out 0
T Jameslbwb. S Jose  4
A Danahact. R Carisb. S Jose32
L Hahnect. R Carisb. S Jose15
Sundries  7
TOTAL(40 Overs)111

Quantong Bowling

     O    M    R    W
N Hill62342
T Brand6293
M Cummins61171
S Jose61133
B Ezard  6420
M Wilson40120
J Smith61210

Quantong Innings

J Vaguect. L Hahneb. R James9
N Hill b. A Danaha1
T Brandlbwb. A Danaha0
R Carisct. L Hahneb. B Zimmermann  26
S Jose b. X Bone1
M Cummins  ct. D Bullenb. B Zimmermann0
P Brandnot ooutnot out20
B Ezard b. B Zimmermann18
S Ezardct. C Cardwell   b. R James6
M Wilson b. R James1
J Smith b. T James1
Sundries  12
TOTAL(40 Overs)95

West Wimmera Warriors Bowling

* not supplied



Horsham Cricket Association - C Grade - Grand Final #2 - Limited Overs Game

West Wimmera Warriorswon by 24 runs

West Wimmera Warriors First Innings

S Gusman b. M Cummins  4
D Webbct. J Vagueb. M Cummins15
B Zimmermann  ct. ?b. M Cummins0
D Bullenct. M Cumminsb. T Brand17
T Mitchellct. R Carisb. S Jose0
A Dickinsonretirned not ouot    50
A Danaha b. J Smith1
J Crowhurstct. T Brandb. S Jose24
L Hahnenotout 33
X Bone b. S Jose0
R Jamesnot  1
Sundries  11
TOTAL(40 Overs)8 for 156

Quantong Bowling

     O    M    R    W
N Hill60190
T Brand61261
M Cummins  62223
S Jose62153
B Ezard61230
N Robinson40300
J Smith61151

Quantong Innings

J Vague b. B Zimmermann  0
N Hill b. B Zimmermann1
T Brandct. D Webbb. J Crowhurst35
R Carisct. J Crowhurst   b. R James18
S Joselbwb. R James0
P Brandct. L Hahneb. A Dickinson25
B Ezard b. A Dickinson23
M Cumminslbwb. A Dickinson7
S Ezardnot out 4
N Robinson  ct. A Dickinsonb. J Crowhurst2
J Smithnot out 0
Sundries  17
TOTAL(40 Overs)9 for 132

West Wimmera Warriors Bowling

     O    M    R    W
A Danaha  61250
B Zimmermann61152
R James61142
J Crowhurst61252
X Bone61200
D Webb2050
A Dickinson60113
L Hahne20100