SWAN Hill’s Junior Country Week teams tested themselves against opponents from Sunraysia last week.
At grounds across the Sunraysia Cricket Association the next generation of talented cricketers came together to represent their respective regions.
Under-17 boys level was the only grade where Swan Hill saluted, but they were well within most contests.
Sunraysia started with a four-wicket win, as 3/15 from Angus Smith helped restrict the visitors to 68, with Samuel Longeri’s 24 leading the run chase.
Oliver Murray scored 59 in the opening Twenty20 as Sunraysia complied 8/116 in the first innings before Charlie Butcher took 4/17 to restrict Swan Hill to 9/97.
Swan Hill got it done in game three after making Swan Hill 8/105, Smith, Cooper Fitzpatrick and Taj Hill all taking two wickets.
Captain Lewis Dichiera led the chase with 36 but Sunraysia fell 10 runs short, finishing at 7/96.
In Thursday’s finale, Hill scored 36 and Jack Probert 23 not out as Sunraysia were all out for 161.
A run chase that went down to the wire followed as Swan Hill fell just one-run short at 9/160 from their 50 overs, Butcher taking another 4/39.
The Sunraysia under-15 boys began with a 131-run win as Colby Marr smashed 90 to help his side to 7/197, before Rhett Wescombe (3/0) and Charlie Goldup (3/5) cleaned up with the ball.
Wescombe’s quickfire 32 in game 2 helped Sunraysia to 7/105 in the first of their T20 games, before Lars Castleman’s 3/12 helped restrict Swan Hill to 9/87 for an 18-run win.
Josh Driscoll’s 2/16 and Nate Kiel’s 17 runs pushed Sunraysia to a five-wicket victory in game three.
In their final contest Sunraysia held off Swan Hill by 18 runs, Wescombe making 26 and Kiel 19 as Sunraysia were dismissed for 98, before Castleman’s incredible 5/10 helped send the visitors back to the sheds for 80.
The Sunraysia under-13 boys went three from three in their contests.
Jimmy Milson (37) and Nicholas Walder (28) led the scoring for the home side on Tuesday as Sunraysia compiled 7/124 in their 40 overs at Mildura Senior College.
Swan Hill fell 17 runs short, James Brice taking 2/9 as they were all out for 107.
Games 2 and 3 saw successful run chases for Sunraysia following outstanding bowling performances.
On Wednesday, Thomas O’Callaghan, Ignatius Jukes and Thomas Colbert all took two wickets to dismiss Swan Hill for 53, Alby Woollard’s unbeaten 31 leading Sunraysia home by three wickets.
Jukes and O’Callaghan struck again with two wickets in game 3, as did Charlie Litchfield with Swan Hill all out for 87.
Woollard again led the chase with 45 not out to help the home side to a seven-wicket win.
