Sport
22 January, 2026
Juniors have a week of growth
Across five matches and three demanding days, the side showed clear growth — not only in their cricket, but in their confidence, composure and character.
WIMMERA Mallee Cricket Association’s Under 13 Country Week campaign may have officially begun last week, but in many ways the foundations for a memorable three days were laid 24 hours earlier.
The squad arrived in Portland on Sunday afternoon and completed a full training session to familiarise themselves with conditions, before gathering later that evening for a pizza night on the foreshore — a family-orientated occasion that saw 55 family members and friends join the group in a relaxed and supportive setting. It was the perfect way to begin the week, setting the tone for a carnival that would prove to be about far more than just cricket.
Across five matches and three demanding days, the side showed clear growth — not only in their cricket, but in their confidence, composure and character.
For local followers, there was plenty to like in the performances and leadership of George and Samuel Greenaway, Charles and Henry Carter, Chase Wilson and Oliver Goode, but just as importantly, the wider squad played a huge role in the team’s progress, with strong contributions coming from across the group, including Ned Jones, Oscar Sharp, Koby Weir, Isaac Credlin, Denley Tyler, Jagger Decker and Louie Webster, among others.
The tournament began on Monday with a challenging opening assignment against the powerful HDCA Hurricanes Gold. While the result didn’t go Wimmera Mallee’s way, the match proved a valuable early lesson in what was required at Country Week level. Despite the loss, there were encouraging signs right across the side, with the bowling group showing discipline and the fielding effort setting early standards.
That lesson was put to immediate use in Game 2 against Portland later that day, where Wimmera Mallee produced their first complete performance. The bowlers set the tone before the batting group took full advantage, and even after the target was passed the side continued in a development format, using the extra time in the middle to build confidence and cohesion.
Tuesday proved to be a turning point in more ways than one.
On the field, the side’s resilience was tested in a tight contest against South West Cricket Green. After a difficult start with the bat, several players showed great composure to rebuild the innings, and the bowlers then combined superbly in a tense finish to secure a narrow and important victory — a result that lifted belief right across the group. Later that day came a second meeting with HDCA Hurricanes Gold. While the opposition again proved too strong, Wimmera Mallee continued to compete hard, with the attitude and togetherness of the group again standing out.
That evening, the entire group — players, coaches and families — gathered at one of Portland’s pubs for another family-orientated dinner, adding another memorable off-field moment to the week and further strengthening the bonds within the group.
By the time the final day arrived, the transformation in the side was clear.
Against Portland in the last match, Wimmera Mallee delivered their most complete performance of the week, with strong batting contributions throughout the order and a disciplined, energetic bowling and fielding display to close out the carnival in emphatic fashion.
What stood out most across the three days was not just the improvement in skills, but the personal growth.
Players encouraged each other. They handled setbacks better. They celebrated each other’s successes. They took responsibility for both their performances and their behaviour. By the end of the carnival, this was a more connected, more confident and more mature group than the one that had arrived on Sunday afternoon.
For the local contingent — the two Carters, the two Greenaways, Wilson and Goode — the week was particularly rewarding, but it was equally clear that this was a true whole-squad effort, built on contributions from every player.
Country Week is always about more than just cricket.
For this Wimmera Mallee Under 13s side, it was three days of learning, competing, growing and building memories — and by the time they packed up to head home, they had not only improved as cricketers, but had taken meaningful steps forward as young men as well.
- JASON SMITH
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