The West Wimmera Cricket Association 2017/18 season hit off on Saturday with most teams featuring some new players, and the Nhill Tigers and Winiam both starting their season with comfortable wins.
Jeparit v. Nhill Tigers
The team that the reigning premiers put on the field against the Nhill Tigers at Jeparit on Saturday was vastly different from the team that took the title earlier this year, with only six of the premiership players available.
The Redbacks won the toss and batted but lost wickets regularly throughout their innings which ended on 105, with four players making it to double figures but none progressing past 18.
Mitch Dahlenburg took three wickets for the Tigers, and three of his team mates took two each.
In reply the Tigers made short work of the modest target, only losing three wickets before they passed the required sore and they lost only one more as they batted out their forty overs and finished with 4 for 159. The major contributors to this total were Aaron Cramer who retired when on 68 and Ben Pollock who scored 23, but three other players also made double figures.
The leading bowler for Jeparit was Graham Grinter who took two wickets.
Winiam v. Kiata
On the Winiam ground the home team won the toss and invited their opponents to bat first.
Kiata only lasted 26 overs and had made 135 when the ninth wicket fell, but as one of their players was absent, this constituted the end of their innings.
The wickets were shared between Drew Schneider (4 for 25), Brodie Cramer (3 for 10) and Jordan Gurry (2 for 34) whilst Damien Dickinson top scored with 69, batting at number eight, and first drop Todd Alexander made 28 to be the only batsmen to make a significant contribution.
Coming in at the fall of the second wicket Brad Clark batted strongly and retired after he had made 65 and along with openers Jordan Gurry with 29 and Brodie Cramer with 19 made the bulk of the 155 reply and it was Dom Colombera and Todd Alexander took two wickets each.
Round Two Preview
Next week another round of one day games will be played and it is difficult to confidently make predictions based on only one round.
In a rematch of the 2016/17 grand final, Jeparit will travel to Winiam, and whilst form from last weekend suggests that Winiam will go into this game as favourites, much will depend on exactly which twelve players each team takes into the match.
At the Nhill College oval Kiata will take on the Nhill Tigers in a game that is equally difficult to forecast until the final player line up for each team is known, but the Tigers result last week installs them as favorites.
Round Two Draw - Saturday 21 October 2017
Winiam v. Jeparit at Winiam
Kiata v. Nhill Tigers at the Nhill College Oval
Round One Results
Jeparit 105 (T Inkster 18, L Preston 16, W Preston 16, S Suvarnapudi 15, M Dahlenburg 3/18, A Dickinson 2/10, B Pollock 2/20, R Dodds 2/20) lost to Nhill Tigers 4 for 159 (A Cramer 68*, B Pollock 23, S Gusman 18, G Grinter 2/28) by 54 runs at Jeparit
Kiata 135 (D Dickinson 69, T Alexander 28, D Schneider 4/25, B Cramer 3/10, J Gurry 2/34) lost to Winiam 7 for 155 (B Clark 65 retired, J Gurry 29, B Cramer 19, D Colombera 2/16, T Alexander 2/34) by 2o runs at Winiam
Ladder after Round One
| Team | Points | Percentage
| | Nhill Tigers | 6 | 3.785
| | Winiam | 6 | 1.640
| | Kiata | 0 | 0.609
| | Jeparit | o | 0.264
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