Sport
29 October, 2025
Lions remain unbeaten
Swifts-Great Western cricket club is unbeaten in all grades following round two of the Horsham Cricket Association last Saturday.
The B-Grade's match against the Noradjuha Toolondo Bullants was abandoned without a ball bowled, but the A-Grade and C-Grade sides enjoyed comprehensive wins.
The A-Graders defeated St Marys by seven wickets at Central Park.
The Warracknabeal side won the toss and elected to bat, and enjoyed a solid start, with Nathan Priest and Daniel Westerland putting on a solid 31-run opening stand.
Jayden McCartney made the breakthrough, bowling Priest for 17, and shortly after took the wicket of Kael Zanker to have St Marys 2/41.
Matt Heffer had Brodie Dennes caught by Aiden Graveson for three, and St Marys stumbled to 3/52.
Westerland and Colby Schmidt rallied and put on another 39 runs before Westerland was caught and bowled by Zachary Marrow.
Wickets tumbled from there with St Marys losing their last six wickets for 48 runs to be bowled out for 139 in the 38th over.
McCartney was the pick of the bowlers with 4/35 (7.2). Zachary Marrow 3/19 (8), and Matt Heffer 2/17 (8) were the other wicket takers.
The Lions had little trouble in the chase despite losing Max McMahon early for seven runs.
Aiden Graveson and Zachary Marrow put on a 95-run partnership before Graveson fell for 62. Jack Cann fell for a golden duck the next ball, and Aiden Keys found himself on a hat-trick.
Jacob Dunn survived the hat-trick ball and, with Marrow, guided the Lions to a comfortable win.
Dunn finished unbeaten on 17 and Marrow on 49.
The C-Grade side also enjoyed a comfortable seven-wicket win over Homers at Great Western Recreation Reserve.
After winning the toss and bowling, they restricted the Homers to 6/133 after their 40 overs. Matt Arnel and Finn Arnel scored 50 and 31, respectively, for the Homers.
Jake Gebert was the star with the ball for the Lions, claiming 3/7 (2). Nicholas McCartney and Josh McCartney also picked up wickets.
The Lions, in reply, lost Tom Robinson for nine, and Darby Grinham for 10 to fall to 2/30.
Ashton Bonner, Matthew Delzotto and Alexander Bonner all batted well to guide the Lions to 3/134 in the 22nd over.
Matthew Delzotto and Alexander Bonner finished unbeaten on 38 and 36, respectively, while Ashton Bonner scored 32.
Lions Treasurer, Marc Brilliant, is ecstatic with the way they have started the season.
“The aim at the start of the season was to be competitive, because as long as you are competitive, you will give yourself a chance to win, which is what we have done,” he said.
“We have played reasonably well in patches, and last Saturday was reasonably good all around.
“Aiden Graveson is playing the way we played the back half of last year, and everyone has made runs, and the bowling effort from the first two weeks has been shared around,” he added.
“It’s good to see Jayden [McCartney] in the wickets, having come back to the club from spending a season at St Arnaud.
“Nothing has surprised us, and we are happy with how we have started.”
Brilliant said that the strong numbers at training also help.
“We had players miss last weekend that will come back in, and it’s pleasing that we have had the players to fill in, rather than having to call around on Friday nights to find people able to play,” he said.
“Everyone is showing up to training and can fill a role, which is pleasing.”
Read More: Stawell, Great Western