Tara Murray
The young talent in the Central Highlands region continues to shine, with the Highlanders claiming a second straight Youth Premier League under-16 boys title.
Having won the title in 2021-22, the team backed it up in December, with just one loss on the way to the win.
With four players returning from last season’s premiership team, the Highlanders were keen to have another strong tournament, which concluded just before Christmas.
James Dickinson was coach for a second straight year, while Sam Crea and James Doherty his assistant coaches.
Dickinson said the group had come together really well.
“It was a great effort for the boys,” he said. “It was a long trial process and they put it all together.
“The four bottom age guys from the year before have just got better and better, as has the rest of the squad.
“The few players from the year before were hoping to win it again, but junior representative cricket is about the development of the players as cricketers at a higher standard.”
Dickinson said they went into the tournament with the mindset to bat aggressively, while having a simple bowling plan.
He said fielding was also a big focus for them.
The Highlanders won their four matches, before a slight hiccup. They won their last two to top their pool and win through to the grand final where they faced the Breakers.
For a second straight year, the Highlanders won the toss in the grand final.
They were bowled out for 217 with seven balls to spare.
Co-captain Lachlan Hay and Aryan Sharma top scored with 39 apiece.
Dickinson said it turned out to be a really good match.
“We set a competitive target, which was hard to chase on that wicket,” he said.
“It was pretty close the whole game, up until the last 10 overs. Co-captains Zane Attard and Lachie Hay brought themselves on and turned the game in our favour.”
The Breakers were bowled out for 189 in the 48th over, meaning a second straight title for the Highlanders.
Darcy Aitken, Attard and Hay finished with two wickets each.
Hay, who played his junior cricket with Gisborne, was named player of the match, with Dickinson saying Attard, Aitken and Sharma all had good games.
It’s been a few big weeks for Hay who plays for Footscray in Victorian Premier Cricket.
“He is a star in the making,” Dickinson said. “He made his second XI debut before Christmas and made 40.
“He bowled some really good overs.”
Woodend’s Callum Large, Macedon’s Joe Barham, Gisborne’s Riley Leedham, Bacchus Marsh’s Aussie McIlwaine and Wallan’s Hamish Mulavey-Clark were also in the Highlanders team.
Dickinson said now many of the players would look to play some more senior local cricket or head down to Melbourne to further their careers.
“We’ve been lucky the last few years,” he said. “We had the Lalor cousins last year and we’re blessed to have them in the region.
“The Ballarat, Gisborne and Castlemaine regions are really strong at the moment.”
