Sport
18 December, 2025
Tough one-dayer for Lions
NOORAT Terang went down by 33 runs in their round eight Warrnambool Moyne District Cricket Association one-day match against West Warrnambool at the Terang Turf on Saturday.
The Lions went into this game without their number one strike bowler in Gus Bourke.
West Warrnambool started at a cracking pace as good shots were rewarded with an outfield that hadn’t been impacted by wet weather.
Tyson Hay stood up and took the first three wickets, even though West Warrnambool was losing wickets they were scoring at better than six runs an over.
Joe Nyikos was the mainstay of the opposition, scoring 87 from 91 balls with nine boundaries and a six.
When he fell the score was 182, West finishing on 8-207 from its 45 overs.
Tim Delaney finished with 2/32 from eight overs with Tim Keane, Darcy Abbott and Liam Geary all chipping in with a wicket each.
The Lions had their best opening partnership for quite a while, with Ryan Mottram and Bailey Kavenagh adding 33.
Kavenagh and Liam Geary added 34 for the next wicket.
Then two quick wickets fell and suddenly after maintaining a good run rate the team was 4/82.
Boundaries suddenly became harder to hit and the required run rate increased and became unobtainable, with the Lions bowled out two balls shy of the 45 overs for 174.
Kavenagh with 35 from 53 balls and Geary with 32 from 76 were the top scorers, with Luke Kenna 19 not out,
Stephen O’Connor 19 and Tim Delaney 13 the next best.
The group stage of the round robin T20 competition starts this week with Lions up against the Sungold Cup winners from last season in Mortlake this Thursday evening at the DC Farran Oval starting at 5.15pm.
The Lions will then host the reigning two-day premiers Northern Raiders and Championship Division team Spring Creek on Saturday at the Terang Turf, with the first game at 12pm and the second at 3.15.
Saturday will be a big day on and off the field as there will be the 20 year reunion of Noorat’s win against Pomborneit in the South West A grade grand final played at Terang.
As well as acknowledging its valued sponsors, the club will also host its Christmas party.
With nine players unavailable for a variety of reasons, the division two side saw a number of players step up to play Allansford Panmure at Panmure.
The home side had a reunion of sorts, with Ben Boyd joined by his three sons.
The Lions total of 121 always looked a little light on.
Only three players reached double figures, with Dom Moloney top scoring with 30, Mark Lillico 24 and Imran Javed 15, both coming up from division four to play.
Brett Hunger bowled extremely well and looked likely to give the Lions a chance of victory, taking 3/16 from eight overs to have the home side 3/28.
When Andrew Battistello broke through at 4/43, the Lions still had a chance, however that was the last wicket to fall as the home side cruised to victory in the 33rd over on the back of Ben Boyd’s 69 not out.
WARRNAMBOOL MOYNE & DISTRICT CRICKET
- SUNGOLD DIVISION 1 PREMIER
ONE DAY MATCH
NOORAT TERANG v WEST WARRNAMBOOL
Noorat Terang 10/174 (44.5) lost to West Warrnambool 8/207 (45)
The division two Lions next game isn’t until January 17 when they play the curtain raiser of the double header day/night one game in the premier division against Nestles.
In division four, Noorat Terang travelled to Port Fairy where it was the Dean Abbott and Sam Munro show.
This was Sam’s comeback game from a knee issue and his bowling reaped 3/10 from eight overs.
Dean Abbott went one better, taking 4/18 from 7.3 overs.
Tom Conheady and Lee McIntosh both claimed a wicket and there was a run out as Port Fairy was dismissed for 102 in the 31st over.
Sam Munro made his highest score for the Lions, unbeaten on 41 from 58 balls with six boundaries.
He shared a 52 run second wicket partnership with Dean Abbott who made 37 from 45 balls with six boundaries.
An eight wicket victory was achieved within the 24th over.
Likewise, division four’s first game in January will also be on January 17.
The under 17s played two Twenty20 matches on Sunday which were nail biters but unfortunately were unable to bring home the chocolates.
The first game was against Hawkesdale on the Terang Turf.
Bowling first the top three batsmen reached the 20s and were dismissed with no other player reaching double figures and were bowled out in the 19th over for 102.
Jack Farrell’s spin yielded 3/15 with five others taking a wicket each.
The Lions top batsman Max Heffernan unfortunately dislocated his little finger and was unable to bat.
Albie Cheesman in his first game for the club made 30 retired and returned at the end of the innings to be dismissed for 30.
This came off just 23 balls with five boundaries.
Lachlan Primmer made 27 from 22 but none of the others could make double figures.
A hat trick ended the Lions run chase, dismissed for 94 in the 19th over.
They then travelled to Jetty Flat to play Russells Creek, going down by three runs.
Russells Creek batted first and were dismissed for 105 late in the 19th over.
Ollie Clarke had the best figures of 3/20 with four others taking a wicket plus there were three run outs.
In this match, with his finger back in, Max Heffernan batted and was 49 not out when he run out of partners just four runs short of victory.
His innings was only 30 balls with eight boundaries.
Caleb Bamford was the only other player to reach double figures with 18 from 20.
The under 17s next game isn’t until January 20.
However, Max Heffernan, Jack Farrell and Lachlan Primmer have all been selected for under 17 country week.
The under 15s are half way through their two-day game against the Northern Raiders at Noorat.
The Clarke siblings fought it out to see who would top score with Ollie making 27 and Lucia 24.
Hugh Kenna was next best with 20 and Brad Wallace’s 10 late in the innings adding respectability to the total and ensuring they didn’t have to bowl.
Sundries did exceedingly well, contributing 36 with the young Lions being dismissed for 134 nearing stumps.
This game resumes on Thursday afternoon.
The Mortlake Noorat Terang under 13s are also half way through their match against the Northern
Raiders at Purnim, unfortunately live scoring didn’t occur and details were not available.
This game also concludes on Thursday.
Lian Kenna is in the under 15 country week side, while Leo Slater and Braxton Sachs have been selected in the under 13s country week team.