HAMILTON and District Junior Cricket Association (HDJCA) will have two teams beginning the representative season on Monday with teams entered in the annual Warrnambool Under-17 and Horsham Under-15 carnivals.

Under-17

Under veteran coach, Robbie Cook, the Under-17 squad has experience at this level with many of the squad having played well at last years event as Henry Bensch (College) takes charge on the field for the second year running.

Bensch and Jack Wortley (Macarthur), the vice-captain, are now entrenched as A grade players in their respective club sides and each will bring what they have learned at that level into the carnival.

Both have earned selection in the HDCA senior representative team already this summer due to their form displayed at A grade level and the pair will take this form into the competition.

The two team leaders aren’t the only A grade level players – also showcasing their talents are Jack Austin, George Huf and Jock Barrie (all College), along with Eddie McShane (Grampians), Josh Grant (Pigeon Ponds), Riley Casey and Archie Buck (both Hamilton).

With Grant, Huf and Austin the team has three wicketkeepers from which to choose, but Austin is expected to get the first chance behind the stumps while Grant and Huf will concentrate on batting.

The side will look to Cooper Edmonds (College), Rylan Pech (St Andrews), Wortley, Bensch, Austin, Barrie, Buck and McShane to score the bulk of the runs but Hamish Shipcott (St Andrews) is capable of batting anywhere in the order when called upon.

Bensch will lead the attack and take the new ball along with either Casey or Eli Hunter (College), while Barrie and Wortley will deliver the all-important middle overs with McShane, Buck and Pech to be the spinning options that all teams need.

Under-15

VASTLY experienced player-coach, Colin ‘Rowdy’ Myers will guide the Under-15 squad in Horsham from Tuesday after the carnival gets under way at Mitchell Park in Hamilton on Monday.

The Monday game in Hamilton is a tradition between Hamilton and Portland with Hamilton having posted victory in the last two years, and the local batsmen have a great history in the clash with several players posting centuries across the last 25 years.

Harry Austin will lead the team and he will be fully prepared for the carnival after having represented the Western Waves at the just completed State Title carnival in Hamilton.

Brody Phillips will be one of his deputies and takes the new ball in leading the attack with his left arm bowling while his late order batting will be needed if the top order fails.

Hamish Myers is the other deputy and as a medium paced bowler he will bowl the middle overs looking to contain the opposition while also taking wickets.

The team will look to Austin, Levi Templeton, Myers, Isaac Shaw, Jedd Rhook, Angus Heazlewood and Jack Rhook to do the bulk of the scoring but with Mitchell Hateley and Grady Bell in the team as all-rounders the side will bat through to number 11.

Myles Alderman, Will Bourke, Harry Phillips, Hateley, Bell, Brodie Phillips and Austin all bowling medium pace or quicker, it will fall to Templeton, Shaw and Heazlewood to provide the spin option.