HAMILTON’S cricket grounds got plenty of action this week with the Western Victoria Girls Shield being played across three days.

Hamilton and District Cricket Association (HDCA) had a team in the Under-16 and Under-18 divisions, while there was also an Under-14 section as well.

The Under-18 side had a tough week, going winless, but players showed progress and development across each game.

The Under-16s won two games for the campaign, with the team working well together to get positive results.

Warrnambool defeated Ballarat in the Under-18 decider, while Castlemaine accounted for Colac in the Under-16 grand final, and Warrnambool held on to beat Geelong in the Under-14 final.

The girls weren’t the only ones in action, with the HDCA sending two teams to Portland’s Under-13 Country Week.

Both teams impressed at different times during the three-day carnival, with Hamilton Green just falling short of the decider, finishing third and one win behind Warrnambool Blue and Warrnambool Gold.

Hamilton Gold finished eighth, going winless during the week.

The week caps off a busy two weeks of country week with the Under-17 and Under-15 carnivals played last week.

The association now looks ahead to next month’s Melbourne Country Week campaign, with the senior side looking towards a strong outing at the 2024 event, which gets underway on February 12 and runs through to the final on February 16.

Association president, Lloyd Ilett said he was happy with how each team took on the challenges of country week campaigns.

“I am very happy and proud of the manner of which our sides represented not only themselves but the association and their families and we look forward to the developing into even better cricketers, as they progress through the system,” he said.

“The association has always taken the view that it is better to take away teams to play at higher standards to help them develop and test themselves, so we see that as a much mor beneficial than to win games

“It is nice to win country week titles, but they are hard to win and you are playing against the best players in the region.

“All the coaches were extremely happy with how the teams performed, but the kids will get better as they get older.

“What they learn at country week they can bring back to their home clubs.”

Full scoreboards on Page 36 and photos on Page 37.