Clegg spell sparks Great Southern Cricket Association under-16s to Junior Country Week win over West Pilbara

Max Clegg enjoyed a brilliant spell of bowling as the Great Southern Cricket Association’s under-16 side started their campaign at 2026 CSBP Junior Country Week in Perth. The tournament runs from January 5-9. Clegg, playing in pool A of the under-16B competition, took 3-3 off his four overs against West Pilbara, starting Monday’s second round game with a double-wicket maiden. His efforts kept West Pilbara to 8-72 in their 20 overs with three top-order batters went for ducks. GSCA then knocked off 73 runs for the loss of three wickets in 15 overs. Adam Edwards opened and was unbeaten on 35 with Theodore Ferns collecting the final runs as he moved to 21 not out. In their round one contest against Warren Blackwood, GSCA scored a three-wicket win after restricting their opponents to 4-81 in their 15 overs. Clegg played second fiddle with the ball in that contest, taking 1-23 as Zane Pettit took 2-10 including the scalp of opener Haiden Lagana who made 24 runs from 30 balls and had looked a threat. Great Southern made heavy weather of the chase, but they got home with two overs to spare despite Thomas Dennis and Ferns topping the scoring with 11 runs apiece. Jethro Wright (8) and Clegg (9) were the unbeaten batters who got them to 7-82 and a nailbiting victory. The under-14B side opened their pool B campaign with losses to Esperance and then Busselton-Margaret River. Put in against Esperance, the openers fell cheaply but Tate Beatty (32) and Theo Bignell (22) were unbeaten in a stand of 56 runs which took Great Southern to 2-87 in their 20 overs. Despite sterling work from Muhammad Khalish Ahmad Azfar, who took 2-12 off his four overs, Esperance cruised through their 20 overs reaching 5-96. In their second outing, Busselton-Margaret River scored freely to reach 4-151 with Jai Smith especially impressive in walloping an unbeaten 44 off 24 balls. Theo Bignell took 2-21 and ran out opener Cam Magner to be the shining light in the Great Southern fielding effort. Tate Beatty led the reply with an unbeaten 53 off 64 balls but his support fell away as Great Southern finished on 6-98 after their 20 overs.