Around The Leagues: Bryce Jackson stars with ball, Charlie hitting his straps and Uppers is a batters paradise

The Advertiser brings you Around The Leagues, taking a look at cricket stories of players and personalities from the Albany and Districts, Great Southern and Upper Great Southern regions. Jackson is Mr Economical WA fast bowler Byrce Jackson continued his strong start to the new season, this time producing a terrific spell for his WA Premier Cricket Club. Playing for Melville in their comfortable one-day win over South Perth on Saturday, Jackson went at just 1.62 runs per over in a very tidy eight-over spell. The right-arm quick also did plenty of early damage, bowling Tim Hale and then removing Joey Evison soon after on his way to super figures of 2-13. Jackson, who hails from Collingwood Park, has featured in all four matches for WA this season in the Marsh One-Day Cup, taking seven wickets. Melville’s opening first grade game was abandoned but they have lost every one-day game since, before chasing down 119 to win with ease last Saturday. Josh Fontana (51) and Dominic Kelly (40) guided Melville to victory in the 26th over. Jackson is also a Perth Scorchers contracted player. Charlie’s impressive start Manypeaks product Charlie Walters is catching the eye early on, breaking his way into Claremont-Nedlands’ first grade team at WA Premier Cricket level. Walters has featured in three first XI matches, snaring five wickets playing as a bowler. The youngster made an important 11 not out from 22 balls at the death as Claremont-Nedlands made 203 all out against University at Cresswell Park on Saturday. University chased down the target with three overs to spare but not through the fault of Walters, who was just about the pick of the bowlers. He returned 2-32 from seven overs, firstly snaring Alex Davies for four and then dismissing Benjamin Melville for nine. Star duo Will Bosisto (73 not out) and Chris Sabburg (75) were the difference in the end as University sailed to a five-wicket win. Former Collingwood Park quick Josh Dallimore is back in Perth and playing for University. He claimed 2-36 from his 10 overs in the clash with Claremont-Nedlands, including the scalp of Scorchers batter Nick Hobson for 46. Dallimore was superb for his side in their Premier T20 fixture against Wanneroo last month, finishing with a five-wicket haul. Ex-Albany quick Nathan Crudeli has now played two games back in first grade on his return from injury. Crudeli’s side Perth were crushing 153-run winners over Scarborough after knocking them over for 77. With the ball Crudeli finished with 0-9 from five overs and wasn’t required with the bat. Meanwhile, Railways junior Aidan Dallimore made a half-century in second grade last Saturday. Dallimore scored 54 from 128 balls as Claremont-Nedlands claimed a 31-run win after making 9-188 batting first. A wicketkeeper, Aidan Dallimore played three first grade games for the club to start the 2025-26 season. Mt Barker premiership player Mitch Jackson is now playing for South Perth and came up against his former side Melville in second grade on Saturday. Jackson made 19 runs down the order in his side’s total of 136 before opening the bowling. He produced three maidens and tidy figures of 0-16 from eight overs but Melville won in the 34th over. Run machines out in the Wheatbelt We are only three weeks into the new season in the Upper Great Southern Cricket Association but four players have already scored more than 150 runs. Rodney Ford (232 runs), Perrin Quartermaine (232), Dylan Brooks (191) and Kalan Joyce (176) are making batting look easy. The quartet have set up an intriguing battle for the competition’s leading run-scorer title. Lake Grace gun Brooks has an incredible average of 191, after making 149 not out in their round three win over Towns to go with a 42 in round two. In the same game on Saturday, Quartermaine plundered a brilliant century in a losing affair. The veteran’s 114 from 104 balls, shot him to the top of the run-scoring tally having already made 79 in the opening round and 39 the week after. Like Brooks and Quartermaine, Joyce is also averaging more than 100 after he smashed 113 not out in round two. Joyce was also not out in the opening round and only got an average after he was dismissed on Saturday for 36. Another wily veteran, Ford has amassed three significant scores for Williams early on. He produced a sparking 106 in a loss to Cuballing last week to go alongside scores of 46 and 80 in the first fortnight. Lake Grace, containing Brooks and Joyce, are the early pacesetters with three wins from as many games. The skipper of Lake Grace, Joyce was red-hot in round three as he made 149 from 104 balls and followed it up with 3-32 in a high scoring affair. Lake Grace made 5-328 on turf in Narrogin batting first before Quartermaine’s Towns outfit posted 8-230 in reply. Got a cricket story from our region to share? Email cameron.newbold@albanyadvertiser.com