25 – BRENT HAMBLIN (Kangaroo Flat) – has had the opportunity to learn off one of the elite all-rounders in Adam Burns. Now making his mark in the BDCA, with his match-winning 6-40 against Huntly-North Epsom last weekend testament to his ability with the ball. Handy with the bat, but to go to the next level needs to produce more of the form he showed in 2012-13 when he averaged 58.5 in his final seven innings that season.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
24 – BRAYDEN STEPIEN (White Hills) – could easily argue after his 170 last Sunday against Bendigo he should be much higher, but the 17-year-old is still only in the infancy of his career, with this just his third season in the first XI. Last season’s leading run-maker at White Hills and an explosive top-order batsman who only knows one way: see ball, hit ball. The exuberance of youth – I like it.
23 – LUKE BAIRD (Golden Square) – goes about his business with a minimum of fuss and for mine, is one of the BDCA’S most under-rated bowlers. If you don’t follow Square, you probably wouldn’t realise he has taken 70 wickets the past three seasons. And not a bad player to have coming in at No.10 or 11 either – he averages 14.8 and has a half-ton to his name.
22 – MARK RYAN (Bendigo) – one of the grand old men of the BDCA who - I hope he doesn’t mind me saying – is now 44-years-old. Must have an aching set of shoulders having carried Bendigo for so long – since 2000 he leads the Goers in both runs (4322) and wickets (239). Kudos, too, for his work with the BDCA junior program.
21 – GAVIN BOWLES (White Hills) – haven’t seen a lot of him in recent years, which has dropped him down a few rungs in the rankings. Classy top-order batsman who for much of his time at White Hills has been the most prized Demons’ wicket. Would like to see him bowl a bit more, as well as get the chance to finally show his talents in a final after all these years.
20 – TIM WOOD (Golden Square) – will never forget the day he belted 130 before tea against Strathdale-Maristians while playing for Strathfieldsaye in 2008-09. Scored two of his three BDCA tons against the much-vaunted Suns’ attack. Always seems to bob up with a catch or two a game. Bonus points for that impressive new beard of his.
19 – QUINTON BENTLEY (Huntly-North Epsom) – now at his third club following stints at Sandhurst and Golden Square. Earned the BDCA bowling aggregate title last year with his tally of 34 wickets in his first season at the Power, while he was Sandhurst’s leading wicket-taker in three of his five years at the club before leaving. Always economical, his maiden percentage of 27.9 rates as elite in the BDCA.
18 – JASON ABBOTT (Eaglehawk) – won a BDCA Cricketer of the Year way back in 1998-99 and still going strong with the bat for the Hawks. Since 2000, one of only five BDCA batsmen to make at least 5000 runs, during which he has averaged a score above 50 every 4.9 innings.
17 – JONO DAVIDSON (Strathdale-Maristians) – didn’t play last season with a knee injury, but still earns his spot in this list, particularly on his semi-final record in which he has batted five times for 295 runs at an average of 98.3. Here’s a little fact – Davidson has batted in a grand final every 14 innings, and won a flag every 23.3 innings since making his first XI debut in 2008-09.
16 - LEIGH McDERMOTT (Bendigo United) – hasn’t attracted the attention like some of his more high-profile BUCCs team-mates, but you can’t overlook the work of the all-rounder in big games, with both his finals batting and bowling averages bettering his home and away numbers. Combines his unique bowling action with an ability to hit the ball as hard as any, and after last season’s grand final triumph is one of only four players currently in the competition to have captained a BDCA premiership
• New recruits to the competition not included in list.
