The Dogs and Blues will lock horns from 11am in the 50-over-per-side game.

Footscray-Edgewater will be without John Hastings, who had been named in the Dogs’ 11, but has been ruled out.

The omission of Hastings robs Bendigo of an international player in the game, with Hastings having played one Test match against South Africa and 11 one-dayers for Australia.

Footscray-Edgewater is the reigning Premier Cricket premiers and travels to Bendigo for the round five match sitting in eighth position on the 18-team ladder with a 3-1 record.

“The country round is a fixture we always look forward to,” Dogs’ captain Dean Russ said on Friday.

“It’s a great chance for the boys to get away and not only play some good cricket, but enjoy each other’s company away from Melbourne.”

The Dogs started their flag defence with three wins in a row, before losing to Essendon by 26 runs last weekend.

“People often talk about a premiership hangover, but it’s good we’ve been able to start the season strongly, winning three of our first four games,” said opening batsman Russ, who made his Sheffield Shield debut for Victoria last season.

“There’s plenty of room for improvement, so it’s a positive that we’ve been winning games without hitting our peak yet... it has been a promising start.”

Russ forms part of a dangerous Dogs’ top-order batting line-up that also includes recruit James Crosthwaite from Geelong and Travis Dean.

With the ball, the Dogs are led by Victoria-contracted paceman Jake Haberfield, who took 59 wickets last season, including six in the grand final win over Essendon.

Haberfield, who has been clocked at 150km, played two Sheffield Shield games for Victoria last season.

Carlton sits 10th on the Premier Cricket ladder with a 2-2 record and coming off a loss to St Kilda last week.

This will be Carlton’s second trip to Bendigo in three seasons having last played on the QEO in November, 2012, in two Twenty20 games against St Kilda and Melbourne University.

The Blues have a strong Bendigo connection.

Captain Tim Welsford is a former Kangaroo Flat player, while opening batsman Trent McCormick is an ex-Strathdale-Maristians junior.

Lachlan McKenna, who plays football with Gisborne, is also in the Carlton side.

“As a group we’re really excited to get back up to Bendigo, but for a few of us there’s obviously a bit of sentimental value,” Welsford said.

“Obviously, it’s going to be great for Trent McCormick to come home and play in front of his family and friends.”

McCormick started the season with 104 in the seconds and has since played the past three games in the ones, making 51, 42 and 32.

“He’s going along beautifully for us,” Welsford said.

“We’ve got four players who can open the batting in the firsts and since he has come in, he has been fantastic.

“We’ve got good flexibility with our batting that allows him to play that anchor role at the top of the order for us.”

Welsford and McKenna will both bat in the middle-order for the Blues.

Carlton’s bowling line-up includes Victorian-contracted Ryan Sidebottom.

Entry is free.

TEAM LISTS:

FOOTSCRAY-EDGEWATER

WON: 3 LOST: 1

POSITION: 8th

1. Dean Russ (captain)

Runs: 122 HS: 79 Avr: 30.5

Wkts: 2 BB: 1-8 Avr: 19.5

2. James Crosthwaite

Runs: 218 HS: 108 Avr: 54.5

3. Travis Dean

Runs: 195 HS: 67*Avr: 97.5

Wkts: 1 BB: 1-18 Avr: 27.0

4. Dylan Kight

Runs: 51 HS: 40* Avr: 17.0

5. Benjamin Green

Runs: 26 HS: 14 Avr: 8.6

Wkts: 3 BB: 2-25 Avr: 35.3

6. Hamish Winter-Irving

Runs: 89 HS: 56 Avr: 44.5

Wkts: 3 BB: 1-37 Avr: 54.6

7. Michael Nalesnyik

Runs: 6 HS: 6 Avr: 2.0

Wkts: 1 BB: 1-24 Avr: 85.0

8. Jake Haberfield

Runs: 11 HS: 6 Avr: 5.5

Wkts: 4 BB: 3-29 Avr: 31.7

9. Lucas Dredge

Runs: 25 HS: 14* Avr: 25.0

Wkts: 2 BB: 1-28 Avr: 61.0

10. Abhishek Beniwal

Runs: 5 HS: 5* Avr: -

Wkts: 0 BB: 0-14 Avr: -

11. Michael Kelly

Yet to bat this season

Wkts: 5 BB: 2-33 Avr: 28.0

Round 1: d Casey.

Round 2: d Ringwood.

Round 3: d Northcote.

Round 4: lt Essendon.

CARLTON

WON: 2 LOST: 2

POSITION: 10th

1. Donovan Pell

Runs: 136 HS: 92 Avr: 45.3

2. Trent McCormick

Runs: 125 HS: 51 Avr: 41.6

3. Mark Phelan

Runs: 21 HS: 21 Avr: 21.0

4. Nathan Pilon

Runs: 106 HS: 52 Avr: 26.5

5. Thomas Smyth

Runs: 88 HS: 34 Avr: 22.0

Wkts: 6 BB: 4-27 Avr: 28.1

6. Lachlan McKenna

Runs: 137 HS: 46 Avr: 45.6

7. Tim Welsford (captain)

Runs: 70 HS: 31* Avr: 70.0

Wkts: 1 BB: 1-20 Avr: 123.0

8. Jayden Borg

Runs: 7 HS: 6 Avr: 7.0

9. Cameron Stevenson

Runs: 12 HS: 12 Avr: 12.0

Wkts: 5 BB: 3-35 Avr: 27.0

10. Christopher Salm

Runs: 31 HS: 31 Avr: 31.0

Wkts: 7 BB: 3-38 Avr: 23.4

11. Ryan Sidebottom

Runs: 8 HS: 8 Avr: 8.0

Wkts: 3 BB: 3-26 Avr: 23.6

Round 1: d Geelong.

Round 2: lt Dandenong.

Round 3: d Frankston.

Round 4: lt St Kilda.