WHENEVER Bendigo wins its elusive next Bendigo District Cricket Association first XI premiership, the accompanying photo could hold particular significance.
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It's a photo that features seven teenagers, all of who will play in the Goers' first XI team in their round four match against Strathfieldsaye starting on Saturday.
Bendigo's eyes are squarely on the future in what will be one of the youngest - if not the youngest - first XI sides the club has fielded in its history.
The team to take on the Jets includes Alex Pearson (19), Mitch Blackman (18), Kyle Chant (18), Kieren Burns (17), Nathan Fitzpatrick (17), James Ryan (15) and Xavier Ryan (15).
For Burns and the Ryan cousins, it will be their debut BDCA first XI games.
If the young group sticks together, it could form the nucleus of the club's next premiership team.
As well as the seven teenagers, the team also includes 20-year-old Matt Gray.
The turn to youth for this game follows the unavailabilities of Mark Ryan, Michael Winzar, Craig Pearce and Brett Andrews.
"We're obviously really excited to be giving the three boys on debut a crack and looking forward to seeing how they go," said Bendigo captain Marcus McKern, one of the elder members of the side at age 32.
"Max Taylor (coach) has been keen to give them a go this season, but we probably didn't expect we'd be bringing them all in for the same game.
"The cards have fallen that way that we'll give them a crack at it together.
"There's no pressure on them and we'll just tell them to go out and enjoy it."
Two of the teenagers will open the batting in Chant and Burns, just as they do in the under-18s.
"They have had opening partnerships of 110 and 94 in the two games they've opened together in the under-18s, so we'll go with them at the top of the order as well for us," McKern said.
"We've spoken this week that there's no use bringing the kids in and batting them at No.9 or 10 and not giving them a crack with the ball, so they'll all get their opportunities.
"I'm confident the boys will all acquit themselves well for us and I'm really looking forward to playing alongside them."
The Bendigo-Strathfieldsaye game will be played at North Bendigo's Provincial Home Loans Oval.
