A FIVE-DAY cricket carnival, featuring 20 teams, is proving a big hit with Bendigo’s restaurants, hotels and accommodation providers.
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More than 200 cricketers and officials rolled into the city on the weekend for the annual Bendigo Country Week, in what shapes as a windfall for city’s economy.
With the bulk of those players spending five-to-six days in Bendigo, BDCA president said the tournament had the potential to generate plenty of benefits for city.
“Obviously we have some teams like Northern Districts, who will go home at the end of the day because it’s only an hour or so drive up the road,” he said.
“But most of the associations stay within the area here and they’ll frequent the restaurants an places like that, so the economy does will.
From a (BDCA) board point of view, we don’t make any money, it costs us, but that’s not the point.
“We think it’s a great thing for Bendigo and that’s the main thing and it’s a great chance for other associations to play each other.”
Play in the tournament started on Monday, with two division one games at Rochester and one at Castlemaine.
Division two and three games were hosted at Queen Elizabeth Oval, Wade Street, Dower Park, White Hills, Canterbury Park, Weeroona Oval and North Bendigo.
For the first time since Country Week hit-off in 1934, a game will be played at Barrack Reserve in Heathcote.
Walsh said organisers tried to be accommodating as possible when it came to travel and fixturing.
“For instance, we have Goulburn Murray playing Murray Valley in Rochester (on Monday), it’s not as big a trip,” he said.
“It’s no trip for Goulburn Murray, but Murray Valley can come down early in the morning and it’s only an hour’s drive and they can carry on to Bendigo on Monday night.
“We try to give associations home games where we can, not that we want to give anyone a home ground advantage, but it takes the pressure off the Bendigo venues and also helps out the economies in those towns and the local clubs.”
Asked for his prediction in division one, which has tossed up three different winners (Northern Districts, Goulburn Murray and Murray Valley) in the last three years, Walsh nominated Murray Valley.
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