THE Bendigo District Cricket Association begins its Melbourne Country Week campaign on Monday with one goal in mind – get back into provincial group for 2019.
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For the first time since 1999 Bendigo is in division two at Melbourne Country Week after failing to win a game last year and being relegated from provincial group.
Back at the helm as BDCA coach for a second stint is league president Wayne Walsh, who says it doesn’t sit comfortably with him that Bendigo is in division two.
“It doesn’t sit well at all with where we are this year,” Walsh said at the weekend.
“Bendigo has a very proud history at Melbourne Country Week and to see what happened last year doesn’t sit well with me or the players.”
This year’s Melbourne Country Week carnival has had some tweaks to the format.
Three preliminary round games will be played on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
On Thursday will be semi-finals and elimination finals.
The top four teams in each division will play for a spot in Friday’s final, while the bottom four teams will be fighting to avoid relegation.
Under the new format, Bendigo will earn promotion back to provincial group by simply making Friday’s final at the Albert Ground, rather than having to win the division as previous.
Bendigo will begin its campaign on Monday against West Gippsland at Yarrambat’s War Memorial Oval.
Bendigo’s squad of 13 features five players making their Melbourne Country Week debut – Kyle Humphrys, who has previously played against Bendigo for Warrnambool, Zane Keighran, Dylan Gibson, Dylan Klemm and Chris Barber.
Bendigo also has a new captain in long-time Melbourne Country Week representative Strathdale-Maristians’ Ben DeAraugo, who played in his first carnival in 2004.
BDCA squad – Ben DeAraugo (c), Shane Koop (vc), Chris Barber, Taylor Beard, Brent Hamblin, Dylan Gibson, Kyle Humphrys, Cory Jacobs, Linton Jacobs, Sam Johnston, Zane Keighran, Dylan Klemm, Liam Smith.