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A YEAR after blowing a golden premiership opportunity when it lost its way with the bat late in the grand final, Eaglehawk gets another opportunity this weekend at the Bendigo District Cricket Association flag.
The Hawks – who finished top of the ladder – take on Bendigo United for the 2016-17 premiership at the Queen Elizabeth Oval.
The Hawks will no doubt be spurred on by the disappointment of last season when they crashed from 6-213 to all out 226 chasing Strathdale-Maristians’ 233 to lose by seven runs.
Eight of the Hawks who experienced the bitter taste of grand final defeat last year are in the side again this weekend as the club strives for its first premiership since 2006.
“Everyone is obviously very keen and jumping out of their skin to get another crack at it,” Eaglehawk skipper Cory Jacobs said this week.
“Last week (semi-final win over Strathdale-Maristians) we put a good performance in and showed everyone that we deserve our spot again.
“There would be nothing more sweeter than come Sunday night to be holding up that cup. Everyone is really looking forward to it.”
Bendigo United is lining up for what will be its eighth first XI grand final in the past 12 years.
In their only meeting this season the Redbacks crushed the Hawks by 166 runs back in round three.
“It was a long time ago… you can draw a little bit from that, but I would rather have played them recently to get a gauge on how they are going,” Redbacks’ skipper Leigh McDermott said.
THE TEAMS:
BENDIGO UNITED – Leigh McDermott (c), Jake Thrum, Nicholas Crawford, Miggy Podosky, Harrison Donegan, Benjamin Gunn, Clayton Holmes, Heath Behrens, Marcus Smalley, Mark Di Fede, Christopher Howgate, Riley Treloar
EAGLEHAWK – Cory Jacobs (c), Shane Murdoch, Zac East, Matt Ford, Aaron Monro, Cameron McGlashan, Richard Tibbett, Matthew Fitt, Anthony West, Andrew Smith, Josh Collinson, Noah Begg.