Five wins from five games, promotion to Provincial group after a two-year hiatus and a thumping grand final win over old rival Ballarat - perfection

The BDCA had already earned promotion to Provincial group before Friday's grand final clash with Ballarat at Noble Park, but that did little to hinder its hunger.

Outstanding individual performances with the bat by Jake Klemm (101) and Jack Neylon (93) set up the BDCA's huge total of 6-292 before a superb team bowling effort reduced Ballarat to all out 177 inside 38 overs.

"I'm really proud of the way the boys have handled themselves this week,'' BDCA coach Shane Koop saod.

"They've proven that representing the association and playing Country Week is a high priority to them.

"We'll certainly celebrate this one, but then we'll regroup and work hard to ensure we're competitive next year in the Provincial group.

"I'm so happy for the playing group, in particular, I think of (Adam) Burns and (Ben) DeAraugo and the time and effort they've put into Country Week in the past.

"Their leadership and the way they''ve emparted their knowledge this week has been a deciding factor. 

"The boys have created a great culture for the week. They've brought in, they've backed themselves, they've played with a winning mindset and they've demonstrated a great deal of care for each other."

For the second time in three days a big partnership between Klemm and Neylon put the BDCA in a strong position.

After adding 167 for the third wicket in Wednesday's win over Murray Valley, Klemm and Neylon put on 147 for the third wicket.

For the fourth time for the carnival the BDCA was sent into bat by its opponent and for the fourth time it backfired.

The BDCA suffered an early blow when Mitch Winter-Irving was caught  for one.

Ryan Hartley and Klemm steadied the ship and added 49 for the second wicket before left-hander Hartley was caught for 23 off 49 balls.

Ballarat was on top with the BDCA 2-55 in the 17th over, but that soon changed.

After scoring three runs off his first 16 deliveries, Neylon took control of the match in exciting fashion.

He belted five sixes and six fours and scored his next 90 runs off just 59 balls.

Two of his sixes landed on the roof of the pavillion.

The Strathdale-Maristians star looked set to score his second century of the week until he was clean bowled for 93.

From 2-55 in the 17th over, Neylon and Klemm lifted the BDCA to 3-202 in the 37th over.

Ash Gray (1) followed Neylon back to the pavillion quickly, but Klemm maintained the rage for the BDCA.

The Bendigo United skipper hit two sixes and seven fours on his way to his first MCW century.

Klemm finished 101 off 129 balls and spent 187 minutes at crease before being bowled late in the innings.

Klemm added a brisk 82 for the fifth wicket with Scott Trollope.

The Golden Square big man belted 48 off 34 balls, including three sixes and two fours.

"The innings of Jake Klemm today was outstanding,'' Koop said.

"We all know that he has immense talent, but talent is one thing and performance in a Country Week grand final is another.

"Jack Neylon batted beautifully today to prove again that he is a player of the fure. He timed his innings beautifully and deserved a century."

The BDCA's bowling and fielding performance was just as impressive.

Ballarat made a quick start to be 0-34 off seven overs before Rhys Irwin changed the momentum of the game in four deliveries.

Irwin had Mathew Begbie (16) caught by Ryan Hartley with the first ball of the eighth over and three balls later he had key Ballarat batsman Ryan Knowles caught by Ben DeAraugo at short cover for a duck.

Knowles had been the hero of Ballarat's thrilling one-wicket semi-final win the previous day.

Dylan Klemm produced his best spell of the carnival to put Ballarat well and truly on the back foot.

Opener Leigh Lorenzen (24) was Klemm's first victim when he was snaffled by DeAraugo at short cover.

Ballarat star Nathan Yates threatened to hit Ballarat back into the game before Dylan Klemm struck again.

Yates (29 off 26 balls) slashed at a ball outside off stump and was brilliantly caught in the gully by Ash Gray.

Spinner Liam Smith decieved Richard Moore (2) and had him smartly stumped by Hartley.

Trollope capped a sensational debut carnival by striking with his first ball of the day.

Hartley accepted his third dismissal of the grand final when Trollope found the edge of Jarrod Burns' bat.

Smith added his second wicket a short time later to leave Ballarat in all sorts of trouble at 7-98.

With the sting out of the game Ballarat's tailenders dug in.

Mick Nolan (34), Jason Knowles (23 not out) and Jonah Healey (17) added some respectability to the scoreboard.

Leg-spinner Russell Stockdale grabbed the final two wickets, with Jake Klemm fittingly taking the catch to secure the BDCA's victory by 115 runs.

Smith (3-42), Stockdale (2-16), Irwin (2-26), Klemm (2-37) and Trollope (1-23) all played their part with the ball.

Jake Klemm was named man of the match, while Trollope was named the division two premier bowler.

The paceman took 12 wickets over the first four days to be the leading division two wicket-taker. He finished the carnival with 13 wickets at an average of 9.08. 

"Scott Trollope has had a fantastic week. He's impacted all games whether it be with bat or ball. He's proven he's one of the better players in the BDCA,'' Koop said.

Skipper Ben DeAraugo said every player in the squad had played a key role during the carnival.

"The number one goal was to get back into Provincial division, which we achieved yesterday, but once we qualified for the grand final we wanted to give our all and win it,'' DeAraugo said.

"We played really well and we finished the week off perfectly.

"When you get strong partnerships when you're batting it helps build everything for the week.

"Likewise with the ball, taking wickets is the best way to restrict run rates and we had a few players do that in clumps throughout the week which was awesome.

"It breaks the back of the opposition and turns the momentum of the game our way. It was great to be able to consistently do that."

The BDCA and Ballarat earn promotion to Provincial group for next year.

Geelong (4-212) won Friday's Provincial grand final by six wickets against Mornington-Peninsula (9-211).

Bairnsdale and Warrnambool were relegated from Provincial division.

The BDCA and Ballarat will join Geelong, Mornington-Peninsula, Ferntree Gully, Sale-Maffra, Traralgon and West Gippsland in next year's Provincial division.

"This playing group wants to make sure that now we're back in Provincial group that we stay there and compete well,'' DeAraugo said.

"It's only a few years ago that we lost a couple of Provincial group grand finals in a row, so we want to get back up there and compete for the title again."

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