Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
HIS two Melbourne Country Week Provincial Group grand final wins hold some of Ben DeAraugo's most cherished cricketing memories.
And on Friday DeAraugo will be hoping to make some more when he leads Bendigo into the Provincial Group final against Ballarat at Melbourne's Albert Ground.
DeAraugo has been part of both Bendigo's past two Provincial Group grand final wins in 2007 and 2010.
"Both those Provincial Group grand final wins rate really highly... there's some terrific memories in both of the games that were quite different," DeAraugo said on Thursday.
"The first one (against Mornington Peninsula in 2007) was a drought-breaker and meant a lot to the people who had been involved in the BDCA representative program for a long time like Wayne Walsh, Gary Tupper, Denis Bice and Heath Behrens."
Bendigo's 2007 Melbourne Country Week grand final win over Mornington Peninsula - played at Seymour's Kings Park due to the poor state of grounds in Melbourne because of drought conditions - was the BDCA's long-awaited first Provincial Group title since 1953.
It was a day full of drama when Bendigo, which was defending 9-167, looked like being thwarted by rain when just two wickets from victory.
However, after a 20-minute delay the rain cleared, covers were whisked off and DeAraugo took just five balls to take the last two wickets to bowl Mornington Peninsula out for 136 and deliver Bendigo a memorable triumph.
"Playing Mornington Peninsula, which has always been a strong side, with the weather situation and thinking at one stage we wouldn't get the chance to get back on to then win against a bit of adversity was certainly memorable," said DeAraugo, who took 5-14 in the grand final.
Meanwhile, the 2010 grand final win over Kyabram was a run-feast - the two teams combined for 543 at the Albert Ground.
After winning the toss and batting Ben Gunn (83 off 88), Darren Petersen (77 off 49) and young gun Matt Kile (66 off 65) all made half-centuries in Bendigo's 7-295.
With Kyabram 0-107 in the 18th over of its run-chase it was very much game-on.
However, Bendigo's imposing target proved beyond Kyabram, which was all out for 248, with skipper Adam Burns (3-58) picking up three wickets in the 47-run victory, while teenager Richard Tibbett (2-41) claimed the big scalp of Kyabram dangerman Paul Newman (56), who was caught by Nick Crawford at mid-wicket.
"That was a good fightback with the ball against one of our local rivals from just up the road you could say," DeAraugo said.
"That game was a bit of a story of having runs on the board and being able to build some pressure with the ball, which we were able to do."
Since that 2010 triumph Bendigo has lost Provincial Group grand finals against Sale-Maffra (2015) and Geelong (2016) - DeAraugo also played in both - but opportunity is again knocking on Friday.
Have you signed up to the Bendigo Advertiser's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in central Victoria.
