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STRATHFIELDSAYE has added a third Sri Lankan player to its side as it seeks to bolster its batting and build on its Bendigo District Cricket Association finals appearance of last season.
And the Jets' newest signing is a proven BDCA run-scorer - Nayana Palamandadidge.
In his one previous season in the BDCA in 2017-18 with Sandhurst, opening batsman Palamandadidge not only played in the Dragons' drought-breaking premiership, but was also the competition's leading run-scorer.
But this time he will be padding up for the Jets where he will play alongside fellow Sri Lankans Chathura Damith and Savith Priyan, who are both confirmed to return for a third season at Tannery Lane.
Left-arm off-spinner Priyan won the BDCA's bowling aggregate last season with 35 wickets.
The strengthening of the Jets' batting has been a clear focus during the off-season and Palamandadidge has shown he can score both heavily and quickly.
He blasted 787 runs in his 2017-18 season, including three centuries - two of which were made in one-day games: 114 vs Kangaroo Flat and 132 vs Bendigo United.
"Nayana played over in Perth last season, but he has come back to Bendigo and will be playing for us, so we're really excited to have him," Jets' captain Ben Devanny said at the weekend.
"It's huge for us given our batting has let us down quite regularly. Our bowling was quite good last season and it looks like we'll keep most of the squad together, so to add in Nayana is going to be huge at the top of the order."
The Jets were able to make the finals last season despite being ranked just ninth with the bat, while Devanny has had to shoulder a heavy load with the willow in recent years.
Devanny, who will also take on the Jets' coaching role, is the only Strathfieldsaye player to have made a first XI century in the past seven seasons.
As well as opening the batting, Palamdandadidge also offers the Jets an additional wicket-keeping option alongside Jack Stubbs.
Meanwhile, promising batsman Callum McCarty will join Premier Cricket club Essendon for pre-season training.
"He's going to down to train and see what happens," Devanny said.
McCarty, 19, scored 278 runs for the Jets last season, with he, Devanny (456) and Damith (220) the only three players who made more than 150 runs in the first XI.
Having climbed from fifth to third in the final round of the season, the Jets were bowled out for 98 by Huntly-North Epsom in their semi-final and lost by seven wickets.
Next season will mark 20 years since the Jets' last first XI flag in 2000-01.
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