The new-look Bendigo District Cricket Association season hits-off on Saturday.
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For the first time the full 18 rounds will be played in one-day format of 45 overs per side.
In the second part of our two-part series, we preview the seasons of Eaglehawk, Huntly-North Epsom, Kangaroo Flat, Sandhurst and Strathdale-Maristians.
Read more: BDCA season preview - part one
EAGLEHAWK
Captain: Cory Jacobs.
Arrivals: Cory Jacobs, Richard Tibbett.
Departures: nil.
Last year: Record - 4-8-1. Finished - 8th. Batting rank - 10th. Bowling rank - 6th.
Captain Cory Jacobs says: Finals is what you want to play for, so I see no reason why we shouldn't be aiming for finals.
Our bowling is definitely good enough. We've got some development to do in our batting, particularly with the talented young players we have coming through.
We'll bounce off our youth and, hopefully, move into the top four.
The one-day format will probably throw up a few upsets. In two-day games you can control the game more and bowl your better bowlers more often. In one-dayers games can get away from you if one player has a day out with the bat.
I think we'll be suited to one-dayers with our bowling and, in terms of batting, we like to play our shots and be aggressive.
Summary: The Hawks are one team that could make a jump up the ladder.
The return of Cory Jacobs and Richard Tibbett instantly gives them a dynamic force with the ball, while Jacobs is also likely to open the batting where he has the shots to score freely while the field is up.
Teenage trio Ben Williams, Angus Chisholm and Nash Viney showed plenty of talent last season and they'll be given plenty of opportunities again this summer.
Leg-spinning all-rounder Russell Stockdale could return to the club mid-season to bolster the Hawks' batting and bowling stocks.
The Hawks' best cricket is good enough to trouble every team in the competition. Can they produce that cricket consistently enough to make a push for the top four? Time will tell.
HUNTLY-NORTH EPSOM
Captain: Elliott Massina.
Arrivals: Shashin Dilranga, Cameron Berry.
Departures: Lewis Stabler.
Last year: Record - 12-1-2. Finished - 2nd. Batting rank - 5th. Bowling rank - 1st.
Coach Denis Grinton says: Shashin Dilranga looks like a pretty attacking opening batsman and he plays spin well like most of the Sri Lankans do. He should be a very handy inclusion for us.
We've got a couple of blokes that didn;t get too many opportunities with the ball last year because Stabler and Ward bowled so many overs.
The one-day format will allow us to use our spinners more which could be an advantage.
I think every game is going to be tough. I think the BDCA is going to go to another level because more players are better suited to one-day cricket.
We'd be hoping to be a little bit better than a 50-50 record going into the Christmas break, but it's going to be tough.
Summary: Batting will be the Power's strength.
Recruit Shashin Dilranga joins fellow Sri Lankan imports Danushka Wijemanna, Sandun Ranathunga and Ajith Rajapaksha to form a potent top six with opener Ryan Grundy and star all-rounder Adam Ward.
Grundy, Ward and Wijemanna like to play their shots, so the Power will look to take advantage of the field being up early in the innings.
The departure of Stabler after taking 40 wickets last summer is a body blow.
The Power have added paceman Cameron Berry from White Hills, while skipper Elliott Massina and Sandun Ranathunga will bowl their spinners more regularly.
Despite Stabler's absence, the Power's outstanding form on their home deck and batting strength should see them qualify for the finals again.
KANGAROO FLAT
Captain: Chris Barber.
Arrivals: Lewis Stabler, Jake Klemm, Nathan Newlan, Brad Richardson, Ryan O'Keefe, Luke Stagg, Ryan Bell.
Departures: Dylan Gibson, Ben Birkhead.
Last year: Record - 6-6-1. Finished - 5th. Batting rank - 4th. Bowling rank - 4th.
Coach Wayne Stubbings says: At the end of last season we spoke about needing change.
We'd been thereabouts for the last four years and filled that fifth or sixth spot. We'd treaded water.
To move forward we needed change, so we have a new skipper and recruiting is also about change.
We have a refreshed look and we have a refreshed feel about ourselves in that bid to move into the finals.
We have high expectations on ourselves. A lot of the guys have been training since April - on and off through COVID.
It puts us in a really good position for this season. In one-day cricket you need to make a good start and we want to win the majority of our first five games to set up our season.
Summary: The most talked about team in the competition during the off-season.
The Roos have left no stone unturned in their quest to bolster their squad and make a long-awaited return to the finals.
Stabler's arrival from Huntly-North Epsom gives the Roos the premier pace quartet of the competition - Dylan Klemm, Adam Burns, Brent Hamblin and Stabler.
Batting has been the Roos' weakness, but the return of Jake Klemm and Newlan adds class and depth to their top six.
Young guns Ryan O'Keefe, Luke Stagg and Ryan Bell will play a handful of games early in the season as well before returning to Premier Cricket.
All the pieces are in place, it's a matter of the Roos putting it together on matchday.
Rookie skipper Chris Barber takes over from Hamblin and is arguably under more pressure than any other captain in the competition.
Anything short of a finals berth would be a major disappointment for the Roos.
SANDHURST
Captain: Joel Murphy.
Arrivals: Anthony McMahon, Dylan Gibson, Liam Bowe, Nick Gladman, Nick Scullie.
Departures: Taylor Beard, Sam Sperling, Matt Combe, Shasheen Fernando.
Last year: Record - 3-9-1. Finished - 9th. Batting rank - 6th. Bowling rank - 10th.
Coach Craig Howard says: Having Liam (Bowe) and Nick (Gladman) back at the club for a few games is exciting.
(All-rounder) Anthony McMahon has shown plenty in the pre-season games and we're really excited to have him at the club. He has plenty of upside.
Ash Gray and Will Keck are basically recruits after not playing much cricket last year and Dylan Gibson is back at the club.
There's quality players through the list and there's a number of young players coming through as well, so the talent is there, where we end up we'll have to wait and see.
Everyone is working hard, we'll have some fun, play as a team and see where it takes us.
Summary: The Dragons are one of the most intriguing teams in the competition.
A new captain and, basically, a new-look team.
Bowe and Gladman will have a big impact in the handful of games they play before returning to Premier Cricket.
Their potential third Premier cricket signing - Damon Egan - now appears unlikely to play in the early rounds.
McMahon arrives with big wraps after making 538 runs and taking 26 wickets in Goulburn Murray cricket last summer. He's suited to one-day cricket.
Gray's retrun from injury will be crucial to the Dragons' batting, while Keck is back bowling at full pace after his own injury troubles.
With Melbourne-based Will Gadsden unavailable early in the season because of COVID-19 restrictions, Nick Scullie will be first XI wicket-keeper.
The Dragons should push for a top-four berth, particularly if they make a blistering start to the season while Bowe and Gladman are on deck.
STRATHDALE-MARISTIANS
Captain: Ben DeAraugo
Arrivals: nil.
Departures: nil.
Last year: Record - 11-1-3. Finished - Premiers. Batting rank - 1st. Bowling rank - 2nd.
Captain Ben DeAraugo says: Last season was a really fun season and we played a lot cricket together. We built a really close bond and everyone enjoys each other's company, so everyone was keen to hang around and play again.
We've played okay in one-day cricket in recent seasons and we're hopeful we'll get positives out of it all. Playing more games gives us the opportunity to try people in different roles.
Having had success last season, it showed us how much we enjoyed that success and in many ways that makes us more hungry to get that feeling again.
Winning is a bonus if we're having fun and, hopefully, that will breed more success this year.
Summary: How do you back-up winning three major trophies in one season?
Keeping the same group of players together is a good start. No major arrivals to the Suns group and, more importantly, no departures.
18 rounds of one-day cricket, potentially, evens up the competition.
However, going into round one you can't tip against them. The Suns are well constructed for one-day cricket with bat and ball and their team chemistry - somewhat undersold by some in cricket - sets them apart from the majority of the competition.
They also still have the services of Scottish international paceman Chris Sole, who is a daunting prospect for opposition opening batsmen on a normal day let alone on juiced up pitches early in the season.
One minor concern for the Suns is Ryan Haythorpe won't play early in the season because of a calf strain.
When the whips are cracking in March the Suns will be there.
SEASON PREDICTIONS
TOP FOUR
Adam Bourke: Strathdale, Kangaroo Flat, Huntly-North Epsom, Strathfieldsaye.
Luke West: Strathdale, Kangaroo Flat, Huntly-North Epsom, White Hills.
Kieran Iles: Strathdale, Huntly-North Epsom, Kangaroo Flat, White Hills.
Anthony Pinda: Kangaroo Flat, Strathdale, Strathfieldsaye, Sandhurst.
CRICKETER OF THE YEAR
Adam Bourke: Sam Johnston (Strathdale)
Luke West: Danushka Wijemanna (Huntly-North Epsom).
Kieran Iles: Brent Hamblin (Kangaroo Flat)
Anthony Pinda: Anthony McMahon (Sandhurst)
- Because of the Addy's new 7pm print deadline, regional cricket teams will not appear in Friday print editions. The teams will be published on the Addy website each Thursday night and in Saturday print editions.