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THE Bendigo District Cricket Association is set for one of its most pivotal weekends of the season.
With each team playing two games, 12 points will be up for grabs over the weekend in what is the BDCA's only Saturday-Sunday fixture of the home and away season.
Third-placed Huntly-North Epsom has the toughest of fixtures for the weekend, taking on a pair of fellow top-four teams in Kangaroo Flat (second) on Saturday and White Hills (fourth) on Sunday.
The Power's Sunday game against White Hills will feature a Demons' side that has been boosted by the inclusion of explosive opening batsman Brayden Stepien.
Coming off a knock of 223 in his last game for Greater Northern Raiders in Tasmania's Premier League, Stepien will play for his home club White Hills in its two games this weekend before lining up for Carlton in next week's start of Victoria's Premier Cricket season.
"It's good to have Steppo in for us this week. He comes back and plays Twenty20 with us, so we're looking forward to having him for a couple of home and away games," Demons' captain Mitch Winter-Irving said on Friday.
"We know though that we can't just be relying on him, we've all got to play our roles."
With the inclusion of Stepien - who last season played two Big Bash League games with the Melbourne Renegades - Rhys Irwin will drop down to the middle-order, with the hard-hitting left-hander to open the batting with Winter-Irving.
Stepien's first game for the weekend will be on the QEO when the Demons take on Bendigo on Saturday.
Who plays who this weekend:
BENDIGO - v White Hills, Sandhurst.
BENDIGO UNITED - v Eaglehawk, Kangaroo Flat.
EAGLEHAWK - v Bendigo United, Strathfieldsaye.
GOLDEN SQUARE - v Strathfieldsaye, Strathdale-Maristians.
KANGAROO FLAT - v Huntly-North Epsom, Bendigo United.
HUNTLY-NORTH EPSOM - v Kangaroo Flat, White Hills.
SANDHURST - v Strathdale-Maristians, Bendigo.
STRATHDALE-MARISTIANS - v Sandhurst, Golden Square.
STRATHFIELDSAYE - v Golden Square, Eaglehawk.
WHITE HILLS - v Bendigo, Huntly-North Epsom.
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