THEY were touted pre-season as the two most likely standout sides in the Bendigo District Cricket Association and both Strathdale-Maristians and Kangaroo Flat have lived up to the billing.

The Suns and Roos are the last two teams left standing this season and on Saturday will battle for the BDCA premiership at the QEO.

For the Suns, it's a familiar stage - albeit a different format being a one-day tussle for the flag.

In what has been a remarkable dynasty, Saturday will be Strathdale's 10th grand final in the past 13 years, with the club having won six flags through that time.

All 11 players who will take to the field on Saturday are premiership players for the Suns, with the total BDCA flags between the team 38 - captain Ben DeAraugo (6), former skipper Linton Jacobs (6), Ryan Haythorpe (6), Cameron Taylor (5), Jacob DeAraugo (5), Jack Neylon (3), Sam Johnston (3), Chris Sole (1), Daniel Clohesy (1), Grant Waldron (1) and James Vlaeminck (1).

In comparison, the only player who has played in a first XI grand final for Kangaroo Flat - let alone won a premiership with the club - is star veteran Adam Burns, who was part of the Roos' back-to-back triumphs in 2004 (against Strathdale) and 2005, while Josh Collinson played in Eaglehawk's 2017 team that won the flag.

While they have been the two clear standouts, the Suns deserve to go into the grand final warm favourites given they will carry an unbeaten record into the decider, having 15 wins and four draws from their 19 games.

In fact, you've got to go back to November 30, 2019 - 482 days ago - when they lost to Golden Square by six wickets for the last time the Suns were beaten.

"I think having experienced success before is our main driver to wanting to experience it again... we all know how good it feels and special it is when we can win," Suns' skipper Ben DeAraugo said this week.

"We've got a great group of mates that loves hanging out and spending time together and we're all driven by the opportunity to have some success and then be able to celebrate it together.

"Obviously, the season has been good. We've been able to get ourselves in and out of a lot of different situations batting first or second, so we know we have the depth and ability to come out of various scenarios, which will, hopefully, hold us in good stead."

The Suns are an imposing outfit laden with envious talent with both bat and ball.

The Suns have been by far the No.1 ranked batting side in the competition this season, having only been bowled out once and boasting six players with more than 250 runs - Grant Waldron (594), Jack Neylon (577), James Vlaeminck (405), four-time BDCA Cricketer of the Year Cameron Taylor (322), Ben DeAraugo (289) and Sam Johnston (258).

Highlighting how the aggressive Suns have made opposition attacks pay if their line and length strays, their run-rate of 5.01 blows away the league average of 4.05.

With the ball, the bulk of the damage has been done by the quartet of Johnston (32 wickets, including a double hat-trick against Kangaroo Flat in round 16), leg-spinner Taylor (30), speedster Chris Sole (25) and off-spinner Vlaeminck (18), who have combined for 105 of the 133 wickets taken by the Suns.

While the Roos acknowledge their underdog status, first-year captain Chris Barber is confident his side will match-up well in what's the club's long-awaited first grand final since losing to Bendigo United in 2008.

"We've always been able to take it up to Strathdale, even when we have had weaker sides, so we believe they bring out the best in us," all-rounder Barber said.

The Roos have a much-vaunted bowling attack that was further boosted last week with the return of Dylan Klemm into the attack after being hampered by a back concern this season.

Bowling has long been a strength of the Roos, but the big challenge is can they have enough batsmen stand up under pressure and deliver on the big stage?

"I think with their attack that is a bit faster paced can bring out the best in our batting," Barber said.

"With their pace and the QEO ground being nice and fast, I think that can play a part in guys like Klemmy (Jake Klemm) being able to get going with the bat."

Klemm, who returned to Dower Park after two years at Bendigo United, leads the Roos' batting with 389 runs, while opener Barber, who spent several weeks sidelined with a shoulder injury, has scored 377.

Burns (289) and Collinson (215), who has battled a knee injury late in the season, are the only other players with more than 200 runs, but as they showed last week when they recovered from 4-41 against Eaglehawk to post 7-153 with Brent Hamblin (194) and Dylan Klemm (185) coming in at No.7 and No.9, the Roos - who have only batted first three times - do have depth.

It's the ball though that shapes as the trump card for the Roos, who will unleash an attack headlined by three spearheads in left-arm pair Burns (18 wickets) and Stabler (23) with the new ball and Hamblin (competition-best 33), while Kenny Beith (14) can keep it tight through the middle overs and last week's return of Klemm with the ball is an added bonus.

There's also a pair of spinning options the Roos can turn to in Jake Klemm (15 wickets) and leggie Barber (7).

Stabler and Hamblin with two each are the only players in the competition to take multiple five-wicket hauls this season, while Burns also has a five-wicket bag to his name - one of 27 in his stellar career.

"The club is really looking forward to the week. It has been good to know we'd be playing finals a few weeks out instead of having to scramble for wins like we normally are," Barber said.

"We know Strathdale has been a very good side for a lot of years... to be able to have a crack at winning a grand final against them is great for the all the boys."

Saturday's grand final starts at noon.

BEN DeARAUGO (C)

Runs: 289 Avr: 41.2

Highest score: 49

100s: 0 50s: 0

Wickets: 8 Avr: 23.1

Best bowling: 2-4

Econ: 4.1 Strike: 33.7

Addy MVP points: 499

............................................

DANIEL CLOHESY

Runs: 97 Avr: 10.7

Highest score: 24

100s: 0 50s: 0

Wickets: 1 Avr: 14.0

Best bowling: 1-14

Econ: 3.5 Strike: 24.0

Addy MVP points: 222

............................................

JACOB DeARAUGO

Runs: 35 Avr: 11.6

Highest score: 24

100s: 0 50s: 0

Wickets: 9 Avr: 26.8

Best bowling: 2-36

Econ: 3.6 Strike: 44.0

Addy MVP points: 245

............................................

RYAN HAYTHORPE

Runs: 0 Avr: -

Highest score: 0*

100s: 0 50s: 0

Wickets: 1 Avr: 63.0

Best bowling: 1-3

Econ: 2.5 Strike: 150.0

Addy MVP points: 40

............................................

LINTON JACOBS

Runs: 111 Avr: 22.2

Highest score: 32*

100s: 0 50s: 0

Addy MVP points: 331

............................................

SAM JOHNSTON

Runs: 258 Avr: 51.6

Highest score: 52*

100s: 0 50s: 1

Wickets: 32 Avr: 14.6

Best bowling: 5-33

Econ: 3.7 Strike: 23.2

Addy MVP points: 958

............................................

JACK NEYLON

Runs: 577 Avr: 38.4

Highest score: 129

100s: 1 50s: 4

Addy MVP points: 652

............................................

CHRIS SOLE

Runs: 26 Avr: 26.0

Highest score: 14*

100s: 0 50s: 0

Wickets: 25 Avr: 17.4

Best bowling: 5-14

Econ: 3.3 Strike: 31.4

Addy MVP points: 566

............................................

CAMERON TAYLOR

Runs: 322 Avr: 23.0

Highest score: 62

100s: 0 50s: 2

Wickets: 30 Avr: 15.1

Best bowling: 4-37

Econ: 3.3 Strike: 27.0

Addy MVP points: 1042

............................................

JAMES VLAEMINCK

Runs: 405 Avr: 25.3

Highest score: 102

100s: 1 50s: 0

Wickets: 18 Avr: 24.6

Best bowling: 3-39

Econ: 3.6 Strike: 40.0

Addy MVP points: 895

............................................

GRANT WALDRON

Runs: 594 Avr: 66.0

Highest score: 115*

100s: 1 50s: 2

Addy MVP points: 704

............................................

CHRIS BARBER (C)

Runs: 377 Avr: 26.9

Highest score: 68

100s: 0 50s: 1

Wickets: 7 Avr: 28.1

Best bowling: 2-25

Econ: 3.3 Strike: 50.5

Addy MVP points: 587

............................................

DANIEL BARBER

Runs: 63 Avr: 5.7

Highest score: 16

100s: 0 50s: 0

Addy MVP points: 118

............................................

KENNY BEITH

Runs: 2 Avr: 1.0

Highest score: 2

100s: 0 50s: 0

Wickets: 14 Avr: 20.1

Best bowling: 3-23

Econ: 3.2 Strike: 36.8

Addy MVP points: 317

............................................

ADAM BURNS

Runs: 289 Avr: 41.2

Highest score: 58*

100s: 0 50s: 1

Wickets: 18 Avr: 19.5

Best bowling: 5-24

Econ: 2.6 Strike: 45.0

Addy MVP points: 709

............................................

JOSH COLLINSON

Runs: 215 Avr: 19.5

Highest score: 35

100s: 0 50s: 0

Addy MVP points: 285

............................................

MATT DWYER

Runs: 153 Avr: 15.3

Highest score: 33

100s: 0 50s: 0

Addy MVP points: 303

............................................

BRENT HAMBLIN

Runs: 194 Avr: 38.8

Highest score: 47*

100s: 0 50s: 0

Wickets: 33 Avr: 13.5

Best bowling: 6-3

Econ: 3.2 Strike: 24.7

Addy MVP points: 894

............................................

DYLAN KLEMM

Runs: 185 Avr: 30.8

Highest score: 37

100s: 0 50s: 0

Wickets: 4 Avr: 52.5

Best bowling: 1-25

Econ: 4.7 Strike: 66.0

Addy MVP points: 390

............................................

JAKE KLEMM

Runs: 389 Avr: 29.9

Highest score: 87

100s: 0 50s: 3

Wickets: 15 Avr: 23.8

Best bowling: 4-27

Econ: 3.9 Strike: 36.4

Addy MVP points: 774

............................................

LEWIS STABLER

Runs: 64 Avr: 21.3

Highest score: 47

100s: 0 50s: 0

Wickets: 23 Avr: 17.0

Best bowling: 5-24

Econ: 3.1 Strike: 32.0

Addy MVP points: 644

............................................

NATHAN STUBBINGS

Runs: 82 Avr: 16.4

Highest score: 56

100s: 0 50s: 1

Addy MVP points: 82

Quite simply, how do you tip against a side that hasn't lost all season?

There's no doubt the Roos have the bowling attack that can trouble the Suns, but that unbreakable belief Strathdale-Maristians has to find a way out of any situation will hold it in good stead to add another flag to its dynasty.

Taylor-Walsh Medal tip - Sam Johnston (Strathdale-Maristians).

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