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GOLDEN Square's Scott Johnson has batted himself into one of the Bendigo District Cricket Association's exclusive clubs as one of only four players in the competition's history to score 10,000 first XI runs.
Johnson achieved the milestone during last Saturday's game against Strathdale-Maristians when his knock of 61 took him to 10,020 career runs.
According to the records of BDCA historian Darren Rodda, 45-year-old Johnson joins only Heath Behrens (11,579), Leon Grose (10,407) and Wayne Walsh (10,068) as players in the 10,000 run club.
Johnson - the games record-holder at Golden Square - reaching the 10,000 run milestone comes in what's his 31st season of first XI cricket having debuted in 1991-92 as a 15-year-old.
A three-time winner of the BDCA's Cricketer of the Year, Johnson's most prolific seasons with the bat have been his 682 runs in 2012-13, 597 in 1995-96, 567 in 2006-07 and 512 in 2002-03.
And he's still churning the runs out having made 207 at an average of 69 so far this season for an improving Golden Square that is 5-5 ahead of a pivotal clash at home against Bendigo on Saturday.
"We've got some really good junior kids coming through who are getting good opportunities with the bat," Johnson said this week.
"The kids are developing well and it's nice to be out there on a Saturday seeing some of the kids who I've known since they were babies playing good cricket.
"We're lacking a little bit of depth, but the flipside is we're giving kids exposure to A Grade; hopefully, they can hang around and it will hold us in good stead over the next few years."
Both Bendigo (5th) and Golden Square (6th) head into Saturday's game at Wade Street on 30 points and one game outside the top four.
It's a crunch game entering the last six rounds with the winner to potentially be only percentage outside the top four, while the loser could drop two games adrift.
The other crucial tussle on Saturday is the Harry Trott Oval tussle between Bendigo United (3rd) and Strathfieldsaye (2nd), who are locked in a battle for the double chance come finals.
Saturday's BDCA games - White Hills v Strathdale-Maristians, Sandhurst v Huntly-North Epsom, Golden Square v Bendigo, Eaglehawk v Kangaroo Flat, Bendigo United v Strathfieldsaye.
Meanwhile, there was another BDCA first XI milestone achieved last weekend when Brent Hamblin claimed his 300th wicket for Kangaroo Flat.
Hamblin - who debuted in 2009-10 - reached the 300-mark when he had Strathfieldsaye's Savith Priyan caught by Adam Burns.
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