A THIRD flag in a row and another chapter written in a dynasty of success or the snapping of a 21-year premiership drought?

They are the two outcomes on offer heading into Saturday's Bendigo District Cricket Association first XI grand final between Strathdale-Maristians and Strathfieldsaye at the QEO from noon.

The two best teams of the home and away season are the last two left standing in the premiership race.

Although the Suns finished 12 points clear on top of the ladder with a 14-2 home and away record, it's the Jets who hold the head-to-head advantage over the competition's powerhouse.

The two sides have met three times this season with the Jets winning two of their tussles in thrillers.

The Jets won by one run in round three to end what was Strathdale-Maristians' 32-game unbeaten streak, while Strathfieldsaye also prevailed by four runs in last Saturday's qualifying final.

In between the Suns comfortably won their round 12 encounter by 45 runs.

The Jets will be led by captain Ben Devanny, who was also the skipper the last time Strathfieldsaye played in a grand final in 2015 when it surrendered a position of dominance against the Suns and lost by two wickets, leaving the distant 2001 as the club's most recent first XI flag.

Devanny and wicket-keeper Jack Stubbs are the only two players from the losing 2015 team who will line up for the Jets on Saturday.

"The boys are obviously really excited about the opportunity this week, particularly with a lot of young guys in the side," Devanny said.

"It's good to see the group get the reward for their hard work of playing in a grand final this weekend and, hopefully, we get the ultimate reward with a win."

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The Jets' grand final team will feature five players aged 21 or under in leg-spinner Darcy Hunter, opening batsman Abe Sheahan and all-rounder Campbell Love, who are 19, opening bowler Jed Rodda (20) and batsman Cal McCarty (21).

"Coming into the season we thought we had a good side," Devanny said.

"Picking up Tim Wood and Campbell Love were a couple of big additions for us and then with the young guys being a year older we thought we could play finals.

"We got there and now, hopefully, we can take the last step."

The Jets head into the grand final with five players who have made more than 300 runs with the bat - gun opener Tim Wood (528) and Sheahan (434), who have both returned to the club this season, Devanny (332), Chathura Damith (326) and the hard-hitting Pat Felmingham (301).

With the ball, the bulk of the wickets have been taken by the quartet of left-arm spinner Savith Priyan (31), Damith (28), Hunter (27) and Rodda (25), who with the bat has only been dismissed once from 11 innings.

Devanny also has 13 wickets and been one of the most economical bowlers in the competition, conceding just 2.8 runs per over.

"I think we're well balanced with bat and ball and if you look through the season everyone has played a key role at some stage to get us over the line to win a game and that has been a big advantage," Devanny said.

"We don't have any passengers and that's one of the main reasons we're playing on Saturday."

For Strathdale-Maristians, Saturday is the club's 11^th grand final in the past 14 seasons.

The Suns have won seven premierships since their grand final run started in 2008-09, including the past two flags, with their team on Saturday having won 34 premierships between them - Ben DeAraugo (7), Linton Jacobs (7), captain Cameron Taylor (6), Jack Neylon (4), Sam Johnston (4), Daniel Clohesy (2), coach Grant Waldron (2) and James Vlaeminck (2).

Saturday's team also includes three teenagers striving to win their first flags in the first XI for the club - batsman Matt Wilkinson, all-rounder James Barri and bowler Jack Pysing.

"It's really exciting to have those young guys all playing for us this weekend," Suns' skipper Taylor said.

"As a club we've always been good at developing players through our junior program and the second XI and it doesn't feel that long ago that James Vlaeminck and Daniel Clohesy were those young guys getting an opportunity in the firsts.

"It's exciting that we've been able to keep winning games while bringing our young players through and they are all certainly holding their own in the first XI.

"You only need to look at last weekend to see the way that Jack Pysing bowled with the new ball in a knockout game (preliminary final win over Bendigo United) and then James Barri came in and batted well under pressure."

In his first season as captain Taylor has been brilliant again with bat and ball and looks to be a strong chance to win a fifth BDCA Cricketer of the Year Award.

The opening batsman has compiled 580 runs with scores of 52 n.o., 53 and 65 n.o in his past three hits, while also taking a competition-best 46 wickets.

Clohesy has been a revelation in his new role as opener with 653 runs, including two centuries, and No.3 Waldron has been all class again with 608 runs.

Between their top three in Taylor, Clohesy and Waldron there are 1841 runs, while reigning Cricketer of the Year Neylon (382), four-time grand final Taylor-Walsh medallist DeAraugo (286) and Johnston (258) each have over 250 runs.

With the ball the Suns have the capacity to unleash four spinners in Taylor, Barri, DeAraugo and Vlaemnick, who between them have 90 wickets for the season to complement the pair of Johnston and Pysing.

"The boys are all really excited for the chance this week. The feeling I've got among the group is there is a lot of hunger there for more success," Taylor said.

"We know what we need to do and there's a confidence that comes with that, but a lot can happen in a game of cricket, particularly a grand final."

BEN DEVANNY (C)

Runs: 332 Wickets: 13

Field: 2 Addy MVP: 617

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

ABE SHEAHAN

Runs: 434 Wickets: 0

Field: 8 Addy MVP: 514

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

CALLUM McCARTY

Runs: 215 Wickets: 0

Field: 7 Addy MVP: 290

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

CAMPBELL LOVE

Runs: 190 Wickets: 11

Field: 6 Addy MVP: 470

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

CHATHURA DAMITH

Runs: 326 Wickets: 28

Field: 5 Addy MVP: 936

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

DARCY HUNTER

Runs: 105 Wickets: 27

Field: 7 Addy MVP: 715

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

JACK STUBBS

Runs: 94 Wickets: 0

Field: 27 Addy MVP: 379

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

JED RODDA

Runs: 35 Wickets: 25

Field: 10 Addy MVP: 640

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

PAT FELMINGHAM

Runs: 301 Wickets: 0

Field: 5 Addy MVP: 351

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

SAVITH PRIYAN

Runs: 54 Wickets: 31

Field: 8 Addy MVP: 754

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

TIM WOOD

Runs: 528 Wickets: 0

Field: 11 Addy MVP: 643

CAMERON TAYLOR (C)

Runs: 580 Wickets: 46

Field: 9 Addy MVP: 1600

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

BEN DeARAUGO

Runs: 286 Wickets: 14

Field: 10 Addy MVP: 676

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

DANIEL CLOHESY

Runs: 653 Wickets: 4

Field: 7 Addy MVP: 803

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

GRANT WALDRON

Runs: 608 Wickets: 0

Field: 13 Addy MVP: 738

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

JACK NEYLON

Runs: 382 Wickets: 0

Field: 6 Addy MVP: 447

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

JACK PYSING

Runs: 5 Wickets: 20

Field: 4 Addy MVP: 455

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

JAMES BARRI

Runs: 194 Wickets: 17

Field: 5 Addy MVP: 589

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

JAMES VLAEMINCK

Runs: 82 Wickets: 13

Field: 10 Addy MVP: 452

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

LINTON JACOBS

Runs: 132 Wickets: 0

Field: 36 Addy MVP: 552

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

MATT WILKINSON

Runs: 91 Wickets: 0

Field: 11 Addy MVP: 216

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

SAM JOHNSTON

Runs: 258 Wickets: 35

Field: 8 Addy MVP: 1043

Luke West - Strathdale-Maristians.

Adam Bourke - Strathdale-Maristians.

BENDIGO United is eagerly awaiting its opponent for Sunday's Bendigo District Cricket Association second XI grand final.

The Redbacks were due to play Kangaroo Flat for the second XI premiership, but once the Roos were disqualified on Tuesday after being found to have played an ineligible player last weekend, Strathdale-Maristians and Golden Square have been given a reprieve.

The Suns and Bulldogs - who between them have won the past two second XI flags - were both eliminated by Kangaroo Flat last weekend, but now get another opportunity after the BDCA decided to fixture the two teams against each other in a second preliminary final to be played at Wade Street on Saturday.

The winner will then get a crack at the awaiting Redbacks on Sunday.

For the Suns it's their third opportunity at getting into the grand final after they lost the qualifying final to Bendigo United last Saturday and then the preliminary final against Kangaroo Flat last Sunday.

FIRST XI

Strathfieldsaye v Strathdale-Maristians.

at QEO

noon Saturday.

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

SECOND XI

Bendigo United v Strathdale-Maristians/Golden Square.

at Wade Street

noon Sunday.

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

THIRD XI

Bendigo United v Strathfieldsaye.

at White Hills

10am Saturday.

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

UNDER-18s

Strathdale-Maristians v Bendigo United.

at Canterbury Park

5.30pm tonight.

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

FOURTH XI

Strathdale-Maristians v Kangaroo Flat.

at Beischer Park

1.30pm Saturday.

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

UNDER-16A

Bendigo United v Huntly-North Epsom.

at Tannery Lane

8.45am Saturday.

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

UNDER-16B

Strathfieldsaye Jets v Bendigo.

at Beischer Park

8.45am Saturday.

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

UNDER-14A

Strathdale-Maristians Suns v Strathfieldsaye Blue

at Ewing Park

8.45am Saturday.

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

UNDER-14B

Huntly-North Epsom v White Hills

at JG Edwards Oval

8.45am Saturday.

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

UNDER-12A

Maiden Gully Marist v Strathfieldsaye Yellow

at Ewing Park

9.30am Sunday.

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