![The Strathdale-Maristians team that beat Strathfieldsaye by six wickets in last season's BDCA grand final at the QEO. Picture by Luke West. The Strathdale-Maristians team that beat Strathfieldsaye by six wickets in last season's BDCA grand final at the QEO. Picture by Luke West.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/G3M3FqVFYHjdnjXX9zgHHX/0731a5d5-dcca-4baf-9fc5-0ee54fd58f75.jpg/r0_224_4032_3028_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
THE Strathdale- Maristians juggernaut again enters another Bendigo District Cricket Association season with the target on its back as the team to beat.
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Having won the past three premierships, the same 11 that won last season's flag for the Suns will be back striving to add another piece of silverware to their dynasty.
For the record, that premiership 11 of last season was captain Cameron Taylor, Ben DeAraugo, Daniel Clohesy, coach Grant Waldron, Jack Neylon, Jack Pysing, James Barri, James Vlaeminck, Linton Jacobs, Matt Wilkinson and Sam Johnston.
Of those 11 players, four - Clohesy, Waldron, Taylor and wicket-keeper Jacobs - were later picked in the Northern Rivers Team of the Year, showcasing the high-end talent in the star-studded side.
The Suns will embark on the new season as hungry as ever to continue their reign at the top as they have the chance to become the first team since the Golden Square era of domination in the 1990s to win four BDCA flags in a row.
Square won four on the trot from 1996 to 1999.
"It was fairly unique when we won the flag a couple of years ago and had the same 11 the following season... it's good to know that you don't need to change up a lot of things, but you hope everyone continues to improve," skipper Taylor said.
![Strathdale-Maristians captain Cameron Taylor is coming off a record fifth BDCA Cricketer of the Year last season. Strathdale-Maristians captain Cameron Taylor is coming off a record fifth BDCA Cricketer of the Year last season.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/G3M3FqVFYHjdnjXX9zgHHX/ede60e52-aa53-49e9-b103-9aa349a72f41.jpg/r304_187_2339_1357_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"We know how we all play and we all get along really well, so it's good to know what we're all capable of contributing going into the season and it's a matter of going out and executing.
"I'd anticipate there wouldn't be too many changes to the batting order from last season."
We know how we all play and we all get along really well, so it's good to know what we're all capable of contributing going into the season and it's a matter of going out and executing
- Cameron Taylor
The Suns' past two premierships have been won under the format of all one-day cricket, during which they had a record of 32-3 in the shortened format.
This season - which is hoped to start next Saturday after a frustrating delay already of three weeks because of the wet weather - will revert back to the bulk of games being two-dayers.
"We've got a lot of versatility with bat and ball and that has probably been a strength of ours for a while," Taylor said.
"Bringing the two-day games back, there will be opportunities that will arise for different players at different times and my job will be to give players the best opportunities to succeed within games."
Taylor is coming off a season in which he won the BDCA Cricketer of the Year for a record fifth time in a tie with Bendigo United's Clayton Holmes.
While Taylor superbly led the side as skipper for the first time last season, Daniel Clohesy grasped the chance to elevate up the order and open the batting and cracked 683 runs, while young bowler Jack Pysing made a seamless transition to first XI cricket with 21 wickets.
"It's really exciting to have someone like Jack coming through the way he is and I really like the idea of him playing two-day cricket and bowling several spells throughout the day," Taylor said.
"We've seen his skill-set and I can't see him doing anything but get better.
"We've enjoyed the one-dayers over the past couple of years, but we're excited by the challenge of seeing how our cricket has evolved for the two-day games coming back and how it will look against the rest of the competition."
Highlighting the envious depth at the Suns is they are also the reigning premiers in the second XI.
SEASON FIXTURE:
ROUND 1
October 8-15
v Kangaroo Flat (h)
Match abandoned
............................................
ROUND 2
October 29
v Huntly North (h)
............................................
ROUND 3
November 5-12
v Golden Square (a)
............................................
ROUND 4
November 19-26
v Bendigo (a)
............................................
ROUND 5
December 3-4
v Strathfieldsaye (a)
............................................
ROUND 6
December 10-17
v White Hills (h)
............................................
ROUND 7
January 7
v Huntly North (a)
............................................
ROUND 8
January 14
v Kangaroo Flat (a)
............................................
ROUND 9
January 21
v Golden Square (h)
............................................
ROUND 10
January 28
v Eaglehawk (a)
............................................
ROUND 11
February 4-5
v Eaglehawk (h)
............................................
ROUND 12
February 11-18
v Bendigo United (a)
............................................
ROUND 13
February 25-26
v Sandhurst (h)
............................................
LAST SEASON FLASHBACK:
Finished - 1st
Record - 16-3
Bat - 1st Ball - 1st
............................................
Leading run-scorers:
683 - Daniel Clohesy
647 - Cameron Taylor
608 - Grant Waldron
442 - Jack Neylon
289 - Ben DeAraugo
............................................
Leading wicket-takers:
49 - Cameron Taylor
36 - Sam Johnston
21 - Jack Pysing
19 - James Barri
16 - Ben DeAraugo
............................................
Leading MVP points:
1727 - Cameron Taylor
1063 - Sam Johnston
833 - Daniel Clohesy
738 - Grant Waldron
729 - Ben DeAraugo
SEASON PREVIEWS:
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