Benalla Bushrangers will kick off their A-grade campaign on Saturday, although with a slightly different format to the 2024-25 season.
While previous seasons consisted of a mixture of one-day and two-day matches, it was decided at the WDCA annual general meeting in July that two-day matches would be scrapped this season, with the majority of the fixture instead now consisting of 45-over games, which will cease once a result has been reached, while there will also be T20 matches sprinkled throughout.
There will be a T20 grand final on December 20, with the top two sides after all four rounds of T20 matches have been played to face off in the decider at Norm Minns Oval in Wangaratta.
A trip to Wangaratta’s WJ Findlay Oval awaits Benalla on Saturday, with the Bushrangers to take on Rovers United Bruck, the one-day and two-day premiers from last season, in the first of their 12 one-day matches.
It was a tough slog for the A-grade Bushies last season, tasting victory just once after defeating Ovens Valley United in a two-day contest, and they will be looking to start the new season on the right foot come Saturday.
In other senior grades, the A-reserve side will be looking to go a step further after bowing out in the semi-finals to eventual premier Rovers United Bruck, and will face Delatite at Benalla Gardens Oval on Saturday.
The B-grade Bushrangers made it back-to-back titles last season, triumphing over Yarrawonga in the decider, and will be aiming for an historic three-peat when they take to the field, although fixture details were yet to be finalised at time of print.
Junior numbers are looking strong yet again, with four under-12 Bushrangers sides set to compete in the WDCA under-12 Gold division, which will get under way with a round of T20’s next Saturday, October 18, with the under-12 Blue side having conquered all last season.
The under-15 girls side will once again play in the All Girls League, with their campaign beginning next Sunday, October 19, when they will host Beechworth at Arundel Street Oval, while the under-16s will be looking to go one better in the Eugene Kneebone Shield, having finished runners-up last season, and will get their season under way against Beechworth this Saturday at RC McNamara Reserve in Myrtleford.
