Sport
13 February, 2026
MDCA open Melbourne Country Week 3-0
The Maryborough District Cricket Association (MDCA) finds itself on the precipice of being promoted to Melbourne Country Week’s elite Provincial division after an undefeated start to their campaign.
With victories against Cricket LaTrobe Valley, South West and the Ivanhoe Invitational XI, the MDCA entered yesterday’s final round on 14 points, good enough for second place in the standings.
At the time of production, the MDCA was in the midst of the toughest battle of their campaign against ladder-leaders Warrnambool Moyne, with massive ramifications hanging in the balance.
A win for the MDCA would see them promoted to the Provincial division and have a rematch with Warrnambool Moyne, this time in the Grand Final.
Even defeat would likely send the MDCA into the finale, holding a superior net run rate than Sunraysia in third and Leongatha and District in fourth, who will draw level on points with the MDCA in the event of an MDCA loss.
With a worst-case scenario being a third-place playoff, the week has been a smashing success for the MDCA, which started on Monday with a key fixture against Cricket LaTrobe Valley.
After winning the toss and electing to bowl, Laanecoorie Dunolly seamer Josh Fitzpatrick delivered the perfect start for the MDCA, getting opener Callum Grant to be caught by Carisbrook wicketkeeper William Coutts for a duck with the fourth ball of the innings.
That euphoria quickly diminished for the MDCA, as half-centuries from Amal Athulathmudali and Brett Chapman had LaTrobe Valley cruising at 2/122 after 21 overs.
With his team desperate for a breakthrough of fortune, MDCA captain Sam Bartlett took it upon himself to turn the game entirely.
It didn’t take long for captain marvel to make his impact, bowling Athulathmudali for 69 with the first ball of his spell.
In the space of six overs, Bartlett became a nightmarish hunter of LaTrobe Valley batters, quickly earning a five-wicket haul as he dismantled his opponents to 7/154.
Some smart late hitting from LaTrobe Valley captain James Pryde allowed them to surpass 200, but a great late spell from Asim Akhtar bowled LaTrobe Valley out for 209.
Maryborough and Beaufort openers Oliver Bennett and Jarrod Blandford got the MDCA’s response off to a reasonable start. However, breakthroughs from Keenan Hughes and Adam Brady had the MDCA teetering at 3/59 after 11 overs.
Facing another time of trouble, the MDCA was provided the same solution. Fresh off his 5/20 with the ball, Bartlett helped steady the MDCA’s innings alongside the talents of Josh Collinson.
Even when the 92-run partnership ended with Collinson removed for 39 with the MDCA 4/150, Bartlett kept his team rolling with an array of clever shots.
The MDCA’s captain completed a man of the match performance with an unbeaten 87, as the MDCA surpassed LaTrobe Valley’s 209 at the start of the 47th over.
The MDCA couldn’t celebrate Bartlett’s heroics for long, quickly turning their attention to a familiar foe in South West.
Having split their previous two meetings in the competition dating back to 2024, Tuesday’s encounter was the rubber match in an enthralling trilogy between the two associations.
Similar to their contest with LaTrobe Valley, Fitzpatrick made the most of the new ball, scoring two early wickets to place his team in a potentially commanding position.
Unlike Monday, the MDCA maximised the opportunity thanks to two wickets from Bartlett and Akhtar spiralling South West to 6/80 after being 2/62.
Harry Bee brought South West to a defendable total with a vital 37, but vice captain Lachlan Oddie and Fitzpatrick mopped up the tail effectively to have South West bowled for 148 in the 34th over.
Fitzpatrick ended with top figures of 4/24, closely followed by Akhtar with 3/32.
With the potential for a bonus point victory, killer B’s Bennett and Blandford wasted no time climbing towards their objective, placing the MDCA at 0/48 after just seven overs.
While both openers departed shortly thereafter, Nafis Shaikh and Brandon Walsh kept the MDCA moving with a 60-run stand.
South West did mount a comeback by removing the Colts trio of Collinson, Akhtar and Ben Evans rather cheaply, but that didn’t stop the MDCA from taking a four-wicket win with Coutts hitting the winning runs.
After a disappointing showing on Monday for his standards, Shaikh showed what he was capable of on Tuesday, top-scoring with an unbeaten 36.
On Wednesday, the MDCA were off to Greenvale Reserve, attempting to maintain their unblemished record against the Ivanhoe Invitational XI.
Bennett and Blandford were sent in to bat first after Ivanhoe won the toss, going on to build a sensational partnership.
After being 36 without loss after 10 overs, the openers methodically tightened the screws, with Bennett the clear aggressor as he smashed 11 boundaries.
The 149-run opening partnership lasted 31 overs before Bennett and Blandford were dismissed in back-to-back overs for 81 and 44 respectively.
With a rock-hard foundation set, the remainder of the MDCA’s talented batting stocks were given license to play with controlled freedom, ending their 50 overs on 7/272.
After having very little action in the opening two games, Alex Cook was itching to make an impact, finishing the innings not out on 49 from just 42 balls.
In Ivanhoe’s response, Fitzpatrick delivered like clockwork, once again scoring two wickets in the first five overs to place Ivanhoe in an Ivan-hole they couldn’t recover from.
Even the rain couldn’t stop the MDCA, as Walsh ripped through Ivanhoe’s middle-order on his way to take 4/26 as his team cruised to a 164-run victory.
Walsh’s Beaufort teammate Theo Trevelyan-Clark also bowled well, finishing with 2/42 from 10 overs.