The Elaine Cricket Club is set to return to senior competition following a two-and-a-half year hiatus.
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Speaking to The Courier, club president Julie Pandzitis confirmed the club will aim to rejoin the Ballarat Cricket Association competition at the lower senior level.
Pandzitis said the decision was made to bolster cricket in the region and help further Elaine's junior cricket program.
"The club's junior program has continued to grow over the past few years and we wanted to bring back a senior team for them to progress into," she said.
The senior team will be led by new player/coach Brant Hocking who is coming off time with Hanging Rock Cricket Club in the Gisborne & District Cricket Association and also having BCA experience with the Ballan Cricket Club.
We've got some great cricketers and we want to keep them playing in Elaine.
- Elaine Cricket Club president Julie Pandzitis
Pandzitis said Hocking is the perfect person to help lead Elaine into the future and help develop its junior players progressing onto senior cricket.
"(Hocking) has the experience we were looking for and he's already made it clear that he wants to be a massive part of our growth.
"Being a playing coach is also going to help our juniors who are playing senior cricket for the first time. It's probably the biggest challenge a lot of those boys will have faced on the pitch and having a presence like Brant will go a long way."
Knowing it will be a long process to return to A grade competition, Pandzitis said the club is focused on supporting its junior program and improving its facilities through grants.
"A few years ago we only had one junior cricket team, now we have three. We want to provide the best local facilities possible for local crickets to help them go as far as they can with the sport."
ECC is unable to play in A-grade competition until it replaces its hard pitch with a turf pitch.
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