By Tara Murray
The Diamond Valley Cricket Association will continue to grow with two clubs joining the association for the upcoming season.
The association announced recently that Old Ivanhoe Grammarians and Keon Park would join the competition after clubs voted in favour of them joining the competition this season at a recent special general meeting.
Both sides are crossing from the North Metro Cricket Association.
Last season, both teams played in the top flight, the Jika Shield, with Keon Park claiming the minor premiership before losing the grand final, and Old Ivanhoe Grammarians finishing in third.
Diamond Valley Cricket Association’s Suraj Shetty said the two sides would start in the third grade as other clubs which had come across in recent times have done.
“The two new clubs will be joining the Mash Shield teams this season,” he said.
“There won’t be a restructure of the division this year, but DVCA is looking to review and potentially restructure the shield grades in the upcoming season.”
There are now 32 senior clubs in the shield competition. Last season each shield competition had 10 teams.
The two new sides are the latest from the NMCA to join the DVCA in recent times, further strengthening the DVCA.
Rivergum and Dennis joined the competition last season and played in the Mash Shield in the 2024-25 season.
The Kookas made the finals with both the regular Mash Shield competition and Mash summer smash, before losing both.
Dennis finished in eighth spot in the Mash Shield with three wins, while beating the Kookas in the Mash summer smash grand final.
North Rosebank joined the competition in 2020-21.
It will play in the top flight next season after winning the Money Shield grand final in March.
Bundoora Park coming across the season before and has won promotion in that time.
