The VCA Board today named Matthew Elliott as Bushrangers captain for the 2001/02 ING Cup Competition (formerly Mercantile Mutual), replacing Paul Reiffel who has held the post for two seasons.

Reiffel remains captain of the Bushrangers in the Pura Cup, his third season in the role. Bushrangers coach John Scholes said the appointments were the correct decisions for all concerned.

"Matthew's elevation to the one-day captaincy reflects the esteem with which he is held in Victorian cricket, whilst Paul will be able to focus his energies solely on leading our Pura Cup campaign. We are committed to preserving Paul's longevity in the game, although he may play some matches in the ING Cup. However leading both sides with today's heavy domestic programming and therefore being available for all games, is not conducive to that."

Elliott, who was also named as vice-captain of the Bushrangers Pura Cup team, was similarly enthused with the decision.

"Captaincy is something that has been an ambition of mine for a long time. To be leading the Bushrangers in the ING Cup is a great honour and I look forward to working closely with Paul Reiffel throughout the season."

The Bushrangers player of the year in both the 2000/01 Pura and Mercantile Mutual Cups, Brad Hodge, has been elevated to the vice-captaincy of the ING Cup one-day side.

Speaking from England, Hodge was excited by the news. "It's great news and something I'm very proud of. However we need to keep improving our performances, particularly in one-day cricket and I think I can play a big part in that."

© 2001 Victorian Cricket Association