Harkness is keen for the new challenge as it steps up into the Gisborne and District Cricket Association Johnstone Shield this season.
Harkness had played the past couple of seasons in the Jensen Shield where it made finals and were among the top teams.
When the Sunbury Kangaroos wanted to drop to the Jensen Shield and Aintree withdrawing its Johnstone Shield side to focus its attention more on the North West Metropolitan Cricket Association, Harkness took the opportunity to go up a division.
Harkness president Marc Turner said the group was keen to see what they could do.
“The guys are pretty excited to be stepping up a level,” he said. “The boys are pretty confident they can step up.
“We’ve been around the mark for the last few years.”
Turner said while they were going up a division, the playing group was expecting to be competitive and be able to play some good cricket at that level.
He said the club, which has struggled since Covid-19, is continuing to claw its way back up the ranks.
Harkness is set to have three sides again this season.
“It’s still been pretty tough,” he said. “We’ve got things in the works that will hopefully come to fruition and show that we are heading back in the right direction.
“We’re rolling in the seasons and hopefully the boys keep going this year.”
Elsewhere, Eynesbury, which finished bottom of the Johnstone Shield last season, remains in that division due to Aintree and the Kangaroos not having sides in that division.
Diggers Rest Bulla is among the other teams in the seven team division along with Kilmore, Eastern Hill and last season’s Jensen Shield premiers, Lancefield.
Blackwood is part of a six team Jensen Shield competition along with Hanging Rock, the Sunbury Kangaroos, Malmsbury, Riddell and Trentham.
