Wade Park has always been as close to a batter's paradise as you'll find in Orange, even in the bowler-friendly summers.
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Whether it's Richie Venner belting tons on the fabled ground or Cavaliers pummelling on 400 runs in a day, it's predominately a ground for making runs - and lots of them.
The past few weeks of the Royal Hotel Cup, however, have cranked the run-scoring dial to 11.
Marquee players have done a lot of that damage too, with CYMS' Mick Delaney, Orange City's Mick Curtale and Bathurst City's Ben Patterson all going ballistic over the last three weeks, the former scoring a ton in the green and golds' massive total of 3-220.
Lithgow skipper Ben Sheehan tonned up a fortnight ago too while Orange City's Lachie Coyte, CYMS' Sam Dwyer and Centennials' Blake Aubin have all crashed and bashed their way to half-centuries at better than a run-a-ball.
On Friday night, Cavaliers top-order bat Bailey Ferguson said his side's desperate to get in on the action against reigning champions St Pat's Old Boys, and the maroons will have a secret weapon of their own.
Bathurst's Ben Mitchell was the competition's third-highest run-scorer in St Pat's Old Boys' title win last summer and was among the best with the ball too, but he'll line up against his old club at Wade Park this week.
He's been more of a bowler in the past but the past few seasons he's really gone nuts with the bat.
- Cavaliers' Bailey Ferguson, on Ben Mitchell
Ferguson's keen to see what the young gun, who's now plying his trade in Sydney, can do too, he's seen it plenty of times before after all and labelled Mitchell 'an absolute freak'.
"I've played a lot of cricket with and against Ben. He's been more of a bowler in the past but the past few seasons he's really gone nuts with the bat ... it's ridiculous how far he hits the ball," Ferguson said.
Ferguson's hoping to cash in too and capitalise on his Bathurst-Orange Inter-District Cricket form, he made an unbeaten 95 in his last stint at the crease.
"Hopefully I can hit some runs after missing a few games," he said.
"I've been playing more aggressively this year, just going a bit harder at the ball which I think you have to do on the harder decks around Orange and Bathurst this year. You really need 150-plus (at Wade Park), it's a perfect batting deck."
Ferguson did confirm his side will be without wily tweaker Mitch Black, who is heading home to Wagga Wagga for the weekend and will miss the clash. He's arguably been the most dangerous bowler in Orange since landing with the maroons, and he's continued that form this summer.
"He's a massive loss. His pressure with the new ball is incredible, and at the end of the innings when they're trying to get going," Ferguson said. With a win and a loss each Friday's clash, which starts at 6.30pm, is somewhat of a final too, with a loss set to all but spell the end for either side.
