TEN years ago it would have been difficult for Bathurst to imagine they'd find themselves in a position to potentially win a third straight Western Zone Premier League grand final over Dubbo, but here they are.
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Unlike the past two deciders Bathurst will have to try and claim the title away from home, and that would make a victory all the sweeter for the team who have been setting the benchmark over the past three seasons.
Bathurst and Dubbo have each named full strength squads for the grand final.
Skipper for the boys in green in gold, Adam Ryan, said any game against Dubbo is one worth watching, but especially when there's top class lineups available.
"It's two strong sides that made up a bulk of the Western team this year," he said.
"It's definitely going to be a close one and we're looking forward to that. You relish the opportunity to play in tough contests like this, and being a grand final it's what we play for.
"We look forward to seeing what we can do on this stage and see where the hard we've put in this season can take us."
Both teams will be spending some time looking towards the skies on Sunday morning.
You relish the opportunity to play in tough contests like this.
- Adam Ryan
There's an 80 per cent chance of rain, but at just 1-5mm predicted it's hoped that it won't make a big impact on the match.
"It's a fantastic position to be in. The only thing hanging over us is the forecast and whether that's going to have any bearing on the game," he said.
"Player-wise we're good, and we're super excited at the prospect of winning three in a row. We're looking forward to the challenge and can't wait to get into it."
Bathurst earned their spot in final on the back of wins over Parkes and Cowra.
After the opening two matches were rained out and Bathurst had a bye in the next round the team needed to win both of those games to reach the grand final, and they excelled under the pressure.
Dubbo go into the home grand final with confidence after crushing Orange by 145 runs on the back of a top notch bowling effort.
The return of Jameel Qureshi and Connor Slattery for Bathurst adds extra experience with the bat this Sunday, and as bowling options.
Bathurst also welcomes back key pacemen Mitch Taylor and Angus Parsons for the big game.
It will be a big festival of cricket for the two cities on Sunday at Victoria Park, with the Western Zone Plate Final between Bathurst and Dubbo taking place on the adjacent oval.
Despite the patchy build up and interrupted representative season Ryan is expecting all four sides to deliver an entertaining product on Sunday.
"It's been a funny season in the amount of games we've played but we're in a nice patch of the moment for Bathurst cricket and any chance we get to come together on a Sunday is always joyous," he said.
"The plate final next door showcases the depth of cricket in both towns. Playing at the same spot is awesome because after the game everyone can catch up and we can really embrace that side of it."
The final is scheduled to start from 10am on Victoria Park 1.