Having the opportunity to play against one of the greatest leg-spinners in Australian history is exciting by anyone's standards, but you can imagine how much that amplifies when you're a burgeoning exponent of the onerous art yourself.
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That's exactly the chance Cavaliers' wrist-spinning all-rounder Ryan Kurtz is champing at the bit to take with both hands on Friday night, when his Orange District Cricket Association XI takes on Stuart MacGill's SCG XI at Wade Park.
Putting the game aside though Kurtz says as much as anything he's looking forward to picking the 48-year-old MacGill who, with 208 Test scalps, is Australia's fourth most-prolific leg-spinner of all-time and 14th highest wicket-taker overall.
"It's pretty exciting," Kurtz enthused.
"The younger guys might not appreciate what MacGill did as much as, say, Shane Warne but he was an incredible spinner so having the chance to play against him is something I'm really looking forward to.
"I'll definitely try and take some time to ask him a few questions about his career and bowling leg-spin, pick his brain a little bit."
Kurtz has been named for Friday night's clash alongside a mixture of Orange statesmen like Daryl Kennewell, Matt Corben and Ed Morrish along with a couple of young guns in Bailey Ferguson and Blake Weymouth, who look every bit the Bluebaggers' future stars.
He says being given the chance to take on MacGill's SCG XI is a pretty good reward for the entire side too.
"It's good for the guys who have been named who didn't play all the representative games through the season too," Kurtz said.
"Everyone who's been named for Friday night has done really well this season, so it's a bit of a reward for them too I guess."
Any advice MacGill offers could serve to make the 22-year-old even more dangerous too, an ominous thought for Cavaliers' finals rivals considering his form throughout the 2018-19 season so far.
The younger guys might not appreciate what MacGill did as much as, say, Shane Warne but he was an incredible spinner so having the chance to play against him is something I'm really looking forward to.
- ODCA XI leg-spinner Ryan Kurtz
The ODCA's overall statistics for the summer have now gone behind closed doors and as a result his overall standing among the bowlers is a mystery, however his record is superb and with 26 scalps at an average of just 12.7 there's no question he's among the best.
Five of those came in last weekend's final regular-season round against Kinross, he snared 5-37 from 11 overs in the students' second innings as the maroons romped to a victory and with it the minor premiership, which earned them progression straight to the decider.
Incredibly two of those five scalps came with hard-hitting all-rounder Josh Doherty behind the stumps who, somewhat unbelievably, took the gloves from Cavaliers skipper Corben toward the end of Kinross' dig.
While most might think it's fortunate Doherty won't do the same thing on Friday night, Kurtz actually admitted his hulking teammate did a surprisingly good job, taking two stumpings and a catch in a tidy stint.
One of those stumpings was to dismiss Max Powell and was a slick bit of work, which Doherty said came after the Kinross gun misjudged and played outside a "wrong-un".
"Well, it was actually a slider," Kurtz laughed, although Doherty's second stumping proved it was no fluke despite his apparent inability to pick his teammate's variations.
I wasn't too worried about him taking the gloves (in terms of potentially taking a five-wicket haul) because I think that was mainly just him getting the chance to have a bit of fun in his last regular-season game before the finals, being that he's based in Wollongong now, and he actually looked the part.
"He took a really good catch off Hughy (Middleton) as well."
Friday night's clash kicks off at 6pm, with a gold coin donation needed for entry that will be donated at a local level. SCG members enter for free.
- ODCA XI: Daryl Kennewell, Matt Corben, Ed Morrish, Bailey Ferguson, Jake Pauletto, Blake Weymouth, Ryan Kurtz, Lachlan Coyte, Cam Rasmussen, Ed Dodds, Josh Cheney
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