WADE PARK HIGHWAY
Batsmen across the BOIDC must be rummaging through their kit bags looking for the 2020-21 draws and hoping to see a run of games at Wade Park.
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The home of cricket in Orange, Wade Park has in the last two rounds seen some of the season's biggest totals so far.
Rugby Union put together 367 at the venue on Saturday against a very handy Cavaliers attack, while in previous two games this year Orange City (9-253) and City Colts (9-330) both declared having put together handy leads in two day games.
Looking ahead over the rest of the summer, Cavs have been drawn Wade Park three move times this season. No doubt Matt Corben and co will be licking their lips - Charlie Greer, Hugh Britton and the maroons bowlers, not so much.
BOWLERS EARNING BIG BAGS
Bowlers across the BOIDC this season are taking big bags of wickets.
Twice this season we've seen seam bowlers nab eight-for - with Charlier Greer (Cavaliers) and Ed Morrish (Orange City) snaring impressive hauls before Christmas.
While on Saturday two bowlers, Redbacks paceman Clint Moxon and Centrals spinner Ed Dodds, secure seven-wicket hauls.
There's been four six-fors this season, too.
Those numbers are in stark contrast to last summer - where the best figures were Matt Fearnley's 7-49. There was also just three six-for hauls as well.
The conditions are drastically different this year, with Orange receiving over 1000mm of rain since last summer, making conditions a little more bowler friendly across the city where Morrish, Greer, Moxon and Dodds all took big bag fulls in Orange.
Mitch Black was the BOIDC's leading wicket taker in 2019-20 with 27 scalps - expect that total to be eclipsed this summer.
TOUGH WEEK FOR ...
Phoebe Litchfield.
The young Sydney Thunder star was terrific for the eventual Women's Big Bash League champions throughout the victorious 2020 campaign.
The Kinross student returned to play with her schoolside on Saturday, though, and was dismissed for one by wily Bathurst City veteran Joey Coughlan.
No doubt the classy left-hander returns to competition like the BOIDC with a target on her back. She'll be key for the students throughout the rest of the holiday period, and we're backing her to score big in at least one of the games in Orange this year.
RUGBY LOOMS AS SUMMER ENIGMA
Two weeks ago, Rugby Union had just two bats manage to get it together against Centrals in an all-out innings total of 220-odd.
One round on, and the Bulldogs had three half-tons, another over 40 and then three other scores in a mammoth total over near-370 against the competition leaders.
No one would have predicted that. No one could have.
And as such, the fifth-placed Rugby Union side is a serious enigma none of the four sides ahead of them on the ladder heading into Christmas would want to meet in the finals, at any stage.
If the Bulldogs can keep producing with the bat like they did last Saturday, look out.
WE SEE YOU ...
Ben Schofield.
The young Orange City bat has enjoyed a great couple of weeks, top scoring in the Western Zone colts carnival in Orange last week before knocking his first BOIDC ton in Saturday's clash with Centennials at Riawena.
Travelling up from Young each week to be part of the Warriors line-up for the last 18 months, Schofield's coming of age makes City's batting line-up a seriously dangerous one from one through to seven this summer.
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