Mudgee will host the Mitchell Cricket Council under 21s grand final on the back of a magnificent triple-century opening-wicket partnership between Cameron Cox and Ryan Kurtz in which Cox scored 192 runs.
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The home side defeated Orange in the major semi-final by 133 runs to host the March 9 decider.
Cox blasted possibly the highest score in a MCC representative fixture and the biggest individual score seen in Mudgee cricket in years.
The Paragon Hotel captain was seeing the red rock like a beach ball and no Orange bowler was safe from his destructive and aggressive nature.
He belted 12 fours and 10 sixes in his knock of 192.
A few of his sixes were hit out of Victoria Park and one which nearly cleared the roof of the Lisa Keightley Stand.
He was caught at point when he got a leading edge while trying to reach his double century in the final over.
Not to be outdone, his batting partner Kurtz remained unbeaten on 106.
Mudgee captain Troy Kenny could not put into the words what he saw.
“I’ve never seen a bigger score like that before and I can’t imagine there would be too many bigger scores than that from a Mudgee cricketer. It was superb,” Kenny said of Cox’s innings.
“Kurtzie was safe as always and he played his part really well and it was good to see them both get their first hundreds.”
Cox and Kurtz’s partnership was 305 runs as Mudgee finished at 1-307 from their 50 overs.
Chasing a big total and without their regular players, it was always going to be tough for Orange.
The visitors never threatened to chase down the target as tight bowling by Mudgee’s James Ford, Luke Norris and Sam Joyce had Orange 2-35 after 20 overs.
Not content on his unbeaten century, Kurtz did wonders with the ball.
He claimed 4-28 from 10 overs to have Orange stumbling at 7-106.
However, Andrew Johnson and Rowan Wilson had other ideas and the pair went about to salvage some pride for their team.
Johnson opened his shoulders and scored 52 not out and Wilson hit 19 as Orange made 9-174 from 50 overs.
Batting out their overs was a consolation prize for Orange coach Steve Warrington.
“It was a tough day for us but we gave it a shot,” Warrington said.
“The side we played today, there was only four regular under 21s players. We always knew we were going to do it tough when we came over.
“We made 174 or 175 and that would normally win you a rep game but with the players we had out there; we had three kids who were 14 years old. I’m pretty happy with that and the guys gave 110 per cent and that is all I could have asked.”
Orange will host Bathurst in next week’s preliminary final after they defeated Lithgow by 109 runs.
Mudgee will face the winner of the preliminary final at Victoria Park in two weeks.
