The Deni Rhinos triumphed by three wickets in their bid for a second C-grade Murray Valley Cricket Association in two seasons against Nathalia at Cobram on Saturday.
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The 35-over contest was set to go down to the wire, with the Rhinos having finished the season on top of the ladder and Nathalia finishing third.
Winning the toss, the Rhinos elected to bowl first as they have done successfully throughout the season.
Nathalia batted cautiously, looking to bat the overs in the grand final regardless of the run-rate.
Nathalia’s run rate was not eased by the accurate opening bowling of Prem Muppidi (1/5 off five overs with one maiden) and Chris Pyle (0/10 off five overs with one maiden).
It was Muppidi who struck in the fifth over with a beautiful in-swinging delivery given out LBW with batsman Nathan McKenna looking to flick the ball through the leg side out for 3 runs off 13 balls to have Nathalia 1/10.
Dangerous opener Kai Lundberg and first drop Nathan Binks continued to bat tentatively, with first change bowlers Charlie McCallum (0/11 off 5 overs) and Tim Hillier (0/14 off 5 overs) also giving the batsmen nothing.
It was the introduction of Dushan Rathwatte (1/20 off five overs) who got the crucial dismissal of Lundberg for 20 runs off 51 off a skied caught and bowled, with Nathalia 2/37.
The set batter, Binks then was joined by Joshua Vallender, before suffering a presumed leg muscle injury.
There was some discussion about the use of a runner, but Binks ultimately retired on 17 runs off 51 balls.
This is when Rhinos captain Anthony Bradley got involved in the contest with the ball.
Bradley took the wickets of Joshua Vallender, LBW for 10 off 14 balls and Harry Ryan bowled for 0 off 2 balls in his second over.
He then had Greg Vallender bowled for 6 off 18 balls in his fourth over and Steve Sulman caught by Chris Pyle at backward square leg for 1 off 4 balls in his fifth over, leaving Nathalia 6/74 after 30 overs.
Bradley finished with the best figures of 4/13 off five overs with two maidens.
Bowling the last five overs, Rowan Frazer (1/7 off three overs) and Noah Bradley (0/9 off two overs) helped keep Nathalia to 17 runs off the last five overs.
Frazer got the wicket of Josh Woods, bowled for 1 run off 3 balls.
In the final over there were two run-outs, one involving a diving save from Noah Bradley on the boundary, parrying the ball to Charlie McCallum who threw the ball to Rowan Frazer at the bowler’s end who knocked over the stumps to have Glenn Edwards out for 10 off 30 balls.
On the last ball of the Nathalia innings, Michael Brooks (9 off 17 balls) was run out off an inside edge collected by wicketkeeper Lachlan Marshall in one hand before running in and knocking over the stumps.
This saw the Rhinos keep Nathalia to 9/91 off 35 overs.
After a large afternoon tea provided by both teams, the Rhinos began the chase.
Openers Tim Hillier and Noah Bradley started well, with Hillier hitting four well-hit twos.
However, Nathalia’s opening bowler Joshua Vallender bowled well to remove Hillier bowled for 8 off 10 balls and Bradley 1 off 10 balls.
Anthony Bradley and Dushan Rathwatte were brought together at the crease at 2/12 with Nathalia bowling well.
Bradley scored 16 runs off 17 balls with two fours before trying to hit Greg Vallender long and straight but was caught by Michael Brooks at mid-off.
Rathwatte also made a good start with 15 off 27 balls with two boundaries before he fell well caught by wicketkeeper Kai Lundberg off the bowling of Harry Ryan.
The next batter to go was Rowan Frazer for 2 runs off 11 balls, caught well at first slip by Glenn Edwards off the bowling of Greg Vallender.
The Rhinos were 5/44 with the target of 92 looking difficult.
Charlie McCallum and Chris Pyle batted well to get to drinks at 5/50.
McCallum was batting well before he was dismissed for 5 runs off 13 balls, caught and bowled by Harry Ryan in the 19th over to have the Rhinos 6/55.
Chris Pyle was joined by Hamish Baker, with the two Rhinos batters settling in despite the score.
Pyle waited for any ball that he could put away, hitting three fours and one six, getting the Rhinos close to the target with his score of 28 off 52 balls before hitting a catch to Nathan Binks at mid-off off the bowling of Kai Lundberg with the Rhinos score at 7/86 in the 27th over.
This brought in Stephen Marshall who hit a convincing four past fine leg and Hamish Baker who finished the Rhinos innings with two runs as Marshall 4 not out off 5 balls and Baker 8 not out off 21 balls, winning the grand final by three wickets with seven overs to spare.
Chris Pyle was adjudged man of the match for his batting, getting the Rhinos to the finish line successfully with 28 off 52 balls and his tight bowling figures of 0/10 off 5 overs including one maiden.
This saw the Rhinos win their second C-grade premiership in consecutive seasons.
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