Match hangs in the balance

Winning the toss, the Rhinos elected to bowl first and try and keep Katty to a low score, then bat well when they got a chance.

Katty got off to an attacking start, hitting five boundaries in the first five overs.

It was the introduction of Lachlan Holloway’s leg spin that got the breakthrough.

His flight tempted opener Lachlan Raggett to drive aerially off the third ball, caught by Kai Hillier running in from long on for 17.

This brought Katty’s Northern Irish imports together at 1/21.

The pair stayed in until the 13th over, where the other opener Jude Keates was given out LBW off Holloway’s bowling for seven - the first ball after swapping his helmet for a cap.

New batter Riley Thompson got to the crease, batting for six overs before giving Holloway his third wicket, caught at mid-on by Rowan Frazer for seven.

At 3/35, the next wicket was vital.

With import Ewan Wilson at the crease playing expansive shots, including reverse sweeps combining with Rohan Allport, the left-hander provided a stern defence.

The pair batted until the 41st over when Rhinos opening bowler Rory Bartlett returned, removing Wilson - walked down the wicket bowled for a strong 89 off 113 balls, including 14 fours and one six - to leave Katty at 4/143.

Bartlett was then on a hat trick, dismissing Desmond O’Kane from his first ball, caught behind by Boddie Arthur from the last ball of that over.

While the hat trick ball tested new batter Harry Paterson, but it was four overs later when Bartlett bowled him without scoring.

The other opening bowler, Griegan French, joined in the action, getting another important wicket before tea with Liam Williams caught by Holloway at slip for two.

In the 54th over, French finally removed Allport bowled for 36 from 101 balls with four fours.

With only two wickets in hand, it was three overs later that Bartlett cleaned up the tail, getting Archie Daniel out LBW and then Archie Paterson bowled the very next ball.

This ended Katty’s innings at 168 all out in the 57th over.

It was a quality recovery in the field for the Rhinos, with the Tigers losing seven wickets for 25 runs.

This was led by Bartlett and French, who returned for second spells after the 35 over mark.

The pair bowled 21 overs consecutively until the end of the innings.

Bartlett finished with a fifer, taking 5/36 with seven maidens off 17.2 overs.

Other multiple wicket takers were Holloway, who took 3/44 with three maidens off 14 overs, and French with 2/37 and four maidens off 13 overs.

With 23 overs to bat in the early evening, the Rhinos changed the batting order slightly and opened with Kai Hillier and Brad Todd.

Katty’s opening bowlers, Wilson and Daniel, built the pressure, only conceding one run from the first three overs.

In the fourth over, Daniel got the ball to hoop with his medium paced in swingers.

Daniel got Kai bowled from the third ball of that over, before his brother Harry Hillier was given out LBW hit on the front toe three balls later.

This had the Rhinos 2/1 at the start of the fifth over.

Arthur was then next in to bat and turned over the strike with Todd.

However, it was then Wilson who got into wicket taking form, bowling Todd for two off the fifth ball of the fifth over to have the Rhinos at 3/3.

French was the next batter to the crease, and he combined with Arthur to get through to the seventh over.

This was where Wilson struck again off the last ball of the over.

A short pitch delivery was deemed to have been gloved by Arthur from a pull shot, which skied in the air and was safely caught by Katty wicket keeper Raggett.

This removed Arthur for two and had the Rhinos 4/6 after seven overs.

With 16 overs remaining in the day, ahead of a full day’s play next week, Bartlett came out to bat.

French and Bartlett managed to see out the day, with French 15 not out off 46 balls, including one six, and Bartlett on four not out off 54 balls.

The match will resume this Saturday at Deniliquin Memorial Park, with the Rhinos requiring 143 runs with six wickets in hand.