Stephen Marshall fielding for the B-grade Rhinos on Saturday.
Forecast temperatures around and above 43°C have resulted in Murray Valley Cricket Association matches scheduled for yesterday, today and tomorrow to be postponed or abandoned.
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The MVCA Board of Management made an early decision, on Wednesday night, to cancel all cricket on these days in the best interests of player health and safety.
A-grade and under-15s matches will become one-day matches next weekend, while all other matches will be abandoned and points shared.
This means there is now three weeks left of cricket in the MVCA senior competitions ahead of finals.
And if the Rhinos want to be a part of the elimination games, winning performances are required from next week on.
In A-grade, the Rhinos were set to host Barooga for a two-day match. It will now be a one-day match next week.
Currently, Deni sit tentatively in fifth on the ladder, while Barooga are two spots above them in third.
The possibility of outright results (two innings victories and defeats) also may affect the Rhinos finals chances.
Deni’s remaining matches include a two-day match away against the top-of-the-ladder team in Cobram and a rescheduled one-day match at home versus a winless Tocumwal.
The other rescheduled match was from the January 10 round, cancelled due to fires in the area. These matches will be played Sunday, February 8.
Katamatite in fourth and Katunga in sixth are within three points above and below the Rhinos on the ladder.
Both teams have the bye and a game against Tocumwal as their remaining matches, outside their matches rescheduled against Nathalia and Barooga respectively.
Rhinos Rowan Frazer (left) and Noah Bradley both swoop in for the ball.
Deni will be aiming to keep destiny in their own hands with a win over Barooga.
The last time Deni and Barooga met on the pitch was a one-day match in November at Barooga.
The Rhinos won the toss and elected to bat, putting on a decent score of 8/218.
Andrew Hogan top scored with 65 from 69 balls for the Rhinos, as all except the final two not out batters made double figures.
For Barooga the multiple wicket takers were Riyaad Henry who finished with 4/26 from eight overs and local Jono Oliver took 3/46 from nine overs.
In reply, Barooga chased the total in 38.2 overs, three wickets down thanks to Henry’s 106 not out from 87 balls and Crue Lucas’ 57 not out from 76 balls.
Deni will be hoping for a better result next weekend.
Meanwhile, the Rhinos B-grade team were set to play hosts Finley.
The cancelled match keeps the Rhinos in sixth, two wins behind fourth placed Finley and fifth placed Barooga who both have eight wins.
Needing to win the majority of their last three matches of the home and away season to challenge for a place in the finals, the Rhinos play teams in the top eight they have not beaten to finish the season, including Nathalia, Tungamah and Barooga.
Finley and Deni did not get to play this season, as their match scheduled for November was also abandoned due to weather conditions.
In the junior competitions, the third-placed Rhinos under-15s side were also going to host a second-placed Barooga in a two-day match, which will now be a one-day game at Deniliquin Memorial Park next week with three matches until finals.
Meanwhile, the third-placed Rhinos under-13s will resume their competition next week after this afternoon’s match away against the top of the ladder Barooga has been ruled out.
39°C