The Rhinos sit fourth on the Murray Valley Cricket Association ladder with four wins from eight matches, while Nathalia holds second place with five wins, making this a pivotal contest in the tightening run‑in to finals.
The sides last met in round four, where Nathalia claimed a five‑wicket win on the back of tight bowling and a composed innings from Scotty Morris, who finished unbeaten on 32.
The Rhinos will be eager to reverse that result, and they’ve given themselves a platform to do it.
Day one saw Deniliquin post 166 from 72 overs after winning the toss and batting.
Harry Hillier led the way with a well‑made 61, supported by contributions from Tom McCallum (20), Charlie Paton (14) and a late counterpunch from Lachlan Holloway, who struck 23 not out, including the only six of the innings.
Nathalia’s bowlers, particularly Morris who claimed a fifer, kept the pressure on throughout, running through the lower order to restrict the total.
With eight overs left in the day, the Rhinos pushed hard for early breakthroughs.
Rory Bartlett delivered the key moment, removing Jason McKenna for 17, caught by Griegan French. Nathalia survived to stumps at 1/27, with Zander Quinn (10) and Archie Congues (0) to resume.
It leaves Deniliquin needing nine wickets and to hold Nathalia to under 140 runs to claim a vital win.
With ladder positions tightening and finals approaching, Saturday shapes as one of the Rhinos’ most important days of the season.
B-grade
Fresh off a calm and confident seven‑wicket win over Katamatite, the B‑grade Rhinos turn their attention to this Saturday’s home match against Jerilderie in Deniliquin.
The Rhinos sit sixth on the ladder with five wins, while Jerilderie holds ninth place with two victories, but recent history shows Deni won’t be taking anything for granted.
The sides last met in round six, where the Rhinos claimed a dominant 94 run win.
Prem Muppidi was the standout with the ball that day, collecting four wickets, while Charlie McCallum guided the batting effort with a composed 34.
Jerilderie’s Rory Knight top-scored for his side with 36, showing they have players capable of shifting momentum.
With ladder positions tightening and the Rhinos building some late‑season rhythm, Saturday shapes as an important opportunity to keep climbing and consolidate their push toward the top four.
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