The Deniliquin Rhinos C-Grade cricket team are looking to go one game better than 2023 in their quest for the 2024 Murray Valley Cricket Association C-grade premiership.
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Deniliquin Rhinos will host Cobram tomorrow in the C-grade grand final at Deniliquin Memorial Park’s number three oval.
Play will begin at 1pm.
The Rhinos will be looking to complete a perfect season after being undefeated 12-0.
The Rhinos (6/122) defeated Strathmerton (121) last weekend to advance to their second consecutive grand final.
Cobram (7/140) earned their place by defeating Finley (8/139).
Deni lost to Finley last season.
The Rhinos have had an outstanding season and go into the game full of confidence.
Leading the charge will be captain Anthony Bradley, who has had an outstanding season with 238 runs at an average of 79.
Bradley is an absolute clubman, having filled in a few games for the A-grade team as well.
Bradley loves the big games, having made a half-century in last year’s grand final.
Tim Hillier (190), Brad Todd (176), Noah Bradley (163) and Dushan Rathwatte (124) have all made valuable contributions with the bat.
Last week, the experience of Ash Germano and Michael Norman got C-grade home after losing a few quick wickets.
The Rhinos have used so many bowlers this year, ensuring everyone contributes.
Chris Pyle leads the wicket takers with 12, at a fantastic average of seven runs per wicket.
Young paceman Andrew Smith also has double figures with 10.
Stephen Marshall has shown recent form with the ball, including his career best of 4/11 in round 10.
Deon Van Der Berg picked up 3/18 in the semi-final against Strathmerton.
The team’s young all-rounder, Noah Bradley, is a potential match-winner with his aggressive batting (163 runs) and new-ball bowling ability.
Lachlan Marshall has had a great return to cricket, scoring more than 50 runs and being an absolute gun in the field.
Dilip Boppidi also had a vital role in a season that was interrupted by the shocking hand injury while playing A-grade against Barooga before Christmas.
Steve Baker has been a valuable team member and is capable with the bat and ball.
An interesting fact for the Rhinos is that five previous DDCA League medallists will take the field this Saturday.
They include Tim Hillier, Brad Todd, Anthony Bradley, Michael Norman and Ash Germano.
It is an impressive feat for these guys to have maintained the passion and ability to keep playing in 2024.
Eight players in the squad are over the age of 40, with a couple of others closing in fast.
While all the talk is about the Rhinos, Cobram has a few handy players themselves.
Sukhdeep Singh is the leading run scorer in C-grade, with 320 runs at an average of 35.
Cobram is not short of bowlers either, with Matt Betts having taken 26 wickets at an average of 5.6 runs per wicket and Michael Goodson 22 at an average of 7.3.
A key player for Cobram will be Reece Hardwidge, who made 42 in the semi-final.
The grand final promises to be an exciting affair.
The game tactics for a 35-over match are crucial.
Teams have shown a tendency to bowl first and opt to chase down scores.
With only 35 overs, the batting teams try to be aggressive early, so there will be plenty of excitement.
Ultimately, the Rhinos’ dominance and depth with the bat should see them win this year’s grand final and add a trophy to the club’s soon-to-be-finished rooms if they can get the job done on Saturday.
Locals are encouraged to head down to Memorial Park to show their support as spectators.
Entrance to the number three oval is via the right-hand turn immediately after the arch.
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