The organisers of the Deniliquin and District Cricket Association’s reunion event would love a copy.
DDCA life member and local cricket historian Gerry Corrigan has been scouring the archives for as many premiership and final winning team photos as he can find, but any help before the October reunion is welcome.
Missing from his collection are the following:
A-grade premierships: 1997-98 Hay, 1999-2000 RSL, 2003-04 Town, 2014-15 Hay.
A-grade one-day finals: 1997-98 Hay, 1999-2000 Juniors, 2000-01 West, 2001-02 West, 2003-04 Morago/Wanganella, 2004-05 RSL/West, 2007-08 Mathoura, 2008-09 RSL/West, 2010-11 Mathoura, 2012-13 Hay.
B-grade premierships: 1997-98 RSL, 1998-99 Hay, 1999-2000 RSL, 2003-04 Mayrung/Blighty, 2011-12 RSL.
B-grade one-day finals: 1997-98 Wakool, 1998-99 RSL, 1999-2000 Mayrung/Blighty, 2001-02 Wakool, 2003-04 Morago/Wanganella, 2004-05 Hay, 2005-06 Hay.
During his research, Corrigan came across an interesting report on the Town’s dramatic A-grade win in the 2002-03 season.
The match featured some 2023-24 Deniliquin Rhinos MVCA C-grade team premiers.
It read as follows:
An enthusiastic crowd, an unbeaten 99, a five-for and one coveted trophy - no, it wasn’t the 2003 final of the World Cup in Zimbabwe; it was the DDCA A-grade grand final at Memorial Park.
The finale of the 2002/03 DDCA A-grade season didn’t disappoint.
In a thrilling game that lasted the full four days of play, even towards the closing stages of day four, it was still anyone’s game.
The first innings scores between Town and RSL were fairly even, leaving the teams neck and neck to take out the trophy.
Town won the toss and sent RSL into bat.
RSL lasted 66 overs at the crease and finished with 140 runs in the first innings.
Town lasted ten more overs at the crease than RSL in their first innings, but they only managed to get five runs in front, finishing with a first-inning total of 145.
Resuming at 2/51, RSL continued their second innings from the weekend prior in fine style.
The runs kept coming for RSL, and as they clocked up 240, captain Tim Hillier decided that was enough, declared and turned his team’s attention to bowling out Town before they reached their target.
However, the man with the golden bat, Ash Germano, came to the crease at first drop for Town and stayed there to hit up the winning runs.
Town’s winning runs came in style when well-deserved man of the match and grand final star Germano hit a huge six.
Germano, unbeaten on 99, heaved the ball over mid-on, smashing a car indicator in the parking area, and signified that the premiership shield would now reside in Town’s care.
Mick Keenes was the challenger for the man-of-the-match trophy with his 5/21 off 13.2 overs in RSL’s first innings.
Final score: RSL 140 and 8/240 dec def by Town 145 and 4/236.
The DDCA reunion event will be hosted at Deniliquin Memorial Park the second weekend of October.
It will coincide with the official opening of the new clubrooms and the Deniliquin Rhinos’ opening round of the Murray Valley Cricket Association competition.
If you would like to be involved in the reunion, or have photos or memorabilia you can share, contact Brad Todd on 0401 174 853, Tim Hillier on 0427 641 791 or Corrigan on 0428 267 758.
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