The Deni Rhinos picked up where they left off in their second game of the season in round three of the Murray Valley Cricket Association A-grade, against the Finley Cats.
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The Rhinos had two changes from their round one match with Charlie Paton and Brodie Bennett both unavailable.
Brad Todd and Noah Bradley were selected in their place.
The Rhinos had a mishap during the warm up with Harry Hillier injuring his knee and being unable to play.
Finley won the toss and surprisingly asked the Rhinos to bat.
The pitch at Memorial Park number 3 was in excellent condition, a credit to the curating work of Tim Hillier.
The Rhinos were off to very fast start with the Finley opening bowlers unable to bowl consistent length.
Griegan French was particularly strong hitting numerous boundaries.
There was a few no-ball ‘free hits’ which assisted the Rhinos run-rate.
For the second consecutive game, Rhinos openers French and Boddie Arthur added more than 130 runs for the first wicket.
Arthur was the first batter dismissed, adjudged LBW for 43.
This meant the Rhinos were 1-130 off 24 overs.
Andrew Hogan scored at a run a ball for his 23 before skying one to cover.
Following this, French was eventually dismissed, bowled for a superb 108.
This was the first century on Australian soil for the UK import, after coming very close with a score of 90 in the round one game versus Barooga.
His century included two sixes and 11 fours.
French received plenty of applause from the Rhinos players and supporters for his maiden Rhinos century.
Brad Nihill played another late innings cameo scoring 17 off 20 balls.
Brad Todd returned to the A-grade team and showed his batting power, unbeaten with 37 not out.
Noah Bradley made eight not out in his first A-grade game for 2024.
The Rhinos finished on 4-262 off there 45 overs.
The slow outfield probably prevented the Rhinos from scoring 300 or beyond.
Matt Taylor made things difficult for the Finley team with an excellent opening spell of fast bowling.
Taylor finished up with 4-19 off his nine overs which included four of the first five batters.
The catch by Brad Todd off Taylor’s bowling in particular was a brilliant sharp low catch at mid-wicket off a pull shot to dismiss the first of Finley’s two UK imports, opener Harry Wilkinson.
Following the opening spell Lachlan Holloway came on and had Crowley plumb LBW to leave Finley at 5-50.
Despite this other Finley opener Noah Iddles showed plenty of resistance in his score of 39.
Rowan Frazer held a diving return catch to dismiss Iddles and have Finley at 6-70.
Frazer struck again off a full toss with another caught and bowled giving him two wickets for the match.
Hogan and Nihill wrapped up the innings with three wickets, all great catches in the field, to dismiss Finley for 96 in the 33rd over.
It was a great game by the Rhinos with another dominant display with the bat.
The fielding was also a highlight with multiple catches to Kai Hillier.
The Rhinos are unbeaten to date with two wins and a washout to currently sit second on the ladder to Cobram on top of the ladder and the Rhinos will play away against Nathalia in their match on Saturday.
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