The Deni Rhinos A-grade side opened their Murray Valley Cricket Association season away to Katamatite on Saturday, and came home with a win.

Confident in their batting line-up, the Rhinos won the toss and decided to bowl first.

With the sun out and a breeze across the field away from the Katamatite Clubrooms, the Rhinos were hunting early wickets.

Receiving the new ball were Rhinos fast bowlers Rory Bartlett and Prem Muppidi.

Holding a good length early, the Rhinos’ recruit Bartlett struck first getting the wicket of Oliver Mynard for one, skied to the safe hands of Brad Todd at mid wicket and leaving Katamatite 1-15 after three overs.

This brought one of Katamatite’s Northern Irish imports, Ewan Wilson, to the crease with the Tigers’ Corowa recruit, opener Lachlan Raggett.

The Tigers’ pair were only looking for boundaries, often taking the aerial route.

In the next 10 overs, Katamatite scored 96 runs without losing a wicket, scoring 15 fours and four sixes to be 1-111 after 13 overs.

With the match looking like it was slipping away for the Rhinos, the bowling combination of Andrew Hogan and Lachlan Holloway led to the second breakthrough.

Raggett was out for 58, caught at cover comfortably by Griegan French.

At 2-115 after 15 overs, the Rhinos were looking at chasing a big total if things didn’t turn in their favour soon.

The reintroduction of Bartlett to bowl led to the big wicket of the aggressive Wilson for 77, edging a heave caught by Holloway at backward point.

Holloway with the ball, having bowled his leg spin well with little reward so far, then took two wickets in two balls.

He removed the other Northern Irish import, Jude Keates, for five caught by French, and Katamatite coach Ben Lukies for a golden duck caught behind by Boddie Arthur.

While there was no hattrick, the Rhinos had the Tigers 5-157 after 22 overs.

With the potential of a slow overrate penalty leading to a deduction in premiership points, the Rhinos turned to spin bowling for the rest of the innings.

Charlie Paton was the next to take a wicket in the 29th over, bowling better in his second spell and getting the Katamatite captain Brandon Nicholls for 22 caught on the boundary by Anthony Bradley.

It was Bradley who then struck twice in the 36th over, getting both set batters Darcy Edis for 12 bowled and Harry Paterson for 10 caught by Todd at mid-on.

With nine overs of the innings left, the Tigers were 8-200.

Katamatite’s tail wagged, scoring 35 runs in eight overs before the Rhinos got two wickets in two balls.

Bradley got Desmond O’Kane well caught on the boundary by Harry Hillier, before a direct hit Paton run out at the bowler's end from cover to end the innings.

After an intimidating start, the Rhinos had been set 235 to get off 45 overs.

With strength in their batting, the Rhinos started well with openers Todd and French before French departed for five caught at point in the fourth over.

This left the Rhinos 1-21.

Hillier then joined Todd in the middle, and the duo putting on 43 runs before Todd was dismissed LBW for a near run a ball 36 in the 14th over.

Paton and Hillier then combined for another 10 overs, taking the score to 107 before Hillier was out caught for a well made 34.

More than halfway through the innings, needing to accelerate, Paton and new partner Hogan did just that before Paton was out caught for 49 right before the final drinks break.

With 15 overs left, the Rhinos were 4-145 needing 91 runs, requiring at least a run per ball.

New pairing Hogan and Arthur combined well with Hogan, hitting out for 28 off 25 balls before being bowled in the 34th over.

Next batsman, Bradley also bowled the next over for a duck, leaving the Rhinos at 6-170 and needing 66 off the last 11 overs.

Bartlett and Arthur then combined well, adding 19 runs off four overs before Arthur was bowled for 10 to leave the score at 7-189 in the 39th over.

In the next over, Bartlett was caught for 12, leaving the score at 8-192.

This brought Lachlan Holloway and Rowan Frazer to the crease together.

With five overs left and two wickets in hand, the Rhinos needed 44 runs.

After only getting three tentative runs in the 41st over, the Rhinos needed 41 runs off 24 balls.

This is where Holloway started hitting the ball beautifully, scoring 10 runs himself off Tigers’ captain Nicholls and taking the required runs to 30 needed off 18 balls.

Holloway hit consecutive boundaries, easing the pressure slightly, before consecutive singles at the end of the over.

This meant the Rhinos needed 20 off the last two overs.

This was reduced to 12 for the last over, after Holloway hit one four and one three in the next over.

With Holloway maintaining the strike, he hit a two off the first bowl of the last over and followed it up with a huge six over mid wicket.

This made the equation much simpler, with the Rhinos now needing four runs off four balls.

The next ball was a leg bye faced by Holloway, putting Frazer on strike and needing three runs off three balls.

Swinging wide outside off, the Tigers appealed for a caught behind which was not given out, allowing Holloway and Frazer to scamper through for a bye.

This left Holloway needing two runs off two balls.

The penultimate ball was a play and a miss.

On the last ball of the over, with great composure, Holloway stroked the ball through the covers for two leading to a miraculous win for the Rhinos who were chasing chase 235 and won by two wickets.

Holloway finished on 38 not out off 24 balls, and Frazer finished on five not out off 15 balls.

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Wednesday, 20th October 2027

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