Rhinos perform, but grand final ruled out

Rhinos openers Tom McCallum and Brad Todd showed their intent early.

Both players got through the early overs and putting pressure back onto the bowlers by finding boundaries.

This continued until the ninth over, when Adam DeCicco produced the wicket of Todd.

Getting through, he was bowled for a run-a-ball 24.

This saw Harry Hillier come to the crease to join McCallum at 1/33.

The pair got in with some bowling changes following the wicket.

Having hit the slower bowling to the boundary, McCallum hit one last shot caught in the deep to cow corner by Noah Sneddon for 14 off Jimmy Daniel’s bowling.

Griegan French was next in to bat and combined well with Hillier, getting to the first drinks break.

The pair from there made sure to grind out a platform for the team’s innings against the dour Cobram bowling.

The partnership made it to the 48th over before Hillier was out for 39 off Shaun Downie’s bowling, caught by Noah Sneddon.

Andrew Hogan then came to the crease looking to keep up his good form with the bat against Cobram in the final with French.

The slower but experienced bowling of Daniel and Downie continued as the main part of the bowling attack.

The Rhinos avoided any wickets lost until the 67th over, when French was caught by Jeremy Baden for 64 off Daniel’s bowling.

From here, the match started to move more quickly.

In the 68th over Downie captured the wicket of Charlie Hillier for 4 caught by DeCicco after hitting a boundary the ball before.

At the end of the next over, Boddie Arthur was bowled without scoring by Jimmy Daniel.

This brought Anthony Bradley together with Hogan with 10 overs remaining in the Rhinos innings.

The pair looked to hit the ball around before DeCicco returned in the 75th over and had Bradley bowled for 6.

Lachlan Holloway came into the bat and found runs with Hogan before Hogan departed for 50 bowled by Tyron Baden.

Jonty Tubb then came to the crease, getting through to the 79th over before being bowled by DeCicco for 1.

Rory Bartlett and Holloway each hit boundaries in the final over of the day before Bartlett was removed by Tyron Baden for 4 caught by wicketkeeper Dan Ellis.

Holloway finished 11 not out.

This saw the Rhinos all out for 224 with one ball left in the innings.

It was a quality score in a final.

However, Cobram had also shown their ability to chase down a similar score the week prior.

Although with a renewed bowling attack, the Rhinos were in a good position ahead of the second day on Sunday.

On a cooler day with rain clouds overhead, the Rhinos were looking for early breakthrough wickets.

Bartlett and Charlie Hillier started with the new ball, and it was Bartlett who took the first wicket, getting Bodey Webb for 11 bowled at the start of the seventh over.

Some bowling changes then took place including the introduction of Joice Mathew who looked lively.

Bartlett then got the next wicket of Hugh Hyde for 15 caught by Holloway in the 25th over.

It was a big wicket after Hyde’s century last week.

Despite this, opener Ellis (39 not out) and next batter Downie (12 not out) faced five more overs before the match was abandoned due to the oncoming wet weather.

Cobram finished on 2/85 from 30 overs.

This saw Cobram as the higher placed team progress to the A-grade grand final at home this week, knocking out the Rhinos after a valiant season.