The deluge that hit the region ensures the Tigers will face Nathalia in the decider after both semi-finals were abandoned, despite Barooga being in a strong position to challenge for the win.
Cobram, the reigning A-grade premiers, enjoyed a stellar season to clinch the minor premiership, and as a result faced fourth-placed Deniliquin at the weekend in the first semi-final at Cobram Recreation Reserve.
And just as they have done throughout the home and away fixtures, the Tigers stood up to take control of the contest, swinging the momentum against the fast-starting Rhinos to hold sway.
It was Deniliquin that won the toss and opted to bat, and while the visitors made a handy start through openers Tom McCallum and Brad Todd, Cobram’s bowling lineup wasn’t denied for long, with Adam De Cicco snaring the wicket of Todd to leave the Rhinos at 1-33, while Jimmy Daniel swooped soon after to remove McCallum, as Deniliquin slumped to 2-43.
While it looked as though the Tigers would continue their relentless wicket-taking, Harry Hillier and Rhinos skipper Griegan French bucked the trend, adding a huge 77-run partnership for the third wicket, which Shaun Downie eventually broke by removing Hillier, as Deniliquin powered to 3-120.
But the Rhinos didn’t stop there, with new batter Andrew Hogan also chipping in handily, contributing to a 54-run stand alongside French for the fourth wicket, which, by the time Daniel managed to break by removing French (64), saw the visitor all the way to 4-174.
You can’t keep the Tigers out of the contest forever, though, and what followed was a monumental bowling effort that saw Cobram snare 7-50 to flip the contest back in its favour.
Downie (2-78) added a second as Deniliquin slumped to 5-179, which became 6-180 as Daniel (3-51) snared his third, before De Cicco (3-41) and Tyron Baden (2-31) each claimed two wickets to skittle the tail, as the Rhinos collapsed from 3-174 to all out for 224 in a stunning display of bowling by Cobram to have the visitors dismissed by stumps.
The Tigers faced 30 overs on Sunday as they made a start on chasing the 225 runs needed for the win, and while they reached 85 for the cost of two wickets, with Rhino Rory Bartlett dismissing both Bodey Webb (11) and Hugh Hyde (15), it mattered little, as play was abandoned due to the deluge of rain that hit the region.
Cobram, given their superior ladder position, win passage through to the decider, where they will face Nathalia after a similar scenario unfolded at Nathalia Recreation Reserve, albeit with some added drama.
Taking on Barooga for the second week in a row, Nathalia won the toss and opted to bat, a decision it would have been regretting as it found itself down 4-16 following a whirlwind opening salvo from the Hawks, which saw skipper Riyaad Henry snare three cheap wickets and Codi Bowden the other, as the visitors established themselves on top early.
Luke Quinn (35) and Emile Haratbar (45) put together a 79-run stand for the home side to drag them within touching distance of 100 and give Nathalia a fighting chance, however, they both perished before crossing the triple-figure threshold, as Henry added a fourth and Kohen Haddrell (1-12) snared his first to leave Nathalia in dire trouble at 6-97.
A 34-run stand between Ash Quinn and Gus Frostick looked promising for the home side, guiding them beyond 130 runs before a run out spelled the end of Frostick, leaving Nathalia at 7-131, while Riley Gow (2-28) cleaned up the tail with two wickets, alongside Henry who claimed his fifth to finish with figures of 5-41, as the Hawks dominated to bowl Nathalia out for 155.
But Barooga suddenly found that the going wasn’t so easy as the Hawks commenced the chase, suffering an early collapse to be down 4-35 as Ash Quinn snared 3-26 early.
Ethan Bovalina and Hugh Sutton steadied the ship, guiding Barooga to 91, however with the pair looking solid on 28 and 35, respectively, and the Hawks cruising towards victory, the rain hit.
Play was abandoned, and given Nathalia jumped the Hawks on the ladder with victory in the final round, it is Nathalia that progresses to the grand final despite being behind in the semi-final contest.
It sets the scene for a huge grand final this weekend, as Cobram will attempt to defend its crown in the decider against Nathalia at Cobram Showgrounds, with play beginning at 12:30pm on Saturday.
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