Newtown Rhinos to play Macquarie White in Dubbo's RSL Kelly Cup final

For many that might not seem like much, but it means plenty to Nair and it shows the ability of sport to bring people together.

Nair is captain of the Newtown Rhinos side which will play in Saturday's RSL Kelly Cup grand final.

This is the second season Anoop and his teammates - who almost all hail from the subcontinent - have joined the Dubbo District Cricket Association.

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The chance to play a higher level of cricket compared to the social matches they used to play together for years has been hugely beneficial, but more special than that is the friendships and connections to the community they have made.

"That's a great thing," Nair said.

"Most of the guys work at the hospital and playing sports like this, it brings everyone together and we have a bit of fun. I really enjoy playing club cricket because you see a lot of people every day. There's 10 teams so that's more than 100 people and they all know us pretty well.

"There's a lot of people from our community who come and watch and they're enjoying it too. It's a good way of communicating.

"Wherever I go people notice me and I get a bit of acknowledgement. They know me and I might not always know them but they say "Snoopy" and that's really good for me."

Last season was one of real learning for Nair and his teammates.

Playing with a genuine cricket ball rather than the hard tennis ball-style they had used previously was a major adjustment, but so was coming to terms with batting time and being part of a 40-over innings.

After gaining experience last season, the Rhinos have been almost untouchable in the third grade competition this season and head into Saturday's grand final clash with Macquarie White having only lost once this season.

"We finished sixth or seventh in our first season and this year we've maintained top spot all season so it's been a great achievement," Nair said.

"We never thought we'd be here but we had a few changes to the team and I think it's more about the experience from last year and learning the leather ball cricket."

Jerose Joseph and Asher Azam are players who joined the team for this season and they've made a real impact.

Ashwin Joy and Pradeep Joy are both among the top four leading wicket-takers in the competition while rolling teams for less than 100 has been a regular occurrence for the Rhinos.

Macqaurie White, Saturday's opponents, have only made 55 and 46 in the two previous matches between the sides this season.

"The bowing is really exceptional," Nair said.

"I would say our bowling is a little better than the others there. It's been really fantastic.

"Hopefully with the weather we get on and we get a match. If we do, I think it will be a good one. I don't think Macquarie White is a bad team and we're not taking it easy.

"There's always a bit of friendly friction and I think they'll come back strong. They've got exceptional fielding and I think it should be a great match.

"At the end of the day it's more fun and friendly. On the field we might show or emotions but that doesn't mean anything. It's a bit of fun on Saturday."

Nair was also keen to thank the Newtown club, particularly Don and Mat Skinner, for welcoming he and his teammates the past two years and allowing them to be part of the competition.

"Newtown has been really good. They've been there for us and supported us at training and pointed us in the right direction for things," he said.

"They gave us a chance as a multicultural team and without them we wouldn't have been able to play."

Play starts 1pm at No. 3 Oval.

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