An even contribution with the ball and a pair of half-centuries with the bat helped the Bushrangers across the line at the weekend to win by three wickets, fuelling a last-minute run at a top-four finish.
Having lost the toss and been asked to bowl by the visitors at the weekend, Benalla made a bright start to the contest as both opening bowlers, Fletcher Paul and Conor Brodie, struck within six overs, as Beechworth fell two wickets down with 33 runs on the board.
Brayden Stepien (1-25) and Mitchell Wheelens (1-28) both struck at critical moments from there to ensure Benalla clipped the visitors’ momentum just as they began to build partnerships, reducing Beechworth first to 3-62 and then 4-78, before a Dale Stratton run-out made it 5-80, and the Bushrangers looked to be well and truly on top of proceedings.
This time it was Beechworth that found a spark when it needed to, however, with a 52-run partnership for the sixth wicket reviving the Wanderers’ innings when all seemed lost, the half-century stand coming at five an over as the visitors looked to build a big foundation.
It would be Stratton that found the breakthrough (2-19), this time off his bowling to leave Beechworth 6-132, before following up shortly after to reduce the visitors further to 7-145, as the Bushrangers looked to wrest back control of the game.
But the see-sawing continued, with a 41-run stand for the eighth wicket again tilting the scales in Beechworth’s favour, before Vaughan Kirk (3-38) tore through the tail, the final three wickets falling for 13 runs as Benalla restricted the visitors to be all-out for 199.
Needing 200 for victory, skipper Stepien strode out to the middle alongside Jonty Priest and the pair combined brilliantly, with Priest working patiently at one end while Stepien dealt powerful blows at the other, smacking the new ball all over the park in a big partnership.
For 18 overs the duo toiled, adding 86 for the first wicket before Stepien eventually fell, having raised the bat to salute a fine half-century the ball before, dismissed for an eventual 52 from 51 deliveries including nine boundaries.
Vishal Sharma joined Priest in the middle, and while the pair made it to 100, Sharma soon departed for six, as Benalla made a slight wobble at 2-100.
But Priest settled alongside new batter James Carboon, with the pair adding 34 before Priest too fell, having churned out a patient 54 from 93 deliveries to set Benalla on the path to victory.
Carboon would add the last significant score of 22 before his departure, which left the Bushrangers at 4-148, however the damage had already been done, with Benalla able to afford a few late wickets while cruising to a total of 7-200, securing victory by three wickets with 10 balls to spare.
The win keeps a faint finals pulse alive for the Bushrangers too, who now sit fifth, 12 points behind Yarrawonga-Mulwala with three rounds remaining.
The Bushrangers play second-placed Ovens Valley United this Saturday, who they beat in round five, while they have the bye in round 13 before facing Yarrawonga-Mulwala in the final round, while the Lakers have to play third-placed Wangaratta Magpies and second-placed Ovens Valley prior to taking on Benalla, leaving the door ajar for the Bushrangers depending on other results.
