For the first time in 2025-26, Benalla was hunting for points at home, too; however, not even a home ground advantage could help it across the line, as the Bushrangers went down by 59 runs at Benalla Gardens Oval.
Winning the toss and opting to bowl first, the Bushrangers made a hot start, with Vaughan Kirk (1-34) breaking through in the fourth over to dismiss Colts opener Thomas Moore for two, reducing the visitors to 1-15.
But the Colts steadied, adding 68 for the second wicket, frustrating the Bushrangers attack for 21 overs before Fletcher Paul finally found the dismissal, removing the opposition skipper, Aaron Thrum, for 46 to leave the Colts at 2-83.
A pair of quick wickets to Lee Brennan (2-25) followed soon after, as the Colts stumbled to 4-109, and it appeared as though the Bushrangers were well on top, but the visitors managed to reply with a partnership once more, with a 52-run stand for the fifth wicket ensuring they passed the 150-run mark.
Paul (2-37) put paid to the collaboration, snaring his second wicket, and Conor Brodie pinched a scalp the following over to have the Colts six wickets down for 167 runs; however, a 16-run final over meant the visitors finished with a total of 6-184, setting Benalla a target of 185 for victory.
The opening duo of Brayden Stepien and James Carboon strode out to the middle looking for an opening partnership similar to the 72-run stand they heaped on a week earlier in round three; however, that dream was short-lived, with Carboon’s stay at the crease lasting just four balls and yielding two runs.
At 1-13, Kirk joined Stepien at the crease and began to tick Benalla’s chase into gear; however, it quickly stalled, with Stepien falling for a quickfire 20 off 18 deliveries, only 16 balls after Carboon departed, leaving the Bushrangers in early trouble at 2-27.
Jonty Priest (8) was the next man in, and while he and Kirk (11) contributed the biggest partnership of the Benalla innings, it was worth only 19 runs, and the pair fell within a short time of each other in identical fashion, bowled Corey Petersen, caught Thrum, with the home side tumbling to 4-56.
Lucas Ham offered some resistance in the middle order, posting 22 runs, the highest score of any Benalla batter, but he had little support as the Colts’ formidable attack decimated those around him, with the Bushrangers losing another clump of four wickets for 25 runs, the last of those being Ham, as Benalla slumped to 8-92.
Still needing a further 93 runs for victory, Brodie and Dale Stratton tried to soak up as many deliveries as possible while putting runs on the board, adding 17 in tandem before Brodie was dismissed for nine, and while Stratton and Xavier De Fazio managed to put a further 16 runs on the board for the final wicket, the win was a bridge too far.
A 58-ball stay at the crease for Stratton came to an end in the 38th over, bringing the curtain down on Benalla’s innings and handing the Colts a 59-run win, leaving the Bushrangers as the only side without a victory in the A grade competition after four rounds.
The Bushrangers will travel to RC McNamara Reserve in Myrtleford this week to take on Ovens Valley United in the final one-day clash before attention turns to the 20-over format before Christmas.
