Having been competitive in defeat against Wangaratta Magpies the previous weekend, the Bushrangers made sure of victory this time around, storming to an eight-wicket win with four overs to spare on Saturday.
Thrown the ball after losing the toss, Benalla made a positive start in the field with tight bowling from the opening delivery, restricting the visitors to 19 runs from the first six overs.
The early pressure clearly got to the Colts, as a mix-up in the middle saw the Bushrangers bag their first wicket via a run-out, before skipper Brayden Stepien (1-6) snared his first scalp of the match eight balls later, as the Colts crumpled to 2-22.
Dale Stratton (1-22) kept the momentum rolling, cutting the Colts down to 3-30 two overs later, while Xavier De Fazio (1-27) joined the party in the following set of six, as Benalla reduced the visitors to 4-35 after 11 overs to sit in a commanding position.
The Colts would manage to put on a partnership of 43 runs to salvage a half-decent total; however, Conor Brodie (1-25) put paid to that resistance, while Fletcher Paul followed up an over later to quell any late push from the visitors, who limped to a total of 6-97 from 20 overs.
With the Bushrangers keeping the Colts to a sub-par score and needing only 98 for victory, opening duo Stepien and Lucas Ham could afford to take their time to get their eye in, seeing off two maidens to begin the chase.
Stepien soon found his range, however, opening his account with a maximum in the third over to get the Bushrangers off nought, with another four to follow as the boundaries began to flow.
Ham found the fence the following over, too, as the home side began to motor along; however, Ham soon found himself back in the sheds, bowled for five runs to leave Benalla one down with 23 runs on the board.
Vishal Sharma joined Stepien at the crease and, having whacked a whirlwind half-century the week prior, loomed as a dangerous proposition; however, he lasted only eight balls in the middle and added six runs before holing out, as the Bushrangers fell to 2-41.
James Carboon was the new batter in, combining well with the set Stepien as the two set about hunting down the 47 runs remaining for victory, which they did comfortably in the end, Carboon carving out a sensible 18 not out from 23 deliveries in support of his skipper, who raised the bat with an unbeaten 66 from 55 deliveries, a knock that included 10 fours and a six.
The Bushrangers will host unbeaten Yarrawonga Mulwala in round three this weekend at Benalla Gardens Oval.
In other grades, the A-reserve Bushrangers also claimed an eight-wicket win over Wangaratta Magpies in their T20 clash; B grade claimed a 13-run victory over Beechworth in their one-day contest off the back of an unbeaten 135 from skipper Steven Pickering; and C-grade fell by seven wickets against Moyhu.
The under-16 Bushrangers had their Eugene Kneebone Shield clash against Wangaratta Magpies abandoned on day two, while half-centuries to Thomas Snell (65) and Cash Nolen (58 not out) helped the under-14 Blue side to victory in its Len Hill Shield clash over its under-14 Red clubmates, reaching the 184 needed for victory five wickets down.
