Playing host at Benalla Gardens Oval, the Bushrangers looked on track for victory with only six runs needed in the final two overs; however two run outs and some clutch bowling at the death saw Benalla bowled out on the second last ball, handing it a two-run defeat.
Winning the toss and electing to bowl, the Bushrangers got off to a dream start as skipper Brayden Stepien (2-9) snared scalps in both the second and fourth overs, either side of a Conor Brodie (1-24) wicket in the third over, as the home side had Yarrawonga-Mulwala in serious early trouble at 3-7.
The brilliance early was diminished slightly over the next six overs, however, as the visitors managed to stack on a 46-run partnership, scoring at a decent clip of 7.2 runs per over between the fifth and 10th overs.
It took a Xavier De Fazio delivery for Benalla to break the partnership, removing Yarrawonga-Mulwala’s Zac Fraser (16), which momentarily opened the floodgates for the Bushrangers again, as Dale Stratton (1-20) celebrated his first wicket of the afternoon, while De Fazio (2-21) struck again shortly after as the visitors slumped from 3-53 to 6-69 in a matter of overs.
A 21-run stand for the seventh wicket, which Vaughan Kirk (1-23) saw an end to, as well as a nine-run final over, meant Yarrawonga-Mulwala crossed the three-figure threshold, but only just, as the Bushrangers bowlers’ tight line and length restricted the visitors to 7-101 from the allocated 20 overs.
Having reached 2-98 in 16 overs during its previous outing, and posted a total beyond 130 in the first of the short format games, Benalla would have felt confident with 102 runs needed for victory.
Stepien put the first runs on the board with a boundary, his typically positive intent again on show; however, just one ball later he was forced back to the pavilion, caught off the bowling of Angus Heslin to leave Benalla 1-4 after five deliveries in a disastrous start.
Heslin would strike twice in his next over, too, as things went from bad to worse for Benalla, with Vishal Sharma (4) and James Carboon (0) both sent packing as the Bushrangers slumped to 3-9, with three of their top four pulling the pads off before three overs were complete.
Kirk strode out to the middle and looked confident at the crease despite the early carnage, notching a pair of boundaries within his first handful of balls faced; however the other end of the pitch was like a revolving door as wickets continued to fall, with Jonty Priest (3) bowled to leave Benalla at 4-25, as was Dylan Barber (8), with the home side slipping to 5-47, while the wicket of Matthew Priest (1) saw the Bushies slump to 6-62, still 40 runs from victory and with only four wickets in hand.
The Bushrangers had eight overs remaining to score the required runs, and while Kirk looked like he could be the man to get them across the line, he soon perished for 30, as Benalla sunk to 7-71.
Brodie joined Lucas Ham at the crease, and the pair set about their salvage operation, pushing the ball all over the ground and adding 25 runs in five overs to leave the home side on the brink of a brilliant victory, with six runs needed for the win at the start of the 19th over, and the Bushrangers still holding three wickets in hand.
Brodie made a single, cutting the runs required to five with nine balls remaining; however an attempt at a quick single two balls later ended in disaster, with Brodie run out.
Ham made a single off the final ball of the 19th over, simplifying the equation — Benalla needed four runs from the final six deliveries.
A dot ball with the first delivery heaped the pressure on Ham, who succumbed on the next delivery, holing out and leaving Benalla at 9-97.
Another dot ball saw things tense up even more, although a single to Dale Stratton off the fourth ball of the over meant Benalla needed three from the final two balls to win.
It wasn’t meant to be, however, as Xavier De Fazio was run out after attempting to run after the very next ball, ending the Bushrangers’ innings still three runs from victory in a thrilling finale.
The Bushrangers will host Rovers United Bruck this Saturday at Benalla Gardens Oval in the final T20 game for Benalla before the Christmas break.
