Seniors
A Reserve
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Benalla’s A Reserve side is on the board for season 2025-26 following an emphatic victory over Wangaratta Magpies at the weekend.
Following a round one loss to Delatite, the Bushrangers were keen to make amends, and did so in style, romping to a six-wicket victory at Benalla Gardens Oval on Saturday.
Winning the toss and electing to bowl, Mark Osborne (1-23) got the home side off to a flying start, delivering five dot balls before bowling the Wangaratta opener for a duck with the final ball of the first over to seal a wicket maiden and leave the visitors one down without troubling the scorers.
Gurpreet Singh Mann (2-29) opened his account soon after, too, removing the other opener to leave the Magpies in trouble at 2-18, although the Bushies would have to wait a while longer for their next breakthrough.
The visitors rallied, adding 72 for the third wicket before Bryce Cooney found a way through to rattle the stumps, removing Wangaratta’s Callum Honey, while Tom Osborne got in on the act to send Oscar Timms back to the sheds soon after. A Dylan Barber caught and bowled made things even worse for Wangaratta, which went from 2-90 to 5-100 in the blink of an eye.
It would be Barber that did much of the damage to the middle and lower order, with the vice-skipper claiming 3-17, while Tom Osborne snared 2-12, as Benalla bowled the visitors out for just 150, after they were cruising along at 2-90 at one stage.
It took the Bushies just 23 overs in reply to chase down the required runs, thanks in part to a blistering opening stand from Vishal Sharma, who belted 47 off 24 deliveries, which included nine fours and a six, before his eventual dismissal.
Fellow opener Craig Williams top-scored for Benalla with a well-measured 52 off 62, while Barber finished unbeaten on 16 and skipper Gary Priest added 13, as the Bushrangers stormed to the required total for the loss of just four wickets.
The Bushrangers will look to make it two on the trot this weekend when they host Rovers United Bruck at Benalla Gardens Oval, with the Rovers still searching for their first win of the season.
B Grade
Benalla was handed a devastating defeat in the opening round of the Wangaratta and District Cricket Association B Grade season at the weekend, going down to Milawa by seven wickets at Milawa Oval.
Having been sent in to bat after losing the toss, the Bushies got off to a solid start in their first outing of the season, with openers Jordan Smith and Josh Heylbut adding 67 together before Smith fell for 36.
But one brings two, or in this case four, as replacement Tom Trewin soon departed for a duck, with next man in Mathew Hadj doing the same, before set batter Heylbut departed too, leaving the Bushrangers reeling after slumping from 0-67 to 4-79 in a matter of overs.
Steven Pickering picked up the slack superbly, however, breathing life into the innings with a quick-fire 40 not out from 37 deliveries, helping the Bushrangers to a total of 5-141 from 36 overs.
With ball in hand, the Bushies got off to a hot start courtesy of Udaykiran Kommidi (2-25), who picked up the scalp of Milawa opener Reuben Corsini to leave the home side at 1-11, before also snaring the wicket of Jason Papworth to leave Milawa at 2-38.
Wickets were few and far between from there, with only Smith (1-40) able to strike again to remove Milawa number four Matt Hardy and reduce the home side to 3-104, but it was too little, too late, as Milawa smacked the final 36 runs needed without any further loss to score an emphatic win.
The Bushrangers will have to wait for a chance at redemption, with a bye this week followed by a competition-wide bye for the Melbourne Cup weekend, before they are back in action for round three against Rutherglen United on November 8.
C Grade
Benalla Bushrangers claimed a brilliant round one win over Yarrawonga Mulwala in C grade, with brilliant bowling at the death securing the points.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first at Victoria Park in Yarrawonga, the Bushrangers were in trouble early after losing five of their top six for a combined total of 23 runs.
However, opener Greg Hoysted and number seven Trevor Saker recovered brilliantly to set a competitive total, with Hoysted finishing unbeaten on 93 in a brilliant innings with plenty of wickets falling around him, while the rearguard resistance from Saker was also vital, adding 41 off 57 to help Benalla post a total of 6-184 from 36 overs.
Benalla looked to be well on its way to the win early in reply with the ball, as Nicholas Jacobs (2-25) and Hoysted (3-22) dismantled the top five; however, some brilliance in the middle order from Yarrawonga Mulwala turned the game, putting the Lakers back on top.
Jake Holmes (4-40) turned the contest back in Benalla’s favour, however, taking four middle-order scalps, including the ninth wicket at the start of the 32nd over, leaving Yarrawonga Mulwala 13 runs for victory from the final 29 deliveries, although with just one wicket in hand.
The home side got within six runs of victory before Vaughan Carter delivered a clutch performance in the 35th over, bowling four dot balls before striking on the fifth delivery to claim the final wicket and hand Benalla a remarkable five-run victory.
Juniors
Under 16s
Benalla is in a precarious position at stumps on day one of its two-day contest against Greta in the under-16 Eugene Kneebone Shield, having been bowled out in just 33 overs at Benalla Gardens Oval.
Winning the toss and electing to bat, just four Bushrangers players reached double figures as Greta tore through the lineup, bowling the home side out for 150.
It was an ominous sign for Benalla as skipper Riley McCarthy opened the batting and lasted just two deliveries at the crease before he was sent back to the sheds, closely followed by vice-captain Angus Hayes, who departed for seven runs, while Xavier De Fazio managed nine before he too was dismissed.
Hugh Ross (17) and Tom Osborne (10) dug in and reached double figures; however, the hostile Greta attack proved too much for even them, as it dismissed the entire Benalla top five in just 15 overs.
Only Harry Skelton was able to provide resistance, composing a mature 49 off 51 deliveries, including seven boundaries, as he counter-punched from number seven, ultimately falling one run shy of what would have been a well-deserved half-century.
Number 10 Noah Cooney was the only other batter to surpass single digits, being run out for 11, while Showrik Das was left stranded, unbeaten on seven, as the Bushrangers were bowled out for 150.
The result isn’t a foregone conclusion; however, Benalla will need a hot start with the ball this weekend if it is to claim the win.
Under 14s Red
Benalla’s under-14 Red side faces a mammoth chase this weekend, after Ovens Valley United posted a huge total of 9-257 on day one of their two-day Len Hill Shield clash at the weekend.
Travelling to RC McNamara Reserve in Myrtleford, the Bushrangers won the toss and elected to bowl, with Noah Anderson claiming a caught and bowled early to get Benalla off to a hot start.
However, scores of 71 not out, 40 and 36 to the rest of the Ovens Valley top four made the going tough for the Bushrangers, as the home side got on top of the contest.
Anderson was valiant, claiming a second wicket while also playing a hand in a run out to finish with figures of 2-28, while skipper Tyson Williams (1-20) and Oliver Parker (1-6) also claimed one wicket each.
But it was Bentley Parker that stood out with ball in hand for Benalla, tearing through the lower order to finish with figures of 4-19 and help the Bushrangers limit the damage.
With 258 set for victory, it will take a full team effort with the bat to get over the line this weekend.
Under 14s Blue
Benalla’s under-14 Blue side took less than 16 total overs to secure a remarkable victory over Delatite at Merton Cricket Ground on Saturday.
Winning the toss and electing to bowl, Benalla got off to a brilliant start through Oliver Smith (2-1), who claimed two wickets in his first three overs to have the Bushies up and about early.
Henry Briggs (2-2) soon joined the party, with two wickets of his own in his first over, while Ryan Lindsay (2-4), Alex Lambert (1-4) and Bill Bourke (1-2) all claimed scalps, with the undermanned Delatite finding its innings over after being bowled out at 8-21 from just 13.5 overs.
The craziest part of it all, perhaps, is that just one player from the Delatite lineup managed to make any runs.
Number three Max Strong finished unbeaten on seven, while watching each of his eight teammates fall for a duck.
It gets even crazier, if that is possible, as the Bushrangers needed just 1.3 overs to surpass the 22 set for victory, with skipper Thomas Snell going on to whack a ludicrous 52 off 19 deliveries to retire not out, as Benalla reached stumps at 1-95 off 14 overs.
Under 12s
Benalla’s under-12 White side suffered a 16-run loss to Delatite in the opening contest of the season at the weekend.
Winning the toss and electing to bowl, skipper Oliver Ross (1-1), Duston Nolan (1-4) and Jagga Schintler (1-4) all claimed wickets as Delatite posted 3-94, setting the Bushies a target of 95 from 20 overs for victory.
In reply, Albert Briggs retired not out on 11 while Joel Emmanuel finished unbeaten on 18 from 18 balls; however, the Bushies were unable to reach the necessary total, finishing on 7-78.
The under-12 Red side had more success against Yarrawonga Mulwala, claiming a 59-run victory at Yarrawonga P-12 College.
Skipper Toby Smith top-scored with an unbeaten 27 from 18 deliveries as Benalla posted 6-115 after being asked to bat first, before Ewan Patel (2-2), Izayah Williams (2-8), Neev Patel (1-4), Tulson Reynolds (1-5), Miller Fowles (1-8) and Smith (1-3) all claimed wickets as they bowled Yarrawonga Mulwala out for 56.
The Bushrangers under-12 Blue side went down narrowly, also against Yarrawonga Mulwala, losing by 16 runs.
Skipper Edward Clancy claimed 3-4 and was supported well by Parker Borg (2-5) and Jaxson Heatherill (1-3) as the Bushies restricted Yarrawonga Mulwala to 6-75 after electing to bowl first.
In reply, Finlay Parker managed a top score of nine before retiring not out; however, the Bushies fell short of the necessary runs, posting 6-59 from 20 overs.
Benalla’s under-12 Green side had the bye.