A stunning turnaround had seen Benalla win each of its previous three outings to suddenly be knocking on the door of the postseason despite losing six of its first seven games; however, finals proved one win too far, going down to the Lakers at Benalla Gardens oval on Saturday to ultimately finish one game outside the top four.
Winning the toss and electing to bowl at the weekend, the Bushrangers enjoyed a dream start through Conor Brodie, with the opening bowler snaring a scalp with just the second delivery of the contest, leaving the visitors 1-0.
But the wind was soon taken out of Benalla’s sails, as Yarrawonga-Mulwala set about constructing a monster second-wicket partnership.
For 27 overs, the Lakers pair of Reid Clarke and Ben Welsh sent the ball to all parts of the park, combining for a 125-run stand that put the Bushrangers on the back foot.
Brodie would finally break the partnership by claiming his second, dismissing Reid (38) to leave the visitors at 2-125, which he immediately followed with a third in his next over to leave the Lakers at 3-129, as Benalla tried to regain footing in the contest.
Xavier De Fazio (1-51) joined the party soon after to claim his first wicket of the afternoon, with the young spinner reducing Yarrawonga-Mulwala to 4-148; however, the visitors batted on with dangerman Welsh still at the crease.
A thorn in the Bushrangers’ side, Welsh (108) raised his bat to salute a century as the visitors pushed beyond 180, and looked to go even further until Brodie snared the prized scalp, leaving the Lakers 5-187 as Benalla continued to find late wickets.
Brodie would add his fifth and the sixth for the innings in his following over, taking his figures to 6-35 in a herculean effort with the ball, helping restrict Yarrawonga-Mulwala to 7-220 after the mammoth second-wicket stand and give his side a chance of victory.
Chasing 221 for the win was always going to be a big ask, and it was one that got even bigger for Benalla as they mimicked the Lakers by losing a wicket with the second ball of the innings, with Vishal Sharma departing for a golden duck as the home side slumped to 1-3.
Jonty Priest came to the crease alongside Brayden Stepien, and slowly but surely the pair ticked off the runs, with skipper Stepien doing the bulk of the scoring in the 41-run stand, adding 30 at a run a ball before his undoing left the Bushies at 2-44.
James Carboon made a brief appearance, facing two balls before being dismissed for a duck as Benalla tumbled to 3-50, which brought Dylan Barber to the middle alongside Priest.
The duo combined for a solid 32-run stand, taking the total beyond 80 as they looked to build a big partnership; however, the Lakers’ bowlers had other ideas, removing Barber for 21 as the home side fell even further to 4-82.
It set off a middle-order collapse, as Matthew Priest (10), Lucas Ham (1), Mitchell Wheelens (5) and Bryce Cooney (6) all became casualties soon after, as the Bushrangers lost 5-28 to sit at 8-110 after 33 overs, still 111 runs from victory with 12 overs and two wickets remaining.
Xavier De Fazio (12) and Brodie (4) would help extend the innings for another seven overs; however, the inevitable could not be denied longer than that, as the Bushrangers were bowled out for 142, falling to a 78-run loss.
Standing tall with the bat was Jonty Priest, who finished unbeaten on 50 from 118 deliveries in a patient knock despite the carnage, the number three ultimately running out of partners despite being at the crease for every ball of the innings bar two.
The loss ensures Benalla finish the regular season in fifth spot on the ladder, one game behind fourth-placed Ovens Valley United, with the Tigers sewing up the last spot in finals despite a crushing defeat at the hands of Rovers United Bruck at the weekend.
Benalla’s A Reserve side has also concluded its season following a sound nine-wicket defeat at the hands of second-placed Delatite at the weekend at Lords Reserve in Mansfield.
Asked to bat after losing the toss, Benalla slumped to be all out for 81, with only Josh Heylbut (22), Thomas Snell (14) and Nathan Delaney (11) making it beyond double figures.
Delatite breezed its way to the required total, too, reaching 82 for the loss of only one wicket inside 20 overs, with Gurpreet Singh Mann (1-29) snaring the only scalp.
The loss condemns Benalla to bottom spot on the A Reserve ladder with a 3-9 record for the season, two wins outside of finals behind fourth-placed Rovers United Bruck.
