The Bushrangers looked to be in trouble after they were bowled out cheaply in their one-day match against Beechworth at Baarmutha Park.
But a fired-up bowling attack led by Charlie Bull saw fortunes turn in Benalla’s favour.
The away side claimed its first win for 2024, bowling Beechworth out with 10 runs to spare.
Bushrangers spokesperson Trevor Saker said it was good to see the Benalla side back to winning ways.
“I was very happy,” Saker said.
“Getting the wicket of the (Beechworth) captain Brenton Surrey (was crucial).
“He’s a good player, and he was in top form. All he had to do was stick around, and they would have got the win (but Ross Cavill picked up his wicket).
“It was good to have a win because we’ve been close a couple of times this season.
“Hopefully, we can bounce off this and win again in the next round.”
After Benalla ended 2023 with a six-match losing streak, it was desperate to start the new year on the right foot.
But when Michale Honmann was caught on a duck by Lewis Richards, 2024 looked to be serving up more of the same misfortune for Benalla.
Garry Priest was the next to go, with only four runs to his name, and James Carboon departed for a duck shortly after.
Priyank “Sunny” Chohan could not withstand the fiery spell from the Beechworth bowling attack and lost his wicket for a duck.
At 4/13, things looked dire for the Bushrangers, but double-digit figures from Ross Cavill, Jonty Priest and Daniel Brew would all retrospectively proved vital.
The Beechworth attack cleaned up the Bushrangers’ tail with relative ease, bowling the away outfit out for 86 runs.
Richard Worcester picked up a five-wicket haul for the innings.
While the Beechworth cartel was fierce, it conceded 32 extras.
The writing was on the wall for Benalla, but the bowlers hadn’t read it.
Connor Brodie had opener Kayde Surrey out for four runs, and Charlie Bull had Campbell Fendyk out for the same score.
This dismissal was the start of Bull’s charge as he went on to pick up the wickets of Clancy Ellet and Gareth Taylor in quick succession to have Beechworth at 4/21.
Brodie followed Bull’s lead and dismissed Lewis Richards with only one run to his name, and the score sat at 5/25.
Where the Wanders bowlers were inaccurate, Benalla was on point, only conceding three extra runs throughout the innings.
This consistency meant that despite Jake Biddulph and Dylan Pool keeping the Beechworth tail wagging, it was too little too late.
Beechworth’s 10th wicket fell when a fill-in player was run out 10 runs short of Benalla’s total.
Benalla claimed the win from the jaws of defeat.
Bull had the best bowling figures in the winning side with four wickets and a maiden from his eight overs.
The Bushrangers will return at the Benalla Gardens Oval on Saturday, January 13, as they take on Wangaratta.
