Ovens Valley United have dominated the A reserve T20 fixture, and have the shield to prove it after their grand final annihilation of Benalla on Saturday afternoon.

Undefeated in the entire short form contest, the Tigers entered the decider at Norm Minns Oval as clear favourites, proving punters right with a nine-wicket win.

After knocking Benalla over for just 91 inside 20 overs, Ovens Valley United chased the total just one down from 16 overs.

The Bushrangers won the toss and chose to bat, with Nathan Delaney taking Owen Adams for 11 runs off the first over alone.

However, the Tigers would find their first wicket through Ben McMasters, with Mitch Cooney removed by a second-ball duck at gully-point.

McMasters would pick up his second in the fourth over, trapping Delaney LBW for 17, and from there, the Tigers were on top.

Owen Adams ripped through the top order, removing Benalla skipper Gary Priest (five off 13) and Leigh Pollard (six off 11).

The game was in the balance, but it was broken wide open by a near-perfect spell from Jason Gilbert.

After he knocked over Mark Osborne for 15 in the 11th over, he picked up the next three wickets for ducks, removing Bryce Cooney (12.4), Josh Heylbut (12.6) and Harrison Skelton (14.5).

In the blink of an eye, Benalla had crumbled from 5/59 to 8/71, and the Tigers kept coming.

James Ladd was run out at the non-striker’s end for seven thanks to some clean fielding and a miscommunication in the middle, another nail in the coffin.

The one bright spot for Benalla was Matthew Priest, who hit 30 runs from 41 balls, and was the last wicket to fall, extracted by an Oscar Lewis peach.

Gilbert was the standout with the ball, finishing with figures of 4/15 from his four overs, while Ben McMasters (2/9 off three) and Owen Adams (2/19 off four) were as damaging as they were frugal.

Nicholas Bleeser (0/18 off four) copped a bit of tap, while Cooper Thomason only bowls the two overs for 15 runs, the radar slightly off.

With only 91 runs on the board to chase down, the Tigers were in poll position at the innings change, determined to not only get the job done, but send a message.

After they lost Thomas Chettleburgh for five in the fifth over, adjudged LBW after walking across his stumps and trying to whip it down the leg side, Ovens Valley rallied and roared, with Cooper Thomason and Ben McMasters at their absolute best.

The duo was unstoppable, each striking at above 95 to power the Tigers to a mammoth nine wicket result.

Thomason faced the bulk of the bowling, notching up 55* from 57 deliveries including seven boundaries, while the young Ben McMasters rotated the strike well, unbeaten on 26* at a run a ball.

Benalla tried every trick in the book, throwing the ball around to try and break the partnership, but ultimately didn’t have enough runs on the board to defend.

McMasters hit the wining runs off the last ball of the 16th over, tucking a shorter delivery around the corner for an easy single, the completion of a clinical effort with bat and ball.

A total of six bowlers rolled the arm over the Bushrangers and, despite bowling well and picking up the solitary wicket of the innings, Mark Osborne was somewhat expensive, going at more than five an over from his three-over allotment.

James Ladd was the most expensive bowler, taken for 29 runs from his three overs, including three wides, while Leigh Pollard was miserly, finishing with 0/13 from his four overs.

The A reserve competition will resume on 10 January 2026, with the format changing back to one-dayers.