IT will take something special for Benalla to get over the line in the A grade this weekend. The Bushies made five of the 271 runs asked of them by Beechworth Wanderers from their single over last week, giving them 75 overs at the Gardens Oval to pass the total. Fine innings from skipper Brenton Surrey (93) and Jack Ryan (82) allowed a gargantuan total to be amassed. Surrey said he was confident his side would be able to defend their first innings total. "I was pretty happy with our total at the Gardens, it was probably worth 50 or 60 more if it had been at Beechworth," he said. "Full credit to Benalla, they have some good kids who have a red hot go and I reckon they'll look back on the season and think they could probably have won two or three more games than they did." He said the side's fate was in the hands of his bowlers and they will have to be at their optimum to get the coveted third position sewn up. "The key is definitely our bowlers, they'll not only have to bowl well but the fielders will have to back them up to their best as well," Surrey said. "[Benalla’s] Brayden Stepien is a major threat. "If he gets away from us there's every chance they'll be 200 at tea and it's anybody's game." The match resumes at the Gardens Oval in Benalla from 1pm. Elsewhere, City Colts will resume their match with rivals Rovers Untied Bruck on the back foot. After bowling the Hawks out for 189 at Bill O’Callaghan Oval, the Colts lost a wicket late in the day to be 1/2 at stumps. Top order partnerships will be the key for the Colts, with Aaron Thrum (2*) and Archie Crispin (0*) set to resume. A win for the Colts this weekend will end their season on a positive note, while the Hawks will be looking to fine-tune their batting and make sure as many batters as possible get some valuable time in the middle as the head into the finals series.
