Murrumbidgee Rangers fall to a heavy defeat to Border Bullets in Plan B Regional Big Bash

It proved to be just that as the Rangers quest for a first win in the Regional Big Bash goes on after they fell to a seven-wicket defeat at Exies Oval.

The Bullets made the brave decision to send the Rangers into bat after winning the toss, but the home side struggled to get the ball away in the early going.

Having scored just 19 heading into the fifth over, Tom Valeri (3) was the first wicket to fall when he was caught by Jarryd Hatton off the bowling of Nathan Brown.

Theo Valeri (2) followed closely behind when he bowled by Brown (3/18), and the Rangers needed to find some stability if they were to set a competitive total.

Captain Haydn Pascoe joined Dean Bennett out in the middle, but his stay was short-lived as after getting the Rangers to 55, both Pascoe (5) and Bennett (41) fell to the bowling of Lachlan McMillan (2/24) in consecutive deliveries, but Luke Docherty was able to see off the hat-trick delivery.

Reece Matheson and Docherty were charged with guiding their side in the middle overs and were able to lift the scoring rate as they put on 27 runs in three overs before Docherty (23) departed, bowled by Brown (3/18).

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Oliver Delves and Reece Matheson (14) tried to push their side towards the 100-mark, but when Delves (3) was caught and bowled by Lachlan Scammell (2/17), it was the beginning of the end for the Rangers.

The Rangers lost their final five wickets for six runs to see them bowled out for 101.

The home side made the start they would have wanted with the new ball as Docherty (1/19) picked up the wicket of Jesse Griffiths (0) with the first legal delivery.

The Bullets started the build with Neil Smith, and Brown started to put runs on the board.

The change of pace had an immediate impact, with Noah Gaske (1/12) taking the wicket of Brown (37) while Callum Taylor (1/21) dismissed Smith (17).

It only proved a slight delay for the Bullets, with Jack Gilbee (22*) and Scammell (7*) able to guide their side to a seven-wicket victory with 5.1 overs remaining.

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