Lukas Hoogenboom sent down eight express overs against Essendon at Windy Hill on Saturday but the young tearaway could only snare one wicket as Casey-South Melbourne lost by 32 runs. By Marc McGowan
DESPITE a much-improved effort on Saturday, Casey-South Melbourne now finds itself without a win after four Victorian Premier Cricket matches.
Playing against former captain-coach Roger Sillence’s new team Essendon, the Swans hung in for much of the day before going down by 32 runs at Windy Hill.
On a magnificent pitch for batting, Bomber openers Lucas Kennedy (59, with seven fours) and Brent Hutchinson (33) got off to a flyer before the latter was run out with the score on 93.
But Essendon just kept on going and Ben Fletcher (70, four fours and three sixes) and Aaron Mato (60, five fours and one six) took over the reins and had the runs ticking over at a furious rate.
Fortunately for Casey-South Melbourne, Australian under-19 representative Clive Rose was back in the line-up, and his accurate left-arm orthodox spinners helped stem the flow.
Rose formed a good bowling partnership with fellow Victorian under-19 hopeful Rueben Wakefield in the middle of the innings as the Swans desperately sought wickets.
Neither player could provide the breakthrough but their tight bowling helped the experienced Mathew Hawking end Mato and Fletcher’s 112-run alliance.
Lukas Hoogenboom then dismissed Fletcher on the same score to have the Bombers 4/248.
With few overs remaining, Paul Arandt and star quick Clinton McKay rattled off a few extra runs to leave their side 4/261 after its 50 overs.
Needing a good start, the Swans lost Englishman Chris Benham and Wakefield early to slump to 2/12.
However, the diminutive Craig Entwistle (86 from 109, nine fours and one six) and Jye Sampson (33 from 41 balls, seven fours) brought Casey-South Melbourne right back into the encounter.
Entwistle took over the captaincy duties for the day with regular skipper Michael Hansen sitting out with a fractured finger on his left hand.
They gave their team-mates a great platform, but with no genuine batsmen left after they departed, the Swans’ all-rounders were unable to maintain the pace.
Several players reached the teens but could not go on with their innings as Craig Berger (3/43 off 9.2 overs) spoiled Casey-South Melbourne’s attempt at a debut win in 2007-08.
Sillence did not bat, and bowled just two overs without success after arriving in Melbourne on the same day.
Hansen rued the loss after his squad had given itself a chance at triumphing but saw plenty of positives in the clash.
“It’s obviously still disappointing but given we’ve gone from the previous two weeks where we were struggling to get over 150, this time we were chasing 261 and we had some inconsistent moments but some very good moments as well,” he said.
“We got ourselves into a situation where we needed six an over for the last 15 overs but we lost a couple of bad wickets getting home.”
Hansen highlighted Entwistle’s stellar performance but believes inconsistency from the rest of the Swans is holding the team back.
“We’re doing things well during matches – and very well at times – but we’re not doing it consistently for an entire match,” he said.
Casey-South Melbourne will endeavour to break its duck when it hosts Richmond in a one-dayer at Casey Fields on Saturday from 11am.
