No end to horror season

Casey-South Melbourne speedster Jayde Herrick’s three wickets were not enough to deliver the Swans their first victory of the summer on Saturday. 26473

By Marc McGowan
CASEY-SOUTH Melbourne moved one loss closer to becoming the first team in a decade to fail to register a win in a Premier Cricket season with a five-wicket defeat to Carlton on Saturday.
The Swans would also be just the fourth team in the past 40 years to suffer the fate behind North Melbourne (1998/99), Waverley (1975/76) and Collingwood (1968/69).
Saturday’s result was as good as decided the previous weekend when Casey-South Melbourne collapsed meekly for 125.
The first-placed Blues scooted to 3/97 by stumps and looked set to make a play for outright points.
Swans quicks Jayde Herrick (3/67) and Matthew Hawking (5/38) steamed in from the start on the weekend and claimed a wicket apiece to restrict Carlton to 5/109.
But the Blues battled past Casey-South Melbourne’s meagre total and finally reached 201.
Swans left-arm orthodox spinner Clive Rose (2/38) also managed multiple wickets, but the task was too difficult for Casey-South Melbourne’s bowlers.
Skipper Tim Welsford (53 runs off 60 balls) and Michael Sheedy (45 off 118) produced valuable knocks for the hosts as they turned their attention to outright success.
Carlton was relying on another Swans capitulation and the latter did not disappoint.
Tim Dale, Jake Best and Rose had all come and gone with the score on just 33.
Captain Craig Entwistle and Tom Hussey managed some solid resistance in a 36-run stand, but the former’s dismissal triggered another collapse.
Casey-South Melbourne was in dire straits at 6/77, but cameo innings from the likes of Jayde Herrick, Brett Watkins and Hawking saw the Swans reach 140.
But, most importantly, the visitors occupied the crease for 68 overs – leaving the Blues with just five overs to make 65 runs for outright victory.
The run chase was called off just three overs in as Carlton sputtered its way to 2/10, with Herrick and Hawking adding a wicket each to their match tallies.
Casey-South Melbourne coach Mark Ridgway launched an extraordinary tirade at his batsmen after the contest.
“Our batting is terrible. Our bowling is the best in the competition … unfortunately they don’t get to bowl to our batters because they’d all have 80 wickets each if they did,” he said.
“That’s the sad fact. We are on no points and could become the fourth team in 40 years to go through the season without getting a point with the best bowling attack in the competition.”
Ridgway tipped wholesale changes for his club’s final two fixtures and will hand debuts to several country recruits.
The former Tasmanian fast bowler was equally as angry with the fact his team had to play as temperatures soared into the high forties.
“I don’t understand the decision to play cricket on a day that is 45 or 46 degrees – that’s beyond me,” he said.
“(Nearly) every competition in Victoria was called off bar ours. They don’t have an extreme heat policy and it’s up to the umpires.
“To me, that’s absolutely absurd. What are they going to do? Wait for someone to fall over and get heat exhaustion?
“It was 46.5 degrees and there was a 50km/h northerly blowing straight up the guts of the ground. If they’re safe conditions, I’ll jump over the moon.”
The Swans face St Kilda in a two-dayer at Casey Fields from 11am on Saturday.

Picture: Luke Plummer