Swans’ hopes high as ‘also rans’ clash

By Marc McGowan
IT WAS the battle of the also-rans when Casey-South Melbourne clashed with Melbourne University in the Victorian Premier Cricket ranking round at Casey Fields on Saturday.
The Swans have won just two games in the two-day format this season, but finally entered a match as favourites against the winless Melbourne University squad.
The battle is taking place because both sides bring up the rear in their respective groups
It was an unfamiliar Casey-South Melbourne line-up that took to the field and included five changes from its win against Hawthorn-Monash University last week.
Captain-coach Roger Sillence was back in England, while all-rounder Lucas van Raay and batsman Joel Leaver had interstate work and university commitments respectively.
Struggling batsmen Stephen Nicholls and Nathan Bird were omitted.
In their places came off-spinning prodigy Clive Rose, all-rounder Tim Dale, assistant coach John Hayes and young batsmen Jye Sampson and Brett Watkins, while veteran batsman Michael Hansen took over the captaincy duties.
In contrast, Melbourne University welcomed back the services of 30-year-old former Bushranger Brendan Joseland for the first time this season.
The encounter was delayed for two hours by the previous day’s rain, which had caused a wet spot on the pitch.
Once the game finally got under way, and Melbourne University had elected to bat, the going was extremely slow.
The batting side dug in on the wicket and looked to have defied the opening onslaught before Matthew Hawking (3/45 off 20 overs) trapped Jarrod Leggett (15 from 54 balls) in front.
The run-grafting continued after the first wicket, but Rose’s (3/59 off 22 overs) introduction into the attack saw Melbourne University and former Swans opener Michael Nalesnyik (31 from 90, including one four and two sixes) take an instant liking to the youngster’s bowling.
As has been the norm for most of the season, it was Rose who had the last laugh when he removed Nalesnyik, but Casey-South Melbourne still appeared to be having to work hard for its rewards.
It was not until the shaggy-haired Watkins (1/19 off 10 overs) had Alex Cairns (30 from 74) caught behind by Robbie Elston that the Swans gathered momentum.
Three quick wickets followed and suddenly Melbourne University was stumbling at 6/107 courtesy of a collapse of 4/15.
However, Joseland (69 from 120, including nine fours) was quickly becoming a thorn in Casey-South Melbourne’s side and he managed to hold the fort together with good support from the tail.
He slapped together a quick-fire 37-run partnership at almost a run-a-ball pace with Nicholas Ellsmore (16 from 22) and then shared a pivotal 64-run stand from 162 balls with captain Nicholas Williams (18 not out from 94 balls).
It saw his side to 208 before Joseland was finally removed late in the day by Dale (1/26 off 11 overs), who was also playing his first game for the season, to leave his side eight wickets down.
No further runs were added before stumps and the Swans will be looking to pick up the final two wickets early this weekend.
Hansen made it clear that this match meant something to his team.
He said his players are hoping to end the season on a high.
“We want to win our last game at home. That’s certainly what we want to do,” he said.
“I can’t comment on them, but I’d like to think our guys are not thinking of it any differently to any other game.”
Hansen was pleased with his relative pop-gun attack and believes it can wrap up the innings quickly on Saturday morning.
“It was a case of being disciplined and it meant we had to rotate our bowlers a bit more,” he said.
“To be honest, I think it’s in our favour. If we can knock them off for under 220, we’ll have most of the day to make the runs.”