Casey-South Melbourne medium-fast bowler Matthew Hawking put in a virtuoso performance to snare career-best figures of 4/29 off 15 overs at Casey Fields on Saturday. Picture: Stewart Chambers.By Marc McGowan
CASEY-SOUTH Melbourne’s batsmen blew a stellar performance from their bowlers to give Dandenong the ascendancy in the teams’ two-day Victorian Premier League cricket local derby at Casey Fields on Saturday.
On paper, it appeared to be a mismatch with the Panthers in second place in the Neil Buszard Group, while the Swans wallowed in bottom spot.
Dandenong captain Warren Ayres won the toss and batted, but personally found himself at the crease much earlier than he would have hoped at 2/31.
Ayres, 41, who owns the two highest single season totals in Victorian Premier League history, turned back the clock to put together a dogged 52 from 112 balls to steer the Panthers out of trouble.
He combined firstly with Tom Donnell (34 from 96 balls) for a 51-run partnership before sharing another 48 with David Newman (12 from 44 balls).
Ayres’ dismissal came with the score on 4/130, and his stabilising presence was missed as Casey-South Melbourne roared through the rest of the line-up.
The one-two punch of Swans bowlers Matthew Hawking (4/29 off 15 overs) and Clive Rose (4/57 off 19.3 overs) made the difference as both recorded career-best figures.
After Ayres and Donnell, wicketkeeper Ricky Damiano’s 15 was the next best as Dandenong crumbled for 170.
The drama had only just begun, however, as two-time Casey-South Melbourne batting champion Michael Hansen and second-gamer Jye Sampson strode to the pitch.
With Panthers bowling stars Darren Pattinson and Peter Siddle on Bushrangers duty, it was Paul Boraston and David Newman who took the new ball, and the pair did not disappoint.
Boraston, whose brothers Craig and Mark play in the lower grades at the Swans, rattled the stumps of Sampson (1) and had Craig Entwistle caught behind for a duck to leave Casey-South Melbourne stumbling at 2/4.
Swans captain-coach Roger Sillence (9) came in and played some big shots but quickly departed, and when Boraston (4/43 off 11 overs) bowled Hansen for his second duck in as many weeks the Swans were suddenly 4/13.
Nathan Bird (3) became Boraston’s fourth victim and Newman (2/2 off seven overs) claimed Joel Leaver (3) courtesy of a screaming catch from Tim Hooper in the gully to have the scorers reaching for the record books with the Swans 6/20.
Fortunately for the modern-day Casey-South Melbourne side, its 19th century counterparts had a horror day one weekend in which the team was all out for 6.
The fight that was lacking from its batting performance suddenly appeared when wicketkeeper Robbie Elston (20 not out from 55 balls) was joined by Luke van Raay (26 not out from 56 balls).
The pair thrust their side back into the contest with an unbeaten 53-run alliance full of hard work and defiance to carry the team to 6/73 at stumps.
Sillence was thoroughly disappointed with his side’s batting display, but believes Elston and van Raay had given the Swans a sliver of a chance.
“We won five of the six hours, but for one hour we were rubbish. We totally gave the game back to them,” the Worcestershire all-rounder said.
“We’re either going to lose or win in the first half hour (on Saturday).
“They will come at us pretty hard with their openers and I’m not sure if they get the Victorian guys back (Pattinson and Siddle), but we’ll have to work hard in the first hour and slowly but surely knock off the 90 runs (required to win).”
Sillence did not put the blame on the surface.
“The wicket was fine. You can put it down to poor batting, really,” he said.
“Half the team did their job and it was over to the batters to knock off a pretty simple target.”
As usual, 17-year-old left-arm orthodox spinner Rose was a shining light for his captain, but the youngster had another admirer on the weekend.
“I spoke with John MacWhirter (Victorian selector and former Casey-South Melbourne great) over lunch and he said he was quite impressed with Clive too,” Sillence said.
“It’s all going in the right direction for Clive.”
