Casey-South Melbourne wicketkeeper Robert Elston celebrates a Melbourne wicket with bowler Lucas Hoogenboom in the opening over of Tuesday’s Twenty20 clash.By Brad Kingsbury
CASEY-South Melbourne cricketers tasted double disappointment after they capitulated to St Kilda in Saturday’s one-day Premier Cricket clash and then went down again, this time to Melbourne, in a nail-biting Primary Edge Cup Twenty20 semi-final on Tuesday.
Swans captain Michael Hansen provided the heroics for the home team in Tuesday’s game at Casey Fields, smashing a scintillating 109 not out off just 58 balls, including 15 fours and three sixes.
Together with Cranbourne local Shane Murdoch (51 not out off 46 balls), the pair added 148 and went within one run of chasing down the Demons’ score of 185 from their 20 overs in a game that Hansen said was a highlight of the season.
“It was one of the most exciting games I’ve played in,” he said.
“There was a huge crowd and they were on our side, which made it a great atmosphere.
“I think having Shane in the side helped, with his Cranbourne team-mates and supporters coming down to watch.
“Getting some runs was a bit of fun but getting so close and losing was very disappointing.”
Melbourne won the toss and batted first with the Casey-South Melbourne bowlers doing a top job early, dismissing Andrew Kent (29) and Michael Hill (21) and restricting the Demons to 4/108 off 15 overs.
However, Demons batsmen Justin Graham (51 not out) and Rob Cooper (59) plundered 77 from the last five overs and took the score to a credible 5/185 at the end of their stint at the crease.
Casey-South Melbourne was on the back foot early in its dig, losing three quick wickets to be reeling at 4/36, with Dale, Entwistle, Van Raay and Wakefield all back in the pavilion.
Hansen and young left-hander Murdoch consolidated and took the Swans to 4/150 after 16 overs, giving their side a sniff of victory.
Needing 36 off the last four overs, Hansen took 12 off the 17th over to bring up his century, but the miserly Mick Lewis conceded just four and a leg bye from the 18th over to keep the pressure on.
Eleven runs came from the 19th over, but with eight needed off the last, Lewis again showed all his experience to concede just a two and four singles with a string of yorker-length deliveries, leaving the Swans a run short on 4/184.
Hansen said while his century was personally pleasing, the result was very disappointing because the players believed they had the ability and form to win the competition had they made the final.
He said losing star international recruit Chris Benham to an ankle injury the day before the game had also been a blow to the side.
Benham hurt his ankle while participating in a coaching clinic on Monday and Hansen was unsure of the extent of the injury.
While the weekend loss to the fourth-placed Saints was comprehensive on paper, the scorecard did not tell the full story with showers affecting the wicket and the Swans having by far the worse of the conditions.
The Swans won the toss and sent St Kilda in under the threat of rain and on a wicket that looked to have something in it for the bowlers.
Two early breakthroughs by Michael Hawking and Lucas Hoogenboom provided momentum for the Swans but several handy partnerships created stumbling blocks with Saint Andrew McGuinness (60) top scoring and Glenn Lalor (51) finishing the innings off with some lusty hitting in steady rain.
The Saints ended their innings on 4/191 from 29 overs, and Hansen said that given the conditions, he was disappointed the umpires allowed the final few overs to be played.
“We probably should have gone off after 25 overs. It was raining but the umpires stayed out for a few more overs and St Kilda took advantage of the conditions,” he said.
“When we went into bat the rain had stopped but the wicket was sticky and very hard to score on.
“The St Kilda bowlers had to all come off short runs and the ball didn’t come on (to the bat) at all. We gave ourselves a pretty good chance but the conditions ruined it for us.”
Casey-South Melbourne managed a meagre total of 120 and lost several wickets out of frustration. Luke Van Raay top scored with 33 while Craig Entwistle also got a start with 27 to be the next-best batsman.
Young paceman Hoogenboom was the best of the Swans’ bowlers, finishing the day with figures of 2/43 from his six overs.
