Casey-South Melbourne all-rounder Luke van Raay was one of the few Swans to offer resistance with the bat against Melbourne University on Saturday.By Marc McGowan
THERE were three new faces in the Casey-South Melbourne line-up on Saturday, but it was the same old Swans that turned up to Casey Fields.
Batting first against Melbourne University, Casey-South Melbourne made a woeful start, losing debutant Rhys Serpanchy for a second-ball duck and stand-in skipper Craig Entwistle for the same score.
At 2/0, proceedings could only get better for the Swans, but the students continued to strike and restricted the home side to 4/21.
Former Victorian Bushranger Ashley Robertson (7/24 from 16.4 overs) and Greg Kennedy (3/32 from 11 overs) shared the first four wickets.
From then on, other than a 56-run partnership between gloveman Robbie Elston (50 runs off 93 balls) and Luke van Raay, it was the Robertson show.
Despite preparing to turn 36 next month, the right-arm quick pocketed career-best figures to skittle Casey-South Melbourne for 106.
The other two first-gamers in Jake Best and Nathan Hibbins did not fare any better than Serpanchy, scoring 3 and 0 respectively.
Hibbins was a late inclusion in the squad after captain Michael Hansen was involved in a training mishap on Thursday night which left him requiring eight stitches to his top lip.
Hansen was a sorry sight at the Cranbourne East ground as he watched on forlornly – and helplessly – at his struggling team.
Following an early slip-up, there were no such worries for Melbourne University as after a grinding start it turned on the afterburners.
Jarrod Leggett (71 off 140) set the foundations at the top of the order and was joined in the run feast by Huw Birrell (61 not out off 64) and the scintillating Scott Sanders (56 not out off 29).
Birrell’s and Sander’s union late in the day garnered 72 runs off just 36 balls, with the latter smashing his half century in 17 minutes and 24 balls.
Their big hitting as play neared stumps rubbed further salt into the Swans’ wounds, with the students likely to declare and chase maximum points this weekend.
If Melbourne University, which finished on 4/233, is able to complete the feat, it would be Casey-South Melbourne’s second straight outright defeat.
Entwistle was extremely disenchanted with his club’s display.
“It was definitely below the expectation of what we’ve expected,” he said.
“The pitch was rain-affected and pretty damp, and was doing funny things like keeping low and what not.
“We didn’t adapt as quickly as we had hoped.”
Entwistle did offer an excuse for the Swans’ lacklustre performance.
“To be honest, we had three debutants on the weekend without having those players really perform at the lower level,” he said.
“We’re a young side and I think the experience will do them good.
“Now they know where the level is, when they get another chance – whenever that might be – they’ll have had a taste of it.”
The fixture resumes at Casey Fields from 11am on Saturday.
