Casey-South Melbourne skipper Craig Entwistle (above) and Victorian star Damien Wright smashed centuries in the Swans’ heartbreaking one-wicket defeat to Footscray-Edgewater on the weekend. 25046By Marc McGowan
CASEY-SOUTH Melbourne’s season losing streak reached nine with a pair of defeats at Casey Fields last week.
The Swans went within a wicket of claiming their first victory of the year in the two-day match against Footscray-Edgewater at the weekend.
Bulldogs all-rounder Ben Green (67 off 91 balls) hit a four off the second-last ball to pass the victory target. The loss followed Casey-South Melbourne’s 58-run Twenty20 defeat at the hands of Frankston Peninsula on Wednesday.
Water leaked under the covers again at Casey Fields on Saturday, delaying the start by two hours, and when play began Footscray-Edgewater’s attack came out firing.
Green, Grant Lindsay (3/57) and Andrew McCammond combined to restrict the Swans to 3/53, with McCammond removing in-form veteran Michael Hansen for 24, leaving Casey-South Melbourne vulnerable to a batting collapse.
But skipper Craig Entwistle (102 off 170 balls, with 11 fours and a six) produced one of his trademark defiant innings, providing the perfect foil for all-rounder Damien Wright (102 off 154 balls, with 15 fours and a six).
Wright, who has hit successive tons, was in typically aggressive mood, plundering the Bulldogs’ attack. The pair shared a 180-run stand over Saturday and Sunday, propelling the Swans to a strong 8/294, when Entwistle declared, giving the Bulldogs 80 overs to chase down the score.
Casey-South Melbourne’s bowlers wasted little time making inroads in the Footscray-Edgewater line-up, despite Wright’s absence with a bruised right heel.
Jayde Herrick (2/69), in particular, was in good form, bowling Matthew Love for a duck. But, opener Dean Russ (93 off 129 balls, with 13 fours) held the innings together, steering the visitors to 3/156, with John Hastings (34 off 65) proving a willing ally. Their 77-run partnership ended when fast bowler Matthew Hawking (3/62) dismissed Russ.
Captain Nathan Geisler went for a duck and then Hastings and Carl Sandri headed back to the pavilion within six runs of each other to leave the Bulldogs 7/182.
All that was left for Casey-South Melbourne was the killer blow, as Green joined the hard-hitting Lindsay (55 off 53 balls, with eight fours and one six) at the crease. They took the tally to 248 when Lindsay was involved in the second of three run-outs for the innings.
Green and Steven Duckworth took Footscray-Edgewater to within five runs of success, but Hansen reignited the hosts’ hopes with a second piece of smart fielding to orchestrate Duckworth’s run-out.
The result came down to the final over, with the Swans needing one more wicket, and the Bulldogs six runs.
Green’s boundary off Hawking ultimately handed his team a great triumph, consigning Casey-South Melbourne to yet another loss.
The Swans were left to rue five dropped chances, including three off Herrick’s bowling.
Casey-South Melbourne coach Mark Ridgway believes his players lost their nerve in the closing stages. “I just think they got a little bit flustered and panicked a little bit, more than anything,” he said.
“They just wandered around aimlessly and thought they had won the game at that point (when Footscray-Edgewater was 7/182).
“We have been in winning positions five times this season. We’re probably the best bottom team in the history of Premier Cricket.”
The Swans will face Camberwell in a two-day match at Camberwell Sports Ground on Saturday from 11am.
