By Marc McGowan
CASEY-SOUTH Melbourne all-rounder Craig Entwistle is enjoying the best season of his career at the sprightly age of 31 – one that could ultimately be a record-breaker.
Entwistle, who is affectionately known as ‘Twister’, has averaged 63.18 runs per innings on his way to scorching 695 runs for the Swans, with a highest score of 141.
The long-standing record for runs in a single season at the club is 835, which was achieved in Casey-South Melbourne’s triumphant 1952-53 season by Roy Howard.
If he can maintain his stellar average in the final three matches, Entwistle will be its new holder.
To top off his 2006-07 feats, the left-arm orthodox spinner has claimed 13 wickets at a 23.38 clip.
This is Entwistle’s first season with the Swans and he is clearly relishing the conditions, both on and off the field, at Casey Fields.
“It’s been a pretty good trot so far. It has definitely been my best (season),” he said.
“I don’t know what it is – I’m just going with it. Working on the processes before you play and knowing your game in and out helps. It’s just a realisation, finally, that I can do it.”
Entwistle, who teaches at Timbarra Primary School in Berwick, has been involved in Victorian Premier Cricket since he was 17 and has split his time between Frankston-Peninsula and Hawthorn-Monash University.
He won a premiership with the former’s seconds side, but credits his time with the latter for instilling the professionalism that is so apparent in his game today.
“The Hawks’ (stint) was awesome – just learning the game and with professionalism, with (former Victorian Bushrangers wicketkeeper) Peter Roach,” Entwistle said.
“Playing under him and all the other players there you develop a different culture. Everyone had won a premiership, so they knew what was required to play well.”
He was also given the chance to display his leadership qualities at Hawthorn-Monash University, when he took over the captaincy duties from Simon Dart, who broke his arm and was sidelined for much of the second half of the 2005-06 season.
It has helped Entwistle develop a team-oriented attitude – one that keeps him from focusing too heavily on the club record that awaits him.
“I keep an eye on (the record). I’m about 130 or so away now, so there’s three games to get there,” he said.
“It’s always a personal milestone to do well that way, but at the end of the day, if you go back to your process and you’re doing well, if those things come up, that’s great, but the main thing is to be winning games.”
That is an area Casey-South Melbourne has struggled in during its inaugural season at Casey Fields, as it has attempted to infiltrate local talent into the squad.
“We just haven’t put it together. Being the first year, from experience, you have to have the team playing together for a few years before they start knowing and then backing everyone’s abilities,” Entwistle said.
“We’ve definitely got the players, but not that team camaraderie that you get from, say the St Kilda’s that have been together for 10 years. You can’t do that just straight away.”
Immediate success has not been a problem for the 14-year veteran, however, whose expectations have risen as he has continued to excel.
“It’s a fine balance – you try to be confident and obviously when I walk out on the ground, I want to try and own it,” he said.
“I want to be there for a long time, because you get so much reward from being out there.”
