Craig Entwistle will be the key when Casey-South Melbourne resumes its batting chase this weekend.By Marc McGowan
A POOR start to the batting late in the day ruined a superb performance by up-and-coming Casey-South Melbourne strike bowler Lukas Hoogenboom at Merv Hughes Oval on Saturday.
The Swans took on early-season surprise packet Footscray-Edgewater in the first Victorian Premier Cricket two-dayer of the season and made a good fist of the contest.
Personal commitments forced Casey-South Melbourne’s star fast bowler Matthew Hawking to join captain Michael Hansen on the sidelines, while Swans batsman Luke Chapple and leg-spinner Aaron Daniel played their first games in the ones.
The Wakefield twins, Reuben and Max, also missed out due to private school duties.
The Bulldogs made a strong start, with Matthew Love (87 runs) leading the charge as they moved to 1/128.
But the impressive Hoogenboom (5/61 off 18 overs) put paid to that, and, having already pocketed the wicket of Dean Russ, claimed Love and John Hastings in one over then Grant Lindsay soon after.
Lindsay’s dismissal was a highlight with all-rounder Tim Dale’s athleticism producing a spectacular catch.
Suddenly the Swans had their opponents 4/128.
Left-arm orthodox spinner Clive Rose (3/55 off 23.2 overs) continued his team’s momentum by removing Stuart Brohaska (26) to have Casey-South Melbourne well on top with the score 5/135.
Carl Sandri’s entry into the game proved the turning point.
Sandri (89) combined first with Nathan Geisler (42) for a 75-run partnership before working well with the lower order to push the score to 8/296.
With Victorian Bushranger Gerard Denton only available for the first day of the clash, Footscray-Edgewater decided to declare on that total and throw all they had at the Swans’ brittle batting line-up.
It was the right decision, as Denton made the early breakthrough with Marc Ferne (2), almost immediately followed by the exits of Jye Sampson (1) and nightwatchman Richard Lewis (3).
Lindsay and Hastings both finished the day with figures of 1/0 from four and three-over spells respectively.
Casey-South Melbourne can at least be relieved in the fact that gun batsman Craig Entwistle is unbeaten at the crease, and English recruit Chris Benham is still to come.
But the Bulldogs’ batting effort will look a long way away when the Swans resume at 3/9 on Saturday at 11am.
The run chase is within reach, however, according to Hansen.
“If we can bat well in the first session and set it up, there is no reason why we couldn’t get there because the wicket is good, the ground is fast and it is not a big ground,” he said.
Hansen did concede that depth was a concern at the club, and said the team was up to four senior players away from being a competitive unit.
“We’re doing the best we can. We have players capable of making runs and it’s got to happen soon,” he said.
“We’re in a holding pattern at the moment and we plan on changing substantially in the coming season by recruiting some older players that can walk into ones cricket straightaway.
“Footscray was in a similar position to us last year and lost the first six games, but they recruited two key players over the pre-season and all of a sudden they’re doing pretty well.”
