By JARROD POTTER
VICTORIAN PREMIER CRICKET- ROUND 15 (Day 1)
NOT even a wet-deck seemed to trouble Casey-South Melbourne (249) posting one of its biggest scores of the season as James Seymour hit his straps once more.
Northcote’s bowlers – led by Melbourne Stars all-rounder Marcus Stoinis (3/49) – couldn’t pop the opening wicket quickly enough as the new ball started to grow dull from the wet outfield at Casey Fields.
The troubling conditions didn’t halt Seymour’s (71) scintillating debut season with Casey as he started the day in fifth-gear.
Anything that went near him was cannoned into the fence or beyond as his 10 fours and two sixes helped push him over the 500-run mark and into fifth overall for the league aggregate.
In contrast to Seymour’s powerful bludgeoning, the Swans other opener Ashan Wijayakumara (3) – brought up to fill the spot of injured ace Kasun Suriaratchie – occupied the crease, but struggled to rotate the strike as he eventually succumbed to Sam Harbinson (2/28).
It brought Devin Pollock (35) to keep the tempo going, especially once Seymour misjudged spinner Matthew Short (3/61). Short finally got his man after being tonked around the park by Seymour in the opening few overs.
The middle order was resolved to stay at the crease, and while it didn’t set the scene with a big century or even half-ton, the contributions were crucial to pushing the Swans’ case for a fourth victory.
Captain Lachlan Sperling (26) hit a few clean shots into the fence but after an hour at the crease, his time would be cut short. Michael Wallace (21) then carried on the dogged effort to see the Swans to the lunch break. Good stands formed one after another but none solidified into a match-changer as Wallace, Pollock, Dylan Hadfield (13) and first XI debutant Blake Mills (18) got their eyes in but couldn’t cash in for a big prize.
Making his return to the line-up, after a side strain sustained as a net-bowler against the Australians for the Boxing Day Test, Nathan Lambden (39) dug in alongside Leigh Diston (9) to keep the scoreboard ticking along and take the hosts well past 200.
“The total was good, considering what the conditions were like at the start of the day,” Sperling said.
“It was pretty slow – hard to drive into the ground – so the batters did quite well actually and a tough wicket to get in on.”
Seymour praised Seymour’s efforts at the start as well as the gutsy lower-order partnership from Lambden and Diston.
“He’s a class above – just the way he’s striking the ball and nice and clean through the line – got to be happy with that,” Sperling said.
“The whole middle order really dug in there and to get through the day – especially at the end of the day between Lambden and Diston.
“We were 8/190 and they put on 40 or 50 and got us to 250 and that was pretty crucial actually.”
There’s nothing complicated about Casey’s day-two plans: get in and start taking wickets.
“We’re confident our bowling attack can get 10 wickets – just have to stay patient, bowl the right areas and take the chances,” Sperling said. “It’s pretty simple and should be good.
“Results-wise, we probably haven’t got the wins and losses we would like, but there are signs we’re more competitive in games for a lot longer.”
Considering Northcote is sixth and well on its way to playing a big part in this season’s finals, Casey’s efforts will have shocked many, especially with its other big-hitting opener Kasun Suriaratchie sidelined.
It will be tough work defending a meagre target, but Dandenong (157) has no option with a loss against Melbourne Uni (0/27) likely ending its chances of making the Premier finals.
After tons of rain lashed Melbourne this week, it was no surprise the hosts sent Dandenong in to bat. A textbook strong-start via skipper Tom Donnell (30) and Brett Forsyth (15) was hacked apart quickly by the Melbourne Uni attack.
Led by James Bett (5/34) and Steven Reid (4/35), the scholars put Dandenong into trouble fast as the Panthers lost the first five scalps for a scant 58. The resistance was led by James Nanopoulos (38) and David Alleyne (24), but their wickets joined the procession soon after as the side lurched just past 150 on a tricky-day at the crease.
