By Marcus Uhe
Ashley Chandrasinghe’s second consecutive hundred for Casey South Melbourne set the tone for another thumping Swans win in Victorian Premier Cricket over Essendon at Windy Hill over the weekend.
On the back of 113 against Kingston Hawthorn at home the week prior, Chandrasinghe repeated the dose with 111 at the top of the order.
His innings was the pillar for the Swans to build around, on their way to posting 9/272, before bowling their opponents out for just 71 on Sunday for a 201-run victory.
The marathon innings lasted 255 balls and just shy of 88 overs as the top three made a patient and cautious start to the innings.
His strike rate was the quickest of the opening trio’s with Yash Pednekar and Harrish Kannan also taking their time to find their feet at the crease, but neither of the two went on to a score of significance.
Michael Wallace and Devlin Webb played more attacking roles with their fifties, Webb’s 56 coming off just 54 deliveries, while Wallace’s second consecutive 50 follows a ton against Camberwell the round prior, to take his season average to 69.7.
Essendon’s response lasted just 34 overs on Sunday, no match for the charging Swans’ bowling attack that is currently firing on all cylinders.
Nathan Lambden’s glittering year continued with two wickets in the seventh over, to have the home side three down early, before Devlin Webb did the same in the 12th over with Essendon on the ropes at 5/27.
Essendon batters Connor Poulton and Tom O’Donnell fought back in the lower order but were two of only three players to reach the salvation of double figures.
Lambden’s 3/17 was enough to keep him at the top of the leading wicket-takers column for the competition while Webb finished with his best bowling figures of the season with 4/22.
The Swans sit equal top with Ringwood on the Premier Cricket table, with the best net run rate and double the percentage of Ringwood in second to stamp their authority as the decisive best side in the competition so far.
They’ll return to red and white colours on Saturday when they face St Kilda at the Junction Oval in a one-day match.
