Premier Cricket: Casey South Melbourne captain Luke Wells cracks 197 not out against Essendon
Casey South Melbourne captain Luke Wells cracked 197 not out against Essendon to break the Premier club’s run-aggregate record.
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The West Indies had the three Ws, Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Clyde Walcott and Sir Everton Weekes.
On Saturday Casey Melbourne South had Luke Wells, Michael Wallace and Jordan Wyatt — and, led by 197 not out from Wells, they took a towering total off Essendon at Casey Fields in Cranbourne east.
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The Swans stacked up 4-396 before Wells, selflessly giving up an almost-certain double century, declared to have a two-over dart at the Bombers.
They survived to be 0-0 at stumps.
But they couldn’t escape a battering from the Swans.
It was Wells’s fourth century of the Premier Cricket season and bumped up his aggregate to a club-record 882 runs, 1063 when Super Slam runs are added in.
The left-hander cracked 22 fours and 4 sixes off 258 balls.
Wells shared partnerships of 198 for the fourth wicket with Wallace, who was run out for 91, and an unbroken 110 for the fifth peg with Wyatt, who blasted 74 off only 38 deliveries.
Powerful right-hander Wyatt put away 5 sixes — one of which landed in the nearby lake — and 7 fours.
It was the Swans’ highest total since their move to Casey Fields in Cranbourne in 2006-07.
Wells said he was happy to declare and chase an Essendon wicket in the shadow of stumps.
The Swans need to win the match to stay in finals contention and the Sussex batsman said he wanted to make a start on getting 10 wickets.
“It was good, an enjoyable day, mate,’’ he said.
“Got to get the win now and make it count for something.’’
He said Wallace — who faced 158 balls and cracked 9 fours and 2 sixes — batted “beautifully’’ and deserved a century.
As for Wyatt, “he just came out from ball one. It wasn’t that easy to score with the soft ball and a slow pitch but he belted it from ball one. It was unbelievable to watch. It was T20 out there for a period of time.’’
Swans director of cricket Craig “Doc’’ Lambden said Wells played a superb innings.
“It was just effortless,’’ he said.
“The club’s been going since 1862 and ‘Wellsy’ has just passed the record for most runs in a season (bettering Roy Howard’s 835 runs in 1952-53).
“But great from the other boys as well. Michael Wallace, 91 and unlucky to be run out, and Jordie Wyatt lost a couple of pills and put one into the water. Seventy-two off 38 … that’s going.’’
Casey South Melbourne had elected to bat but lost opener Ryan Quirk for a duck.
Essendon also removed Joel Mitchell (19) and Lachie Sperling (11) cheaply. But from there the Bomber bowlers were treated roughly, as Wells and Wallace took the score from 3-88 to 4-286.
Runs came at a furious rate in the final session as Wells and Wyatt sped the home team towards 400.
The match continues next Saturday.
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