James Seymour, Michael Hill centuries secure Essendon a thumping win

Centuries to Essendon star James Seymour and captain Michael Hill ensured the Bombers started the Premier Cricket campaign with a big win.

James Seymour in action for Essendon. Picture: Hamish Blair

James Seymour’s dream 2020 continued on Saturday as the Essendon opener smashed an unbeaten 142 against Geelong.

In his 100th Premier Cricket First XI match for the club, Seymour, together with captain Michael Hill (106 off 79) and Aaron Ayre (68 off 65), torched the Cats’ attack.

The Bombers’ imposing 1-325 secured a 50-run win as the home team’s chase at Kardinia Park came up short at 9-275.

Seymour smashed 14 boundaries and a six in his 158-ball masterclass, putting on a 142-run opening stand with Ayres, before Hill blasted seven fours and five sixes to bring up his ton.

“He’s a phenomenal player and is coming into his peak form with his batting,” Hill said of his star opener.

Michael Hill in action for Essendon. Picture: Hamish Blair

James Seymour in action for Essendon. Picture: Hamish Blair

“I hope for his sake he gets an opportunity, if it’s not at the next level just yet, then when the Second XI comes back I’d like to see him back get a decent run at it.

“I said to him he needs to get hundreds, he gets beautiful 70s and 80s but he needs hundreds, and he did that yesterday – a big hundred.

“We were only 30 off the first 10 or not much more than that, so it was a really mature partnership by Aaron and James.

“It makes my job a lot easier when you’ve got two quality players in front of you that put on 140.”

The thumping win was soured by a quad injury to paceman Tom O’Donnell, who is racing the clock to be fit for next week’s clash against Greenvale Kangaroos at Windy Hill.

Geelong’s chase got off to a flyer as captain Eamonn Vines (64) and Hayden Butterworth (48) took to Essendon’s pacemen.

Liam Bowe appeals for a wicket. Picture: Hamish Blair

However, the introduction of Cam McClure (0-24) and the critical run out of Butterworth by Liam Molloy put the brakes on.

Spinners Liam Bowe (3-47), Liam Molloy (2-42) and Seymour (2-51) then went to work to stitch up a season opening win.

“They started brilliantly, as a captain it was really difficult to set fields because it’s a difficult ground to defend on,” Hill said.

“We started to drag the run-rate back, they had to start taking some chances and Liam got one to stick and Butterworth was on his way, which was a really big wicket for us.

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“For me our best bowler was Cam McClure by a very long way.

“He came on with the run-rate at 6.5 an over and, with respect to him didn’t bowl as well as he would have liked in our last practice match, but came out in the Victorian game at the MCG and bowled the house down.

“So he came in full of confidence and just hit back of a length every ball and didn’t get a reward with a wicket but that’s when the run out came.

“If you’re getting 325, at the risk of mozzing ourselves, you have to do something drastically wrong because it’s a huge score in club cricket.”