Big tons key to victory
TWIN tons from Mitch Reid and Hayden Butterworth spearheaded Geelong’s convincing win over Essendon.
Reid and Butterworth smashed a record-breaking second-wicket partnership of 262 at Geelong Cricket Ground on Saturday as the Cats amassed 395.
Reid registered his maiden century, belting 161 from 224 balls.
It was Butterworth’s sixth ton, finishing with 129 from 223 as the pair mauled the Bombers’ bowling attack on a flat pitch.
The total proved too much for the visitors when they returned for day two yesterday, managing 286 in reply.
James Seymour completed a brilliant all-round performance for Essendon, topscoring with 77 after taking a staggering 8-98.
But Seymour’s heroics were not enough as Geelong elong improved its record to 5-1.
“It was a great win,” Cats coach Liam Buchanan said.
“The boys set it up with the bat yesterday (Saturday), and with that type of score, it meant we had scoreboard pressure all day.”
Buchanan heaped praise on Reid and Butterworth, who overcame the early setback of a Tom Treble dismissal to deliver a matchwinning partnership.
“They both did so well,” the coach said.
“To lose an early wicket and consolidate, and then put on a club recording-breaking partnership for the second wicket was pretty special.
“That’s Mitch’s first hundred in any grade of cricket, so it was great for him to get 160. ‘Butters’ has made a few hundreds for Geelong, and we know what’s he capable of, but it was good to see him come and do that.
“He’s been threatening to get a big score all year and he got it.” Buchanan said his batsmen were patient, waiting for the Bombers to make mistakes. “They were both circumspect and their strike rates weren’t much over 50,” he said.
“Mitch started taking the game on more when he got to 50, but he did it with limited risk.
“He didn’t give a chance, kept the ball along the ground and played beautifully.
“And Butters was a bit the opposite.
“He came in and got off to a pretty good start, but then he got through some pretty good spells of bowling until he got his hundred.”
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