The Bombers started the year with an impressive total of 6-231 off their 50 overs at Casey Fields but could not remove Jake Best (96 not out) as the home team reached the target with nine balls to spare.

The defeat knocked Essendon down to 13th in the 18-team premier first XI, its 17 points now nine off finals pace of Camberwell Magpies (26).

Victorian Sheffield Shield quickie Jayde Herrick led the Casey-South Melbourne line-up but claimed just the one Bomber wicket from his 10-over spell.

The Bombers' choice to bat looked a good one after a half-century opening stand between Ben MacRae (27) and James Dickinson (18).

Ben Fletcher (81) and Benny Howell (57) shared a 112-run partnership as the Bombers turned around a mini-collapse at 2-52 to reach 3-169 when Howell was dismissed. Only Ashley Perera (2-46) could take multiple wickets for Casey-South Melbourne.

Essendon's defence started well when Steven Reid snared opener Sam Hughes for a duck to make the score 1-6.

But Rohan Blandford (70) and Best shared a 115-run stand for the second wicket to keep Casey-South Melbourne ahead of the run rate required.

Blandford did the bulk of the scoring in the second-wicket partnership, with Best taking over in an 80-run stand for the third wicket with Jolyon Leaver (32).

When Louis Cameron bowled Leaver at 3-201, it started a Bomber rally that captured 4-16.

But Best found a resilient partner in Shane Maggs (10no) to guide Casey-South Melbourne to victory in the 49th over.

Craig Berger (2-37) and Reid (2-50) were Essendon's only multiple wicket-takers.

Essendon starts a two-day game against North Melbourne at Windy Hill this weekend.

In Second XI, James Seymour (71) and Zaheer Hussain (52) were leading scorers as the Bombers' 6-235 fell seven runs short chasing Casey-South Melbourne's 6-242.

In Third XI, Essendon made 8-208 which Casey-South Melbourne chased down with 6.3 overs and six wickets in hand.

In Fourth XI, Essendon (8-187) defeated Casey-South Melbourne (87).