By David Nagel
CASEY-South Melbourne took on the biggest possible challenge that Victorian Premier Cricket can present last weekend and came within a whisker of causing a massive upset, settling instead for a draw.
The Swans (9/331) played host to top-of-the-table Carlton (9/213) – the only team to not taste defeat in the competition this season – and produced their best performance of the year in the two-day contest at Casey Fields.
Winning the toss and deciding to bat, the home side lost Sam Hughes (14) with the score on 25 but from there it was a clinic of converting starts, something that has been sadly missing this season.
Opener Rohan Blandford (81) and skipper Jake Best (51) put on the Swans’ best partnership for the season, their second-wicket stand of 120 was broken when Best was caught behind by Blues skipper Nathan Pillon. Jolyon Leaver (11) then came and went quickly but some solid middle-order batting from Sean Foster (59) and Clive Rose (62) made sure the Swans registered their highest score of the season.
Blandford was patient for almost four hours before he lost his head, being stumped off the bowling of Matthew Freeman. Foster and Rose put on 93 for the fifth wicket, taking the score to 284 before Foster departed for a well-made half-century.
Shane Maggs (26) joined Rose and took the score well beyond 300 before both lost their wickets within the space of a run on Sunday morning. The Swans finished on 9/331 and then set about making early inroads into the powerful Blues batting line-up.
It didn’t start well.
Ash Perera (2/36 off 24 overs) and Rod Bird (0/21 off nine overs) bowled tightly but couldn’t penetrate the Carlton openers. Captain Best swung the changes and finally had some luck when Fergus O’Connor (2/42) claimed the Swans’ first wicket with the score on 76.
Rose (3/70) then captured two quick wickets and the score had slumped to 3/87, the home side sniffing an opportunity. After a 29-run partnership, Perera struck double blows to have the Blues 5/116 and the Swannies were right on top.
All the way through their bowling stint the Swans faced one major hurdle, Carlton opener Jake Hancock (120) who batted for just over five hours to repel the home side’s efforts. O’Connor finally removed Hancock and when Rose claimed the wicket of Nick Austin the Swans were one wicket away from a memorable victory.
