Down to the wire

By Justin Robertson
CASEY-South Melbourne are in grave danger of missing this year’s finals series.
When the umpires called off Saturday’s play due to a wet wicket caused by a massive thunderstorm that hit Windy Hill Friday night, it was always going to be tough for the Swans to claim a win the next day to book a spot in this year’s finals.
As it turned out,Essendon won the match by 61 runs and now the Swans face a do-or-die game against Ringwood.
A seething Swans coach Mark Ridgway launched an unsuccessful appeal to the Pennant Committee of Cricket Victoria on Tuesday night citing “a lost opportunity to play a two-day game” as catalyst for their appeal after the loss to Essendon.
“We’re bitterly disappointed with the decision.
“We had photos and evidence but they made the decision based on the Essendon’s cricket club president and his word that he saw the covers on with his own eyes,” he said, also adding that he was still toying with the idea of another appeal before the end of the week.
“Unless an inland tsunami ripped through Essendon, I don’t know how two of the wickets could be so wet, and four could be dry.”
Ridgway said when he first took a look at the wicket, it looked like it had been “hosed down”.
“Next to the wicket we were meant to play on was wet too, but the next four wickets were dry.
“What Essendon were saying, was that so much water had gathered, it all went under the covers,” he said.
“Well there’s no way water could run down like that and make a mess like that when every other wicket bar two was dry – and why didn’t it happen to the whole square?”
While Ridgway and his committee are yet to decide on whether or not they’ll launch another appeal, the loss to Essendon still stands.
Set 225 for the win in less than 45 overs, the Swans were in a good position at 3/132, but the loss of their last six wickets for 30 runs ended hopes of a win.
Rohan Blandford (70) and Jake Best (51) combined for a 103-run stand and looked like setting up an unlikely win in the circumstances, but the Swans collapsed to lose 6/30, to be all out for 162.
“We gave it our best shot Sunday and thought we were in a pretty good position to win,” Ridgway said.
“Irrespective of that we were den-ied the opportunity to play a two-day game.”
It was a rare loss for the Swans who have won seven from their past nine games now, but are confronted with a mini-final this weekend against Ringwood who have claimed two premierships in the past five years.
“We lose we are out and won’t play finals. It’s very cut-throat of us, it’s our quarter final,” Ridgway said.
“If we lose on the weekend, it’ll be a catastrophe for us.”