By RUSSELL BENNETT
CASEY-South Melbourne is well-positioned to return to the top eight after a strong opening day in their Round 6 Victorian Premier Cricket match-up with the Camberwell Magpies at Casey Fields.
The home side won the toss and sent the visitors in, and the decision paid almost immediate dividends with Nathan Freitag snaring opener Morgan Persson-Clark for just one run.
The Magpies steadied, thanks in large part to a stellar half-century from Tom Rickarby (86) and a fighting 44 from Simon Hill, but Andrew Perrin (5/36) wasn’t to be denied. The Swans seamer cut through the visitors’ batting line-up like a hot knife through butter, dismissing both Magpies top scorers on his way to a brilliant five-wicket haul.
Camberwell was eventually dismissed for 171 with no other batsman surpassing 10.
Freitag provided invaluable support to Perrin, taking 3/38 from a super economical 20 overs while Jordan Wyatt (1/0) and Brendan Rose (1/11) took a wicket apiece.
The Swans will resume on day two on 0/31 – 140 runs in arrears of Camberwell but still with all 10 wickets intact. Josh Holden (21 n.o.) and Shane Maggs (9 n.o.) are the not-out batsmen.
Casey-South Melbourne currently sits ninth on the ladder, level on points with the eighth-placed Magpies.
