By Marcus Uhe
A stirring fightback from Casey South Melbourne has locked-in a home preliminary final in Victorian Premier Cricket next weekend, after defeating minor premiers Prahran by five wickets on Sunday.
The Swans successfully defended 271, rolling Prahran for 245 in response, having recovered from spots of adversity throughout the captivating two days.
Michael Wallace’s departure in the fifth over reduced the Swans to 2/6 on day one, having lost Yash Pednekar for a duck, and with Ruwantha Kellapotha unavailable for selection through injury.
Wicketkeeper Devin Pollock, promoted to number four, became the innings’ mainstay, forming valuable partnerships with Ashley Chandrasinghe and Chris Benedek in a salvage mission.
Chandrasinghe was dismissed for 25, adjudged to have obstructed the field in a bizarre dismissal where a pull shot ricocheted back into his body and struck his hand.
The trio of Pollock (86), Chandrasinghe and Benedek (45) took the Swans to 3/155, but Benedek and Lachlan Sperling fell in quick succession, threatening to undo the hard work that stabilised the innings.
A captain’s knock from Luke Shelton (70) got Casey South Melbourne to a defendable score, and critically saw them bat for 90 overs, seeing out a full day.
But the Swans knew they had to make the running on day two, as a draw would see Prahran progress, as the higher-ranked side on the table at the end of the home-and-away season.
A 127-run opening partnership was far from the ideal beginning to the bowling innings, but a Shelton breakthrough saw the Swans roar back into the contest.
The spinner had Cameron Hemp pinned on the crease and given LBW for 61, before Jackson Fry grabbed the edge of the Hemp’s opening partner, James Billington, for 63 shortly after, opening the door for a comeback with two fresh batters at the crease.
Three more wickets fell before the break, to make Prahran 5/164, with the game well-and-truly in the balance.
Prahran dug in for the long haul, knowing that preserving their wickets and fighting for a draw would be enough to see them advance.
Shortly after the halfway point in the innings, the run rate plummeted below three, as maidens became to accrue.
But the Swans never gave up; two quick wickets to Nathan Lambden and one to Sperling saw Prahran lose 3/12, and at 8/193, only two results looked possible.
The ninth-wicket pair added 34 and soaked up a valuable 12 overs, as time remaining in the day in the day became a factor, until Fry made yet another breakthrough on the final ball of the 84th.
With six overs remaining, Shelton’s strike bowlers continued to charge in, a single wicket away from a famous Swans victory.
And in the 89th over, it happened: A Lambden yorker rattled Aidan Wheeler’s off stump, securing the result.
The wicket was Lambden’s fifth, in a 25-over spell to lead the attack, Fry taking 2/43 as the only other multiple wicket-taker.
Casey South Melbourne will put their feet up next week, before facing the winner of Richmond and Ringwood at home on the weekend of 16 and 17 March for a spot in the grand final.
The Swans defeated Ringwood in a T20 contest at home this season, but did not face Richmond.
Kellapotha will be racing the clock to prove his fitness, recovering from a toe injury.
