By Marcus Uhe
Casey-South Melbourne has survived a dramatic middle order collapse to escape with a draw against Ringwood on Saturday in the second round of the Victorian Premier Cricket season.
The Swans lost debutant Jackson Isakka, Matthew Calder, Chris Bedenek and Devon Pollock – the final three all without scoring – in a dramatic five-over period that saw them slide from 2/112 in the 43rd over to 6/122 at the end of the 47th.
Chasing the Rams’ total of 9/283, Casey reached 8/210 at the close of play to split the points at Casey Fields.
Opener Yash Pednekar played a lone hand at the top of the order for the Swans, notching 74 from 153 deliveries, while all-rounder Vinu Mohotty contributed a vital 52 from 113 to help the Swans hang on.
Without Ash Chandrasinghe (Victoria) and Michael Wallace (retired) at the top of the batting card, the Swans are experiencing some teething issues with a new-look line-up that’s yet to fire in 2024/25.
Isakka, Calder, Bedenek and Pollock all fell to right-arm quick Justin Beaton, who finished with 5/46 from his 18 overs.
Pednekar and Mohotty offered some stability following Beaton’s devastating spell, but Pednekar’s wicket was quickly followed by the returning Harry Hoesktra’s, to leave the Swans vulnerable once more at 8/151 in the 57th over.
Mohotty and Nathan Lambden showed the necessary grit and resolve, however, putting on 59 for the final wicket in the remaining 26 overs to split the points.
It won’t get much easier for the Swans next week, when they welcome Prahran to Casey Fields.
The Swans should regain Hoesktra for both days but will likely not have access to Chandrasinghe again due to Victorian commitments.
