Shaky Swans feel the heat

By Paul Pickering
CASEY-South Melbourne’s suspect batting line-up folded ‘like a deck of cards’ against Northcote on Saturday, wasting a promising start to post just 162 on day one at Bill Lawry Oval.
The Swans promoted young opener Jake Best from the seconds to bolster the top-order, with all-rounder Clive Rose dropping down to number seven.
The move looked to have paid off when Best and Robbie Elston put on 57 for the first wicket.
Best, playing his opening first XI game of the season, went on to top score with 42, but his departure sparked an all-too familiar implosion from the visiting Swans.
They lost 9/83 either side of lunch and 6/25 to close the innings. After the gritty opening stand, first-year batsman Rohan Blandford (29) was the only one to dig in.
Swans coach Mark Ridgway was furious with his batsmen and forecast a long night at the selection table next week.
“We’ll sit down at selection next week and make more changes, because it’s pointless playing the same people if they’re not going to perform,” he said.
“At two for 80-odd, (Best and Elston) set a pretty good platform for the rest to come in and take over, but when you don’t put any value on your wicket and play some dumb shots, you get what you deserve.
“We just fell over like a deck of cards unfortunately and succumbed to some bowling that was just steady.
“We weren’t facing thunderbolts from Mitchell Johnson or Peter Siddle.”
Eleventh-placed Northcote was led by lumbering paceman Mark Doyle (4/34) and ex-Dandenong spinner Nathan Allen (3/54).
In reply, the Dragons slumped to 3/40, before surviving a couple of boisterous lbw appeals in the dying minutes leading up to stumps.
Swans Matthew Hawking, Tim Dale and Rose all claimed an early scalp to boost their confidence.
Rose, who has been asked to concentrate on his left-arm orthodox tweakers, responded well to concede just eight runs in his seven overs.
He may yet be the key to the Swans’ defence of the small total, providing a perfect foil for the likes of pace spearhead Jayde Herrick.
So, despite his frustration, Ridgway is backing his Swans to redeem themselves on Saturday.
“We battled back with the ball and at 3/50, I suppose we’re still a chance,” he said.
“We’re still in the fight.”
The Swans will take some heart from an emphatic Twenty20 victory over Ringwood on Tuesday night.
Despite the absence of skipper Damien Wright and front-liners Herrick and Hawking, Casey-South Melbourne skittled the Rams for just 72 inside 17 overs.
Brett Eddy (3/7), Stacy Brown (3/19) and Tim Dale (2/21) were the chief destroyers, while Elston top-scored with 18 as the Swans reeled in the target with five wickets in hand