The Wright approach works for Swans

By Paul Pickering
A FIRST-class veteran and a Premier Cricket pup scored twin centuries on Saturday to send Casey-South Melbourne into second spot on the league ladder.
Thirty-four-year-old skipper Damien Wright was unbeaten on 104 as the Swans overhauled Melbourne’s total of 344 at the Albert Ground, following a maiden first XI ton from 20-year-old opener Jake Best (125).
The stunning result left the visitors just three points adrift of ladder-leading Ringwood, which they defeated in dramatic circumstances the previous round.
It also prompted coach Mark Ridgway to declare that his Swans – for so long the punching of the Premier ranks – will no longer be intimidated by the competition’s heavyweights.
“They don’t fear anyone anymore,” Ridgway said.
“Last year we went into games hoping to be competitive, hoping to win, but now we go into games expecting to win.”
That belief was clear in Best’s mature 221-ball knock on Saturday. He resumed his innings alongside Michael Hansen (19) at 1/11, before forging crucial partnerships with Craig Ent-wistle (50) and Wright for the third and fifth wickets.
Entwistle and youngster Rohan Blandford (13) fell to the left-arm chinaman spin of Sean Sturrock (3/106), bringing Wright to the crease at 4/177.
The big-hitting Bushranger initially struggled to find his touch in just his second game back from injury, but then exploded for 18 boundaries in a brilliant captain’s innings that guided his team home with five wickets and 10 overs to spare.
“Jake Best set up the game and Wrighty won the game,” Ridway later put it.
Try as Ridgway might to keep a lid on things at Casey Fields, his pride in his much-improved group can’t help but shine through.
“I’m trying not to get too excited, but I can’t believe we’re second,” he said.
“If I sat down pre-season and said that after round nine Casey-South Melbourne would be second, I would’ve been committed to the loony bin.
“If we don’t make the top eight now, we’ll be bitterly disappointed.
“And if we can win this weekend and go into the break in second spot, maybe we’ll reassess and aim for a top four spot.”
The Swans will host Prahran at Casey Fields on Saturday.