By Marcus Uhe
Casey South Melbourne opening batter Matt Calder ensured his club debut was one to remember on Saturday morning, blasting an unbeaten 103 from just 54 deliveries in a top-of-the-table T20 win over Ringwood at Casey Fields in Victorian Premier Cricket.
Calder clattered four sixes and 13 fours in his knock, bringing up his century and the winning runs off the final ball of the innings with a cut shot through backward point.
Teammate Lachlan Sperling defended the final two balls of the previous over with just three runs required for victory, allowing enough runs for Calder to reach the milestone early in the 16th over.
From Mosman in New South Wales’ Premier Cricket competition, Calder was a seamless fit at the top of the order for the Swans, who chased Ringwood’s total of 8/148 four wickets down.
He reached his half century of just 26 deliveries, having taken 18 runs from the fourth over of the innings bowled by Ringwood skipper David King.
While the remainder of the top order failed to fire, Calder’s innings ensured there was no reason for concern, assuming the responsibility as chief destroyer of the Rams’ attack.
Earlier, two wickets to Jackson Fry in the second over of Ringwood’s innings saw them fall to 2/7, with only opener Adam Amin able to put pressure on Casey’s bowling group.
Amin hit 79 from 51 deliveries but struggled to build partnerships as wickets fell around him, the largest of the innings just 37 between he and Ian Holland.
Five Swans bowlers took wickets while only conceding at slightly around a run-a-ball for the duration of the innings, aside from a late flurry from the tail.
Skipper Luke Shelton took 2/23 from his four overs, while Fry finished with 2/21 from his three.
Calder backed-up his century in his first appearance for the Swans with a half-century in the second, as his side grabbed a second victory of the day later in the afternoon against Frankston Peninsula.
Where the first game of the day saw the Swans chase, Shelton chose to bat against Frankton Peninsula where set the visitors a total of 6/151.
Calder’s 64 from 51 topped the scorecard for the home side, having shared in a 84-run stand with wicketkeeper Devin Pollock, who hit 55 off 40.
The two arrested a skid from the Swans that saw Ruwantha Kellapotha and Michael Wallace both dismissed within quick succession early in the innings, as the remainder of the batters struggled again.
A break in the Big Bash League schedule for the Melbourne Renegades allowed the Swans to include Kellapotha, but the all rounder was below his best, despite an economical performance in the second contest.
Fry struck early the Swans’ defence to dismiss opener Jai Elcock and put the pressure back on the Heat, which never recovered in pursuit of the total.
Former Swan Luke Manders was forced to retire not out on 17, and none of his teammates passed 26 thanks to a tight bowling performance.
Fry, Kellapotha and Sperling’s economy rates were each below six, while Shelton was not far behind on 6.6, having taken 2/20 from his three overs.
Sperling was the standout bowler with 2/14 from his 4.
The competition returns to 50-over fixtures next week, with the Swans facing another contender to their ladder-leading status when they take on second-placed Carlton at Princes Park.
