By Marcus Uhe
Casey South Melbourne tasted defeat for just the second time this season on Saturday and surrendered first place on the Victorian Premier Cricket table as a result, thanks to a miserly one-wicket loss to Carlton at Princes Park.
The Swans took their defence of 9/215 right to the final over of the match and needed just one more wicket to snatch the points at the beginning of the over, bowled by Nathan Lambden, but a single off the opening ball to Carlton number 11 Michael Archer ensured the previous season’s runner-up claimed the points.
Ducks in the first innings to Ruwantha Kellapotha and Devin Pollock proved major setbacks for the Swans in the top-of-the-table clash, already missing opening bat Yash Pednekar to injury at the top of the order.
Ashley Chandrasinghe was the mainstay at the top for the Swans, forming important partnerships with Michael Wallace (73) and Chris Benedek (65) while occupying the crease for 125 deliveries himself, on his way to 66.
Devlin Webb contributed 29 off 28 deliveries but the failures at the top of the order proved major stumbling blocks in posting a defendable score.
Chandrasinghe’s 66 was the highest individual Swans score, closely followed by Benedek’s unbeaten 61 in his first senior game for the club this season.
While the Swans managed to snare regular wickets in the Blues’ chase, the top-order’s ability to all make starts was a direct contrast to what the visitors produced earlier in the day.
Numbers one to five on the Carlton batting card each made at least 20, while number six Nicholas Ross was forced to retire his innings on 18.
At 4/157 in the 37th over, the result looked a formality for Carlton despite an economical bowling performance from the Casey South Melbourne bowling attack.
But the departure of Ross set in motion a collapse from the middle and lower order in the face of a fightback from Jackson Fry and co, the Blues losing 5/42 to put the match back on an even keel.
The 49th over began with Carlton just six runs shy of victory and the Swans needing two wickets, Fry the man with the ball in hand having led the comeback.
Singles on the first, second and fourth deliveries, plus two wides, saw the home side attempt to sneak home on the final ball of Fry’s over to claim the victory, but the decision to take-on the arm of a prowling Webb proved costly, throwing the stumps down from square leg to remove the set batter in Dominic Sullivan, and provide one final twist in the game.
Lambden, one of the competition’s best bowlers to date, was then handed the ball for the final over, but he was unable to prevent the victory, Archer dropping the ball at his feet and running a safe single.
Lambden (3/50), Fry (2/50) and Luke Shelton were the only wicket-takers for the Swans, with Lambden securing his place as the competition’s leading wicket-taker as a result on 30 scalps.
Carlton has now edged ahead on the table by a solitary point, and has one game in hand on the Swans, whose run of important games continues this week when they welcome Geelong to Casey Fields for a one-day game, just four points behind Casey South Melbourne in third place.
