Premier Cricket: Casey South Melbourne quick Nathan Lambden on his career-best summer

A forced change in his preparation and the “green light” to attack has led to Nathan Lambden’s sizzling summer, but the Casey South Melbourne quickie isn’t done just yet.

Nathan Lambden’s 39-wicket season

Judging from Nathan Lambden’s rollicking Premier Cricket season, it would be easy to assume he spent the pre-season bowling thousands of deliveries.

But that was far from the case for the Casey South Melbourne quickie.

Lambden entered his career-best season having not bowled for almost a month and unsure how his recently operated on shoulder would hold up.

He got through his eight over spell against Dandenong unscathed, kick starting what would eventually be a 39-scalp summer.

Lambden carried the injury for a number of seasons, masking multiple tears in his shoulder with blood infusions.

“I actually did it in the season we made the grand final just throwing a ball in earlier in the year,” he said.

“I played the whole year because we were winning but got to the end of the season and it didn’t get any better so I got it looked at.

“They found the tear but it was too late to do anything about it then so I had to get blood injections. They took my blood, spun it and injected it back into the joint.

“I was getting them (injections) to play last season. I got it looked at again and within a week I was under the knife where the surgeon found a second tear.

“I was in a sling for a month and I thought I was flying until it was time to throw and ramp the bowling up. It didn’t like that, so I had to get Cortisones leading into round 1.”

Lambden celebrates a wicket. Picture: Andy Brownbill

The Swans quick lets one fly. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Lambden admits the injury, and the consequential rehabilitation, is beneficial for how he now prepares.

He’s gone from wanting to “look big” in the gym, to focusing on the mechanics of his body.

“I have never been one to strengthen the shoulders and if I did, it was the big muscle groups that we all want to look big,” he said.

“But the work we are doing is in the muscles we actually need, so I have actually been able to strengthen the right muscles in the shoulders.

“I think it actually has helped and it’s something now I am just going to keep doing, once the season finishes I am not going to stop it.”

Lambden stands at the top of his 19.40-metre run up. Picture: Andy Brownbill

While Lambden focused on being fit for Round 1, Swans captain Luke Shelton had much bigger plans for his tearaway.

Shelton pulled Lambden aside during the pre-season and gave him “the official green light” to attack.

Lambden said it was one of the factors that have contributed to his sizzling summer.

“He (Shelton) said to me that he doesn’t care if I go for boundaries, I am there to attack,” he said.

“He’s set some attacking fields for me and we’ve been smart with how we’ve taken the wickets which is pleasing.

“I have always been an attacking bowler but having the official green light from your skipper and coach gives you a bit of extra confidence.

“If you get hit for a four you smile and say ‘oh well’, then keep attacking.”

Lambden castles Greenvale’s Odil Perera. Picture: Andy Brownbill

Lambden isn’t satisfied with 39 victims at an average of just 16 – hellbent on taking a pile more over the next month.

He says Casey South Melbourne isn’t “filling the gaps” of this Premier Cricket finals series and is determined to take his group “all the way”.

“We set the goal at the start of the year to finish top four and to be able to tick that off is a start,” he said.

“But we don’t want to be just filling the gaps, we want to be the ones that go deep and we’re just excited.

“The buzz at the club is unreal, everyone is pumped, we’re going to go out and do what we do best … I think we’re good enough to go all the way.”

Casey South Melbourne has minor premier Prahran at Walter Galt this Saturday.