Victorian Premier Cricket: Casey South Melbourne chases top-four finish

Swans flying: Casey South Melbourne finished down the ladder in 2020-21 but it’s on the verge of picking up a double chance for this season’s finals.

Harry Kannan has had an encouraging season for the Swannies. Pic: Chris Thomas

Will Carr was a fast bowler for Victoria.

But in terms of talking about finals, the Casey South Melbourne senior coach hasn’t exactly been coming in off his long run, preferring the “week-by-week’’ approach.

Going into this week’s final round of Premier Cricket, however, he can discuss not only finals, but a top-four finish for the Swans.

They’ll get the double chance if they defeat Fitzroy-Doncaster at Casey Fields, quite an accomplishment for a team that came in 15th last season with four wins, 11 losses and two draws.

From 15 matches in 2021-22 they’ve improved to nine wins, five losses and a draw, good enough to hold down fourth with 53 points.

Carr is in his first season as head coach; you could make a good case for him being coach of the year.

“It is a possibility for us, but there’s still a game to win on Saturday against Fitzroy,’’ Carr said of the Swans’ top-four prospects.

“It would be fantastic to get there and it’s in our control.

“If we win the game we finish there, if we don’t then we’re reliant on other results and that’s never ideal.’’

Under the new finals system for the top eight, first will play fourth and second will play third in qualifying finals, and the losers will back up the following day in elimination finals.

If the Swans do stay fourth, they will meet minor premier St Kilda.

But Carr is taking nothing for granted, noting some of the talent in the Fitzroy-Doncaster team.

Harry Kannan on the drive for Casey South Melbourne. Pic: Chris Thomas

The Lions are out of finals reckoning, placed 13th on the ladder.

Last Saturday the Swans claimed their sixth consecutive win when they held Frankston Peninsula to 9-133 and replied with 5-135, pushed along by 18-year-old Harry Kannan’s busy innings of 44.

He faced 60 balls and caned 2 sixes and 6 fours.

Another youngster, Devlin “Spider’’ Webb, took 2-22 off nine overs of lively right-arm fast bowling against his former club and the experienced Lachie Sperling, earning his keep more with ball than bat this season, slipped in with 3-18 off seven overs with his left-arm spin.

“Another pleasing effort,’’ Carr said. “Our bowlers did the job, put it in the right areas, as they’ve done most of the season, and our batters were really professional in the run chase against a side that bowled very well and challenged us.’’

Left-hander Kannan – who joined the Swans last season from Ringwood – has put up 457 runs at 35.2.

“That’s a very good season, and there’s so much upside for him,’’ Carr noted.

“He’s a talented player. He’s got some really good shots. There are lots of learnings for him, as you would expect for an 18-year-old, but we’re very pleased with the way he’s progressing and the contribution he’s making.’’