Victorian Premier Cricket: Casey South Melbourne surprises St Kilda in qualifying final

The Swans won their first final in any grade in more than 20 years, edging St Kilda in a classic First XI match at the Junction Oval.

“Cheer, cheer...’’ Casey South Melbourne sings the song after defeating St Kilda.

A hit over mid-off and that was it, the end of a classic finals match and to almost unbearable tension that had settled over the Junction Oval.

The strike came from Casey South Melbourne No 10 Nathan Lambden and it lifted the Swans to a sterling victory over minor premier St Kilda in their Premier Cricket qualifying final on Saturday.

They had bowled out the Saints for 116 and with their reply at 1-66 they were seemingly taking a smooth passage to the preliminary final.

But there were twists and turns and strains and stresses to come.

St Kilda veteran Simon O’Brien dragged his team back into the match with superb left-arm fast bowling and in the end the Swans were eight wickets down with 13 balls left when they achieved their target through Lambden’s lusty blow.

Yes, they were mightily pleased. But weren’t they relieved!

And they were grateful too for the cool head of wicketkeeper and No 5 batsman Devin Pollock, who remained not out on 20, off 53 balls, a tough little cricketer who absorbed immense pressure applied by a St Kilda side straining to make up for its lack of runs.

“Everyoneinto the rooms!’’ Swans president Shaun Petrie said to supporters, officials and players from the lower grades as Lambden and Pollock came off the ground, clapped all the way by their teammates.

The rooms filled quickly. A minute or two later, handshakes with St Kilda done, the players entered and gave an ear-splitting rendition of the club song.

The Swans finished 15th last season. And now they had knocked over the Saints, who lost only one match across 16 home-and-away rounds this season.

Lambden was playing his 100th First XI match for Casey South Melbourne and you could have made a case for him being the man of it.

Devin Pollock (left) and Nathan Lambden (right) come off the ground after taking the Swannies over the line.

He removed St Kilda openers Michael De Iacovo and Patrick Rowe, finished with 3-33 off eight overs and then emerged down the list to strike two boundaries and go off in triumph, nine not out.

The Saints’ innings had lasted 38.3 overs as batsmen came and went like the cars on Queens Rd.

After losing De Iacovo, Rowe and Jon Merlo cheaply, Ed Newman and champion Adam Crosthwaite had a steadying partnership for the host club.

It ended when Newman, on 32, edged young medium-pacer Devlin Webb (1-20) to Chris Benedek at slip. Two runs later Crosthwaite (19) snicked left-arm spinner Luke Shelton to Benedek.

Leggie Ruwanthana Kellepotha (1-20) had the experienced Tom Russ LBW for 3.

And when young Jack Cunnington was run out for 20, the Saints had lost all their batting specialists.

Shelton (2-30 off 10 overs), left-arm paceman Jackson Fry (2-13) and Lambden accounted for the last three wickets and St Kilda had been shaken out for 116, its lowest score of the season.

With outstanding young Casey South Melbourne opener Ashley Chandrasinghe breaking his finger during the week and slipping out of the side, Lachie Sperling was promoted from No 8 to join Manders for the start of the run chase.

Sperling (0) didn’t survive the first over, playing on to left-arm fast bowler Josh Bartlett.

It was the perfect start to the Saints’ bowling effort.

But Manders and captain Michael Wallace ensured there would be no further early casualties.

Manders, playing late and playing straight, held his pose after a handsome, crunchy cover drive to the boundary off quickie Henry Thornton.

When ace offie Todd Murphy came into the attack, Wallace square drove him for four, then whipped out the reverse sweep for another four. Murphy’s first over went for nine.

A few minutes Wallace put him over the mid-on fence, a mighty blow. But when he went to repeat the shot he skied the ball close to the wicket, Crosthwaite catching it as it came down.

That left the Swans 2-66.

Gradually their position weakened.

Young Harry Kannan was LBW to Murphy for two and Manders (38) edged O’Brien to keeper Rowe.

Shelton was caught behind for a first-baller and suddenly the score was 5-82 and Swans supporters were making a note of how many were needed.

Pollock eased some nerves with a lofted four down the ground off O’Brien – it wasn’t that far away from the fielder – and soon after top-edged Thornton for another boundary.

With the score on 100 Kellepotha was brilliantly caught at gully by De Iacovo off O’Brien. The veteran then had a fourth wicket when he dismissed Webb, who fell for a short ball, hitting it to Cunnington at mid-wicket.

And when Thornton knocked over Benedek for a duck, lighting up bails and stumps, the Swans were 7-104.

Casey South Melbourne was faltering, St Kilda was surging.

Lambden joined Pollock in the middle and was quickly bringing his bat down straight and resolutely.

Then came an important moment late in the match.

O’Brien thudded a ball into Lambden’s pads, but he was called for a no-ball. It might have been a good LBW shout if it was a legal delivery.

Lambden drilled the free hit to the cover boundary as things turned in favour of the Swans. They were 8-112 after 47 overs. And they were the victors when Lambden hit Thornton over mid-off for four.

The win sent CSM into a preliminary final (and, according to scorer Billy Lincoln, it was apparently the club’s first finals victory in any grade for at least 23 years).

And the loss condemned St Kilda to a loser-out final today against Footscray at the Harry Trott Oval.

While the Saints never got going with the bat, their bowling was superb, headed by O’Brien (4-28 off 10) and Murphy (2-20 off 10).

Casey South Melbourne 8-118 (Manders 38, Wallace 32, Pollock 28no; O’Brien 4-28, Murphy 2-20) d St Kilda 116 (Newman 32, Cunnington 20; Lambden 3-33).