Premier Cricket 2022-23: Ringwood’s Matt Fotia takes career-best 7-54

A Ringwood quick capped off a stellar home-and-away season with career-best figures as the Rams prepare for their first top-flight finals campaign in years.

THE sizzling performance proved the headline act.

Ringwood quick Matt Fotia put Prahan’s batting order to the sword on Saturday, finishing with a career-best 7-54 off 23 overs as the Rams closed out the home-and-away season with a draw.

They finish the season in fifth spot with an 8-2-5 record, with Fotia taking a competition-leading 39 wickets at an average of 13.87 – seven ahead of next-best, Essendon’s Tom O’Donnell.

Entering Saturday on 4-46, Fotia ripped through four of Prahran’s top five the previous week before an unrelenting run on the weekend.

The 28-year-old was also crowned the First XI’s player of the year on Saturday night, capping off a stellar campaign.

He missed most of last season through injury but has returned to help the Rams to their first finals appearance since 2015-16.

Matt Fotia sends one down for Ringwood.

“It’s been remarkable,” Ringwood coach Sean Flynn said.

“We really missed him last season and to come back and take 39 wickets is a career-high for him … he’s been huge for us every single week.

“He gets a look at the Second XI (Victorian) game this week down in Hobart and I’m sure he’ll acquit himself really well.”

And the coach is bullish on the paceman’s Premier Team of the Year prospects.

“He’s troubled every team this year,” Flynn said.

Meanwhile, Jackson Freeman put on 99 runs off 208 deliveries, driving 13 boundaries in the Rams’ 7-257 chase of Prahran’s declared 9-315.

His deeds came from the No. 2 batting slot and follow a maiden First XI century in Round 12 with an unbeaten 111 against Frankston Peninsula.

The club favourite has 259 runs for the season to go with 10 wickets from 13 appearances.

Jackson Freeman. Picture: George Salpigtidis

“He’s in really good form coming into the finals,” Flynn said.

The Rams take on the True Blues again this weekend, in a qualifying final at Russell Lucas Oval.

Prahran fell agonisingly short of a maiden club championship on Saturday and Flynn is expecting another tight tussle.

“We’ve got three teams in the finals this weekend (and) Prahran has all their teams in,” he said.

“It was a hard-fought game and we’re looking forward to taking them on again this week.”