Premier Cricket: Casey South Melbourne fights back to set Camberwell Magpies a testing target

Camberwell will have plenty of work to do with the bat next week after Casey South Melbourne ran up a testing total on the first day of their Premier Cricket two-dayer at the Camberwell Sports Ground on Saturday.

Camberwell will have plenty of work to do with the bat next week after Casey South Melbourne ran up a testing total on the first day of their Premier Cricket two-dayer at the Camberwell Sports Ground on Saturday.

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Will Walker on his way to a five-wicket haul on Saturday. Picture: Chris Eastman

After being tied up with state team duties, Andrew Fekete made his long-awaited return for the Magpies and celebrated by nabbing the scalps of Swans openers Luke Wells, caught by James Rosewarne for a duck, and Ryan Quirk, caught by Tom Russ for five, to have the visitors 2-17 and in early trouble.

And, when Will Walker had Lachlan Sperling caught behind by Lewis McManus for nine, the Magpies had one foot on the Swans neck at 3-30.

But Jared Maxwell and Michael Wallace joined forces and set about staunching the early flow. As the momentum began to turn, the pair put on 89 for the fourth wicket before Walker eventually got one through Maxwell ending a 113-ball stay that yielded 67 runs in 145 minutes with 10 fours.

Camberwell Magpies players celebrate after taking the wicket of Lachlan Sperling. Picture: Chris Eastman

Wallace (125 off 212 balls in 261 minutes with 16 fours and two sixes) and Devin Pollock (83 off 129 balls in 182 minutes with 12 fours and a six) plundered 161 runs for the sixth wicket as the Swans completed their fightback at 9-329 from 96 overs by the end of the day.

Walker (5-44 off 20 overs) and Fekete (4-112 off 29) did the bulk of the work with the ball while McManus finished with four catches.

While the total looks an imposing one, Camberwell coach Brad Loveluck is confident it will be well within his side’s grasp when it chases next weekend.

“The wicket was fantastic,” he said. “I think its (the total) about par, I’m quite happy with that actually, I think it’s pretty gettable next week.

“We got three quick ones and then the wicket flattened out after that. We toiled pretty hard on such flat wicket. Walker was the best, his 5-44 off 20 was exceptional and he just keeps getting better and better. And a lot of those runs (next to Fekete’s name) came from nicks through third man.”

Andrew Fekete made his return for Camberwell Magpies this week. Picture: Chris Eastman