Victorian Super Slam: St Kilda, Carlton go through to grand final

The top two teams on the Victorian Premier Cricket ladder will battle it out for the state Twenty20 title at the Albert Ground.

Tom and Harry Smyth walk off after taking Carlton over the line.

They’re first and second on the men’s Premier Cricket ladder, and St Kilda and Carlton have come through as the two top teams in the Victorian Super Slam too.

The pair will fight it for the Twenty20 title in the grand final at the Albert Ground next Tuesday night after semi-finals victories last night.

St Kilda swept past Casey South Melbourne at the Harry Trott Oval and Carlton saw off a doughty Richmond at Central Reserve.

It will be the third Super Slam grand final and the Blues’ third appearance in it.

In the first they lost to Dandenong at the MCG but surged to the national championship in Adelaide. They defeated Richmond the following season (the series wasn’t played last year owing to Covid).

Last night they ran down the Tigers’ 7-144, although not as easily as they might have expected after a 63-run partnership between Connor Rutland and coach Evan Gulbis.

Richmond fought back to dismiss Rutland (21 of 25 balls), Jai Lemire (4) and Gulbis (47 off 40 deliveries, with 2 sixes and 4 fours) and make Carlton 3-80.

Nick Ross joined Tom Smyth after Gulbis was bowled by Reiley Mark, and they made steady progress towards the target.

Then came an eventful 16th over, bowled by Andrew Humphries. Ross caned 16 off the first four balls, with a mix of panache and power.

He cracked the fifth delivery to the mid-wicket fence, where Mark dived to his right and took an outstanding catch low to the ground. Watching on from the pavilion, the great Brendan McArdle was quick to call it a classic.

Ross had to go for 23 off 10, with 27 needed.

In came Harry Smyth, parading Carlton’s depth, and the brothers calmly finished things off, Tom hitting successive boundaries in the 19th over. He was 28 not out off 20 balls. Harry was 14 not out off 13. And the Blues were into another Super Slam grand final.

Gulbis was probably player of the match with his near-half century and return of 4-31 off four overs.

Young Richmond opening pair Zac Sleeman (36 off 27, with 2 fours and 2 sixes) and Shobit Singh (30 off 32) put on 65 and No 3 Humphries hit 27 off 23.

Sam Mills hit out well in the last over to finish 35 not out off 21 deliveries, but the Tigers probably needed to get 160.

At Harry Trott, St Kilda, unbeaten in all formats this season, eased part Casey South Melbourne’s 8-143, reaching 4-147 with 10 balls to spare.

Ed Newman, enjoying an excellent first season as a Saint, was 70 not out off 50 balls, putting away 3 sixes and 4 fours.

The left-hander and opener Michael De Iacovo (45 off 29 balls, with 5 fours and 1 six) added 83 in smart time for the second wicket.

Saints veteran Simon O’Brien took 2-11 off his three overs as the Swans failed to capitalise on a speedy start.

Their captain, Michael Wallace, played the best hand of the innings, hitting 48 off 35 balls, with 6 fours and 1 six.

His opening partner Luke Manders smoked 4 fours and 17 off four balls before being given LBW.

“I’d say we were at least 15 short of where we should have got,’’ Swannies coach Will Carr said.

“We were 2-85 after 10 and flying. Once the field was out we struggled to find the boundary and lost a couple of wickets.

“They (St Kilda) bowled pretty well and fielded pretty well. They put the brakes on us.’’

Carr praised the Saints, saying they had “incredible depth’’.

“Tremendous effort from them considering they’ve got Test players, state players and BBL players missing from their squad, and then they had Covid challenges as well,’’ he said.

“They’re in a pretty good place as a club.’’

He said two talented-packed teams should put on a “cracking’’ final.