By Marcus Uhe
A four-wicket haul from former Swan Brendan Rose stifled Casey-South Melbourne’s batting innings in round four of Victorian Premier Cricket on Saturday afternoon.
The Swans were dismissed for 248 against Richmond at Central Reserve with only Matthew Calder raising the bat for a half century in 91 overs, as Rose claimed 4/42 and affected a run out for the Tigers.
A premiership player under Casey-South Melbourne coach Will Carr at Berwick in the Dandenong District Cricket Association in 2019/20, Rose’s eighth over swung the momentum in the contest by claiming a pair of major scalps in his old side’s top order.
He got a hand to a sweetly struck Ashley Chandrasinghe straight drive and deflected the ball onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end to run out Ruwantha Kellapotha for just four, and two deliveries later he got through Chandrasinghe’s defences for 24 to cut the Swans down to 3/47 under gloomy skies.
Jackson Isakka and Devin Pollock stabilised the innings with a 75-run partnership for the fourth wicket before another Berwick product in Reiley Mark swallowed a return catch to break the partnership.
Pollock followed him back to the pavilion shortly after for 37 at 5/126, leaving Calder to build partnerships with the lower order and tail for the remainder of the day.
Calder’s was the second-last wicket to fall, becoming Rose’s third victim after making a patient 68, the first of two wickets to fall in the 91st and final over of the innings.
Both of Casey-South Melbourne’s wins this season have come in defending efforts this season and they will need to be at their strangulating best if that streak is to continue next weekend.
