By Nick Creely and Tyler Lewis
Talk about a strange, yet eventful weekend.
While Casey-South Melbourne played some terrific cricket in patches in the opening weekend of the Vic Super Slam Stars Conference that was eventually marred by dodgy weather on Sunday, the Swans lost one and drew another after just five balls was possible.
Taking on St Kilda on the famous Junction Oval with rain always having its say, the Swans won the toss and elected to set the tone with the bat.
But skipper Luke Wells and Joel Mitchell were back in the sheds fairly quickly, and at 2/24, the Swans needed a response. And it came through experienced pair Nathan Freitag (38) and Michael Wallace (46).
In a terrific 83-run stand, Freitag played the anchor role superbly while Wallace – who was off to a slowish start – really got going to launch two maximums and five boundaries, in a decisive knock that guided the Swans to a highly competitive 4/117 in 16 overs, with the rain forcing the D/L method to come into play.
With the target set at 123 for the Saints to reach victory in 16 overs, the Swans got off to a perfect start, with Nathan Lambden (2/25) ripping through Michael De Lacovo and left-arm seamer James Maxwell (2/30) removing the dangerous Jon Merlo in the first two overs.
But aggressive knocks from Laubscher (40) and skipper Adam Crosthwaite (45) firmly moved the game into the Saints’ hands, before a middle charge, and some excellent fielding – in particular an incredible catch by Freitag – saw the hosts needing nine from the final over.
With Lambden charging in and looking to get his side off to a perfect start against a high quality side, a searing bouncer saw Todd Murphy removed first ball, with Devin Pollock gratefully accepting the simple chance behind the stumps.
After a dot ball and a streaky two from new batsman Matthew Hennig, the Saints required seven off the final three balls.
But a long bomb that soared over the ropes from Henning broke the hearts of the Swans, with the Saints then snaring the win with a bye off the second last ball of the match.
The Swans then had to wait until well past 6pm to get their second match of the day started against Ringwood, but the game was a draw after just five balls despite Lambden ripping out the stumps of star Ram Ian Holland off the first ball of the match.
Dandenong, meanwhile – the reigning Super Slam premiers – went one-and-one to kick-start its title defence.
After being sent in by Kingston Hawthorn, Dandenong openers Brett Forsyth and James Nanopoulos got the Panthers off to a perfect start.
Forsyth was dismissed at the back end of the powerplay before Lincoln ‘LJ’ Edwards’ stay at the crease was shortly concluded.
Nanopoulos started to find the middle of the bat while his partner Ed Newman was struggling to nudge it around.
But as soon as Newman crunched one delivery, he was unable to miss, playing one of the more sensational knocks of the day – clearing the fence five times and finding rope on three occasions in his sublime unbeaten 69 from just 40 balls.
Nanopoulos (48) and Newman guided the Panthers to an extremely competitive 5/177 in the overcast conditions.
In reply, the Hawks got off to a horrid start courtesy of the bowling from Suraj Randiv (2/12) and Triyan De Silva (2/25).
The Panthers were wreaking havoc at both ends with four of the five bowlers used claiming at least one scalp.
Gehan Seneviratne was the pick of the bowlers as he cleared through the Hawks’ middle order with 3/31 from his four – figures dampened by going for six on his final ball. The Panthers bundled the Hawks out in the 17th over for 108 to start the tournament 1-0.
In the follow up fixture, Dandenong took on a dangerous side in Frankston Peninsula.
Nanopoulos and Forsyth put on 41 once again before Nanopoulos this time was the first to depart.
Edwards was unable to get going, while a start from Newman (16) and an assisting finish from Comrey Edgeworth (23) helped Brett Forsyth carry his bat for the reduced 19 overs for an unbeaten 79 from 58 balls.
In reply, the Heat got off to the perfect start.
De Silva’s first over was wayward and the Heat pounced on the opportunity to get ahead of the rate, taking 23 from the second over of the chase. Wickets fell around Nathan Harford as he notched a match-defining half century (59).
A late flurry of wickets came through Peter Cassidy (2/24), Randiv (2/28) and Edgeworth (1/10) but a strong cameo from HSD’s Kaushalya Weeraratne (27 from 17 balls) steered the Heat home to a three wicket win in the final over of the chase.
Round 3 of the Super Slam will resume on Wednesday 6 November, with Dandenong hosting St Kilda at Shepley Oval, while Casey-South Melbourne venture out to Central Reserve to take on the Monash Tigers. Both matches start at 5.15pm.
