Swans slide into second after extinguishing Flames

Swans opener Jayden Rosin looked in good touch from the start, while Ben Eade struggled to score, tallying a single run off 20 balls before he was dismissed by Robert Salter.

Rosin and Asantha Singappuli went on to build a strong 80-run second wicket stand before the former was caught out for 60.

Singappuli continued on as Rathika Rajakumara (5), Clayton Watson (11) Brendan Lewis (6) and Ben Walker (9) came and went around him.

Once Singappuli was eventually dismissed for 58, it wasn’t long before Sachin Peiris (3) was heading back to the sheds as Fire Brigade’s Archer Backaway took two wickets in the 45th over.

Jackson Barnett sent the bails flying on two separate occasions late in the innings, knocking over Andrew Walker (6) and AK Gunathilaka for a golden duck as Simon Van Duinen remained unbeaten.

Thanks in large part to the work of Rosin and Singappuli, the Swans set a solid total of 184 to defend in the second innings.

Fire Brigade’s innings got off to a flier as Miller Griffiths and Oscar Carver saw out the first 15 overs and put 38 on the board before the latter was bowled by Brendan Lewis for 18.

Griffiths and first drop Bohden Learmonth continued on the steady path before the number three was caught by Rajakumara for 23.

Each of the top order was able to partner with Griffiths as Jake Gascoyne was putting runs on the board at a steady rate.

It was only a mix-up running between the wickets which brought an end to the opener’s innings, with Griffiths (56) being run out by Brendan Lewis after raising the bat for a sturdy half century.

When Gascoyne (44) was eventually caught in the 46th over, the Flames still required 25 for victory off the final four overs.

Unfortunately for the visitor, some class bowling at the death by Peiris and ill-timed wickets to Salter (5) and Cohan Hooper (9) meant that the Flames fell two runs shy of victory while still having three wickets in hand.

Coming so close and not swinging for the fences with batters in the shed seems to have been a result that will be disappointing for the Flames, who are locked in a tight mid-table battle with both defending champion Echuca and 2024-25 runner-up Rochester.

Had Fire Brigade won that game, it would have asserted itself comfortably at number four and created distance between two dangerous sides still trying to find rhythm.

The Flames will get the perfect chance to atone for their sins when they host Echuca at Northern Oval in round 10, while the Swans will try and exorcise round two ghosts when they face unbeaten Moama at home.