MELBOURNE'S stormy weather has robbed Casey-South Melbourne of the opportunity to snare maximum points in its final-round match against Hawthorn-Monash Uni on Saturday.

With things so tight in the top bracket of the Premier Cricket ladder, an outright victory could have catapulted the Swans into top spot. But the weather had other ideas.

After bowling the Hawks out for just 111, Casey's batting struggled at times, but it managed to get itself to 9-180 at the close of play on day one.

With the weather looking ominous, the decision was made by the Swans' brains trust to declare the innings closed and start day two out in the field. With limited time before the storms were to hit, the Swans needed quick wickets against a weak batting line-up.

After a defiant start by the Hawks, left-armer Matthew Hawking was thrown the ball and the move paid immediate dividends.

The face of the game had changed, with all the momentum in the Swans' favour thanks to Hawking, who finished with 5-28 from 14 overs. The Hawks simply could not stop the constant flow of wickets and an outright win was on the cards when Hawthorn slumped to 8-107. However, this was to be the last wicket of the day as the rains came and put an end to play for the afternoon.

In what could be considered an anticlimax, the Swans needed just two more wickets, and considering they were only trailing by 38 at the close of play, they would have needed a quick bash to seal maximum points.

The Swans finished the season in fourth spot on the Premier Cricket ladder, an outstanding achievement considering their standing this time last year.

Next Saturday Casey Fields will host the Swans against Carlton in the quarter-final. Provided the weather holds up, two terrific days of cricket can be expected.