By Nick Creely
AROUND THE GROUNDS
VIC PREMIER CRICKET – WHITE BALL FINAL
It was a start no one expected, a horror show with no ending in sight for Carlton on Sunday.
In a performance that will be talked about for years on end, Dandenong triumphed for their first piece of silverware for the season, defeating the Blues in one of the most dominant bowling displays in the competition’s history.
As a renowned ‘bowl first’ side, Tom Donnell’s bowlers licked their lips when Blues skipper Lachlan McKenna won the toss and elected to bat, on a deck described as having a “good amount of grass” on it.
But the healthy crowd couldn’t have seen what was about to happen.
In what was an electric, intense, and utterly frightening first hour, the carnage began in the second over when Darren Pattinson skittled opening batsman Brayden Stepien (1) with a brilliant piece of bowling with his first ball of the match.
Young prodigy Mackenzie Harvey (0) fell almost instantly after, feathering a ball to Jacques Augustin with the gloves to gift the Panthers the perfect start.
Harrison (9) and Tom Smyth (6) steadied the ship – only momentarily – before Augustin snared two more catches to dismiss the pair off the bowling of Jak Jowett (3/18) and James Nanopoulos (1/3).
Pattinson struck even more gold, firing a ball into Nick Ross’ (2) stumps to bring the score to 5/20, before the 38-year-old bamboozled both Anderson Matthews (0) and Matthew Wilson (1) to give Augustin more catching practice.
Suddenly the score was 7/22, and no, it wasn’t a scoreboard error.
McKenna (2 off 56 balls) battled in vain but couldn’t get the ball past the infield, while Xavier Crone (16) – who was the only Blue to cross double figures – looked to get some runs on the board.
Wily medium pacer Peter Cassidy (2/12) finally brought the undoing of the skipper, gifting Donnell a catch at first slip, and then shot out Crone into the grateful gloves of Augustin for his sixth catch of the innings.
The last wicket didn’t take long, with Jowett trapping Eddy O’Sullivan (5) LBW – the final score was just 49 in 36.2 overs of perfect bowling.
It was Pattinson (4/12) who was the main man, with the veteran winding back the clock in a vintage display, and explained after the game the mindset of his side after champion openers Tom Donnell and Brett Forsyth chased the runs and claimed the premiership after just 16 overs.
“I thought there would be a bit of swing there, with the cloud cover and the warmth, so when we got there we were always going to bowl,” he said of the astonishing display.
“They won the toss and chose to bowl, so we were happy – we still had to bowl well, and field well, and we did.
“We bowl first every game, the one time we didn’t we lost – our plan was definitely to bowl.
“We did execute, but there was something there (in the pitch) – there was a bit of swing and some seam movement, which is quite unusual for Carlton.”
While the 38-year-old champion was utterly brilliant throughout the innings, he heaped praise on what he describes as a “special” bowling group.
“I’ve been bowling well, the ball has been coming out really good – I was a bit worried at the start of the season that I might be past it, but it’s coming out really well, and I felt like I was going to get a wicket with every ball,” he said.
“I think we’ve got the best bowling group in the competition – we’ve got blokes in the seconds, thirds and fourths that are going to play ones – I’ve been here 18 years, and this is the best group of young bowlers we’ve had.”
The Panthers will now turn their attention to the two day final, and currently sit on top of the ladder.
VIC PREMIER
ROUND 13 (REPLAYED)
Casey-South put in a more competitive showing down at Toorak Park on Saturday against Prahran, but fell short after being in a winning position.
Swans skipper Lachie Sperling sent the True Blues in to bat, in what was a replayed one day match after last week’s match was washed out.
Aggressive left armer Jackson Fry (3/43) struck early, removing the dangerous Adam Bull (8) with a clever piece of bowling that caught the outside edge to Devin Pollock behind the stumps.
In an innings that ebbed and flowed in momentum, the Swans eventually dismissed the True Blues for 197 in 47 overs, with Brendan Rose (2/38), Dylan Hadfield (2/22), Nathan Lambden (1/24) and Sperling (1/30) also picking up wickets.
Joel Mitchell (3) was trapped LBW early in the run chase off the bowling of Sam Grimwade (3/26), but from there, the Swans began to build.
Pollock (32) shared a 45 run stand with Michael Wallace (47), and the former then put on 52 runs with his skipper Sperling (33) to bring the Swans to 2/114.
But the True Blues rallied, and cracks emerged in the Swans’ middle order, with the visitors losing clumps of wickets to be rolled for just 151.
But it was a solid showing for the young side, who pushed a finals hopeful right to the brink away from home.
At Shepley Oval, Dandenong made light work of Ringwood, in a five wicket win.
The Panthers restricted the Rams to just 9/150 off 50 overs, with left arm tweaker Akshat Buch (4/29) and all-rounder James Nanopoulos (3/17) the stars.
Brett Forsyth (45) helped the Panthers steady after the early losses of Tom Donnell (14) and Comrey Edgeworth (4), with Ed Newman (47 not out) and Nanopoulos (26) also combining to chase the runs down in the 39th over and with five wickets left in the shed.
WARRAGUL DISTRICT
ROUND 11 (DAY ONE)
Hallora is well and truly in the frame for a massive outright victory, with the Kangaroos dominating Yarragon on Saturday.
Winning the toss and batting, the Panthers were rolled for just 104, with Sam Whibley (5/34) bamboozling the visitors.
Fraser Duncan (56 not out) guided the home side to 2/108 at stumps, with Ryan Williams (34 not out) also looking to capitalize with a massive score on day two.
Western Park and Drouin remains well poised after the first day, with the Hawks under siege late in the day.
The Hawks bowled beautifully, with Dale Weller (7/40) putting on an absolute clinic and rolling the Warriors for a low 103 off just 56.1 overs.
Sam Batson (4/3) kept things interesting with a devastating spell that left the Hawks’ top order – apart from Paul Timewall (8 not out) – back in the sheds at stumps.
The Hawks finished the day on 4/16 off 20 overs, with 88 runs required for victory.
Buln Buln has the bye, while the match between Ellinbank and Longwarry was abandoned due to the state of the pitch.
The game will revert into a one day game this week.
MPCA – PROVINCIAL
ROUND 10
Mornington survived a scare, but won comfortably against Pearcedale on Saturday, in a game that featured 16 wickets and just 173 runs.
The Panthers were unable to find any momentum with the bat, skittled for just 86 in 36 overs, despite Chris Dew (25) doing his best to keep his side in the game.
The Dogs were rattled early by Shayne Gillings (3/18), before steadying the ship and winning four wickets down.
Pearcedale sit in sixth position on the Provincial ladder, with finals unlikely.
SUBBIES – SOUTH/EAST
ROUND 10 (DAY ONE)
Endeavour Hills are in for a massive run chase when play resumes on Saturday, with Caulfield putting on an impressive batting display at Sydney Pargeter Reserve.
Off the back of Caulfield skipper Jacob Thorne (142 not out) – his second century for the season – the Eagles were unable to contain the visitors for the most part, with the score finishing on 9/291 at day’s end.
Henry Vettivelu (2/62) was the pick of the bowlers on a tough day for the side.
Noble Park, meanwhile, had a horror day against Malvern, already losing on the first innings.
The Parkers were sent in, and could only muster up 71 in 32 overs, with only two batsmen reaching double figures.
At stumps, Luke Walker’s Roosters were 3/103 and in a dominant position, with the Parkers needing to pull off a miracle to claw their way back into a respectable position.
