By Marcus Uhe
NORTH DANDENONG
LAST SEASON: 6th
COMING: Charith Keerthsinghe (Hallam Kalora Park), Azah Mahmood, Moit Mandara (Cranbourne Meadows) Mohammad Kier, Ghairat Mangal
GOING: Clayton McCartney, Jawid Khan (Dandenong), Sudes Khan (Dandenong), Jurgen Anderson, Syed Shah
STAYING: Syed Mehmood, Sushant Gupta, Zarak Aseel
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Sushant Gupta, Moit Mandara, Charith Keerthsinghe
New North Dandenong Cricket Club coach Lee Vowles is endeavouring to instill patience amongst the Maroons in his first season at the helm during the upcoming summer.
Respecting the longer form of the game was a virtue that previous coach David Bell battled to instill in his players, many of them enigmatic and better suited to the shorter formats of the game – the past two summers saw the Maroons reach the semi-finals of the DDCA’s T20 competition, and in 2022/23 they broke a long-standing finals drought, returning to the top four in a season of one-day contests.
Last summer, three of their four wins came in one-day matches, with ugly losses to St Mary’s and Hallam Kalora Park in two-day games late in the campaign seeing them waste a promising start to the summer.
In studying last season’s efforts, Vowles felt wayward bowling performances and losing wickets in clumps played major roles in the side’s downfall after the Christmas break, when they lost five of their last six matches.
It’s a major area of focus ahead of round one this weekend, when they’ll welcome Narre South to Lois Twohig Reserve.
“Patience is hanging around and discipline; if you don’t have discipline you’ll never win games and you’ll never win anything,” he said.
“It’s the same with the ball – if you’re not bowling in the right areas, you’re going to get knocked around and you’re going to suffer the consequences from it.
“This is where we’re trying to change the methods of the mental side of it all; stick around, stay at your crease, take your time, (because) you’ve got 80 overs.
“If you’re having a bat and you come off with 60, and you’ve been there for 80 overs, you’ve set a platform for your side.”
Should the Maroons remain in Turf 1, Vowles will have his work cut out for him, with a pair of key absences set to dramatically alter the line-up.
Last season’s Wookey Medal runner-up Jawid Khan, and former captain Clayton McCartney, both departed in the offseason, leaving significant holes on the leadership front and in both major disciplines.
Those absences, plus Bell’s departure as coach, is a lot for the new coach to whether, but he’s not shying away from the task, and is putting the onus on those remaining to fill the voids.
Batter Syed Mehmood and quick, Sushant Gupta return from last season, with offspinner Charith Keerthisinghe making the switch from fellow Turf 1 side, Hallam Kalora Park.
“Over the years they’ve had Jawid there, who’s a very good batter as we know,” Vowles said.
“Now with him gone, the main man is gone, so the rest have all got to step up.
“It’s something that now, it’s up to the other boys, they’ve got to step up and go upwards, as far as we can go.
“Every single person in that 11 will have a role to do and will know what their role will be.”
