By RUSSELL BENNETT
VICTORIAN PREMIER CRICKET – ROUND 6 (day one)
A SUPERB six-wicket haul from James Nanopoulos has put Dandenong in with a huge chance of returning to the winners list in Round 6 at home against Frankston Peninsula.
Visiting skipper Michael McClean (17) won the toss and elected to bat, and it was a decision that paid off early with he and Paul Borrington (34) combining for a 41 stand for the first wicket.
But from 0/40, Peninsula slipped to 3/58 – exposing the middle-order under cloudy skies.
Nanopoulos was on song from the outset, claiming all three top-order scalps.
However a 76-run stand for the fourth wicket between Kiefer Peries (38) and the in-form Luke Walker (71 not out) brought the visitors back to 4/134 and seemingly in position to score well in excess of 220. Walker’s half-century on Saturday was his third already this season, with another score of 49 to boot.
Yet Nanopoulos wouldn’t be denied, bookmarking the innings with the final three wickets to fall – two of those dismissed leg-before. He finished with the outstanding figures of 6/24 from a miserly 19 overs – the best in his Premier career to date. Daniel Doran (2/35 from his 18 overs) was the other multiple wicket-taker as Frankston was reduced to 8/186 at stumps.
Heavy overnight rain from Friday through to Saturday morning eased to frustrating, short, sharp showers throughout the afternoon.
The overs played varied wildly throughout the Premier fixture, with just 34 completed at Casey Fields but, somehow, 92 at Shepley Oval.
There was no play in the Dandenong women’s match against Prahran.
