By Nick Creely
Career best figures to Dandenong’s emerging seamer Peter Cassidy meant that Northcote were never really in the contest on Saturday at Shepley Oval.
On day two of their clash, the wily medium pacer utilized the conditions perfectly, snaring 6/30 as the Panthers rolled the Dragons for just 159 in pursuit of a daunting first innings total of 315.
And as a result, the Panthers have jumped back up to third spot and broken away from the logger jam of fifth to eighth spot.
The tone was set early when all-rounder James Nanopolous (1/20) snared the dangerous Mark Phelan caught behind, with the Dragons moving to 1/17 and looking shaky against some top notch new ball bowling.
Cassidy struck not long after, prizing out skipper Steven Taylor and Blayde Baker (7) caught behind with his relentless lines, then Darren Pattinson (1/7) sent Max O’Sullivan (3) back to the sheds only a few overs later, and the visitors were suddenly on the ropes at 5/37 after Jack Lalor (22) was trapped LBW off Cassidy.
The Dragons were always a long shot of finding the last 300 runs needed to salvage something out of the day, but Sam Harbinson (31) and Elliot Brandon-Jones (69) dug deep and compiled a slow moving 72 run partnership, as the Panthers continued to hit a spot and make them work hard for their runs.
Left arm tweaker Akshat Buch (2/53); who is continuing to be remarkably consistent bowler for the club; finally broke the resistance, having Harbinson spoon a catch to the trusty hands of skipper Tommy Donnell.
Cassidy went back to work and removed three of the final four wickets, with Buch also snaring another wicket, as the Dragons fell short by a long way.
Adding to another commanding performance from the Panthers, keeper Jacques Augustin is leading the competition for catches, with his three against the Dragons taking him up to a brilliant 28 for the season.
But it’s a terrific performance from the reliable Cassidy; who is beginning to make a name for himself as an accurate, stump to stump bowler, with his six wickets surpassing his previous first XI best last round of 4/32.
As the Panthers enter their finals campaign in just two weeks, Cassidy has taken 29 wickets at 12.9.
The Panthers have one more home and away game to fine tune before finals, facing Geelong at Shepley Oval in a two dayer.
Dandenong’s lower grades had a mixed weekend out in the middle, with a win, a draw and a loss.
In the second XI, Peter Sweeney (5/91) helped the Panthers defend their monster 375 despite a few scares in the first two sessions, while the third XI drew with the Dragons and the fourth XI was unable to run down 159, bowled out for 136.
