Young guns set for shield hat-trick

THE Dandenong and District Cricket Association under-21s are on the brink of becoming the first side since 1923 to win three consecutive Neil Wright shields.
The DDCA under-21 representatives booked their place in next weekend’s grand final after toppling Diamond Valley in the semi-final at Warrawee Park on Sunday.
Cranbourne’s Aaron Morrison took 3/24 and Narre Warren’s Nathan King chipped in with 2/16 as Diamond Valley limped to 9/118 off the 40 overs.
King later returned with the bat making 49 as he and Berwick’s Josh Holden (42) guided Dandenong to a seven-wicket victory.
Led by coach Peter Lindsay, Dandenong took out the state’s premier junior competition in 2008/09 and 2009/10 and look to become the first team since Northern Suburban in the 1920s to complete the hat-trick when they play Victorian Turf North at Windy Hill next weekend.
Lindsay, who played in Dandenong’s first Neil Wright shield championship in 1984/85, said the team is in a good position to complete the treble.
“We lost early on in the tournament and just scraped through to the finals but we’re playing well now and it is the right time of year to be playing well,” Lindsay said.
The DDCA under-16 representative side is also on track to claim the Jim Beitzel Shield.
After advancing through the five-round zone stage as the only undefeated team, the junior side will play today (Thursday) for a spot in Sunday’s grand final.
Since winning back-to-back championships in 2003/04 and 2004/05 Dandenong has failed to win another but made the final in 2008/09 and finished as a semi-finalist last season.