Panthers skipper Darren Dempsey has led from the front this year with 470 runs and is confident his young bowlers can take early wickets this weekend against Camberwell to secure the win and a spot in next week’s finals.
By Justin Robertson
LIKE true Panthers, Dandenong are still in the hunt.
After being bowled out for 189 – thanks to a gritty century from skipper Darren Dempsey (108) – Dandenong bounced back to claim two Camberwell wickets in the final over of Saturday’s do-or-die final round.
Dandenong have the taste of blood and will be going in for the kill against Camberwell, which is precariously placed at 4/46, on Saturday.
“We had a good day in the end, having them four wickets down,” Dempsey said. “We might have just swung things in our favour and if my hundred has given us a winning score, then I’ll be very pleased.”
Dempsey said the trend of “dumb outs” continued for the Panthers, as the top six bats – minus English import Alex Hales, who flew home last week – failed in their biggest match of the year. The sextet hit a combined total of just 40 runs.
Besides Dempsey’s face-saving ton, the next best score of the day came from youngster Dylan Quirk (29). Dempsey was quick to praise the 18-year-old for his 77-ball knock.
“He played a good patient role for us,” Dempsey said. “Even though the shot he went out on wasn’t great, at least he stuck around.”
With Camberwell’s three front line bats back in the shed, Dempsey believes the momentum of the game has shifted in favour of the Panthers.
“Put it this way, if we were 4/40 chasing 190, I’d be nervous,” he said. “I think if we can go in and take an early wicket, momentum will swing further in our favour.”
If the Panthers manage to take the final six wickets before the Magpies make the required runs, it would result in a top four finish and a possible final against Casey-South Melbourne – providing they win their match against Ringwood. If the Panthers lose, they can drop to 12th on the ladder. It’s been that kind of year.
Dempsey said his focus is firmly set on the first hour of play.
“If we can take one wicket, then we are looking OK, if we take two, it’s looking much better,” he said.
“It’s going to be a fascinating day and it’s good to have your season coming down to six wickets and 140 runs. In the end, that’s what it boils down to.”
While the batting woes of the Panthers continue to burden the team, Dempsey has led from the front all year with 470 runs at 32.33, despite having only scored just the one century. From 16 hits, the consistent Dempsey has made eight scores above 30, without bettering 50.
“I was very happy with the way I batted, I’ve been saying for a while that if I got to 30, I’d make a hundred and I was glad I was able to do that,” he said.
“I’ve been making a few starts but haven’t gone on with it. I’ve never had the chance to stay in long enough this year, especially with the amount of one-dayers we’ve had, but if my hundred is enough to get us through, I’ll be twice as happy come Saturday night.”
