Donnell lets fly

By Jarrod Potter
TOM Donnell’s 85 not out helped seize victory for the Panthers on Sunday, winning their Twenty20 match against Fitzroy-Doncaster by three runs after losing by seven wickets to Northcote in the two-dayer ending on Saturday.
Donnell remained not out in his 61-ball half-century, including 10 fours and a six belted to all parts of Shepley Oval. He and opening partner Brett Forsyth knocked together a 50-run first-wicket stand before Forsyth was dismissed for six. From there it was the Donnell show, with cameos from the remainder of the batting order to get Dandenong to 5/145.
Dandenong struggled to break Fitzroy-Doncaster’s first pair, before Donnell struck this time with the ball to dismiss Nathan Walsh for 43.
The Lions looked like coasting to victory at 1/134 with 11 to get before Dale Tormey and Lloyd Mash Brent Fairbanks and James Wilcock removed both batsmen to leave the Lions 3/137. Two more wickets fell and the equation was Jacques Augustin versus Wilcock; a six to win, a four to tie and any other result for Dandenong to win. Augustin could only eke out a single off the last ball and Dandenong took the narrow victory.
In the two-dayer, Northcote opener Ben Peake snuffed out Dandenong’s chance to win with an impressive 175 not out.
Peake and Jarrod Carlson put on 173 for the third wicket as the Panthers exhausted most of their bowling options to get the pair out, with Forsyth eventually dismissing Carlson.
No bowler for Dandenong claimed multiple wickets.
The Panthers face Melbourne Uni at the University Main Oval on Saturday for the first of two days.