All smiles: Dandenong century-maker Brett Forsyth, right, shares a joke with team-mate Matt Chasemore during a drinks break at Shepley Oval on Saturday.By Paul Pickering
A SUPERBLY crafted century from teenage opener Brett Forsyth has guided Dandenong to a formidable position in its two-day Premier Cricket fixture against North Melbourne at Shepley Oval.
Displaying maturity well beyond his 19 years, Forsyth piloted the Panthers to 8/364 at stumps on Saturday.
Forsyth’s 144 was his first home ton and continued a breakthrough summer at the crease.
With the Shepley Oval deck offering some assistance to the Kangaroos’ seamers in the morning session, the young technician had the patience to negotiate the early overs before launching into attack after lunch.
In a dominant middle session, Forsyth and left-hander Tom Donnell (96) – returning from a stint in the seconds – battered the Roos attack all over the park.
The pair combined for a 194-run third-wicket stand before Forsyth became the first of five scalps for Roos off-spinner Daniel Salpietro (5/71), meaning the damage had already been done when the precocious opener left the field to the adulation of his team-mates at 3/272.
While Forsyth’s chanceless innings included 14 fours and three majestic sixes, it was his restraint in the opening session that impressed most.
The diminutive right-hander is now the third-highest scorer in the Premier Cricket competition with 687 runs at an average of 46, so he could have been excused for backing his shot-making ability to break free of the shackles.
But, as his willingness to toe the line on Saturday showed, Forsyth’s ego is at no risk of eclipsing his undeniable talent.
“I had to work pretty hard for my runs early on, but I did the team thing and stuck it out on a wicket with a little bit in it,” he said. “My confidence is up, but it’s just another thing controlling it and remembering that every time you go out there you start on zero.”
And while many have questioned Forsyth’s omission from the Australian squad for the Under 19 World Cup in Malaysia later this month, he prefers to highlight the achievements of Panthers team-mates Kumar Sarna and James Pattinson, who did make it.
“I’m so pleased for them and I hope they do really well,” he said. “I don’t think I have to go out there and prove that I should’ve made the team.
“I’m just concentrating on playing well for Dandenong.”
In contrast to Forsyth’s golden season, Donnell has struggled at times this summer after winning the Panthers’ batting aggregate in the triumphant 2006-07 campaign. After scoring a century in the twos the previous week, Donnell belted 11 boundaries before being stumped four runs shy of his century.
Dandenong is sitting fifth on the ladder and will now be looking for early wickets this Saturday in a bid to claim at least six points from the match.
