Dandenong paceman Paul Boraston served it up to the Geelong batsmen during the Victorian Premier Cricket season opener on Saturday. The Panthers won and Boraston finished with the tidy figures of 4/33.By Glen Atwell
THE Dandenong Panthers’ quest for a season of success got off to the best possible start with a one-day win against Geelong in the first round of Victorian Premier Cricket on Saturday.
Travelling to and escaping from Kardinia Park with a win is never easy, and when the Panthers were reduced to 2/14 early in their innings the battle was on.
Geelong paceman Grant Lindsay bowled Matthew Chasemore (10) and sent first drop batsman David Newman back to the pavilion for a duck a minute later.
But Panther youngster Kuma Sarna and veteran Warren Ayres steadied Dandenong before Ayres (29) was trapped in front by David Morgan.
Sarna, who battled through the 2005-06 season, revelled in his innings of 44, showing discipline and attack before being caught off the bowling of Justin Foss.
Aside from Sarna and Ayres, the Dandenong batsmen struggled to gain the ascendancy over the Geelong bowlers.
Only four Panthers scored double figures, including Tim Hooper, who chipped in with 21 valuable runs.
After 48 overs, the Panthers were all out for 146 and the outcome looked bleak.
Enter pacemen Paul Boraston and brothers Darren and James Pattinson.
Picking up exactly where they left off last season, the Panther quicks tore the Geelong top order to shreds.
Premier League debutant James Pattinson took his first wicket early in the innings, and finished with the neat figures of 1/24 from seven overs.
Before long Geelong had crumbled to 5/38 before Victorian under-18 sensation Joel Davies took the crease and added 48 runs before caught behind off the bowling of Newman.
After Davies fell, the Panthers clawed into the tail end and Geelong was all out for 138 in the 40th over.
Dandenong returns to Shepley Oval to play Carlton on Saturday.
Carlton comfortably beat Richmond in its first match, new recruit Ben Fletcher in stunning form blasting an unbeaten 89, and looks set to provide a challenge for the Dandenong bowlers.
