Above and right: Dandenong Panthers wicketkeeper Ricky Damiano stumps North Melbourne batsman Dale McDonald off the bowling of Panthers spinner Nathan Allen.
By Glen Atwell
THE Dandenong Panthers are in the Victorian Premier Cricket League finals after a convincing six-wicket victory over North Melbourne in a one-day match at Shepley Oval on Saturday.
In perfect playing conditions, the Panthers got off to a not-so-perfect start, losing the toss and being sent into the field.
But Dandenong paceman Peter Siddle swung the luck back the Panthers’ way, removing dangerous North Melbourne opener Christian Hewett for 2.
When Siddle clean bowled Darren Dempsey for a duck and the score read 2/12, bowling first didn’t seem such a bad thing after all.
Darren McDonald then steadied the North Melbourne innings with 45 runs before he was brilliantly stumped by Panthers wicketkeeper Ricky Damiano off the bowling of spin king Nathan Allen.
Allen troubled the batsmen all day and finished with 3/25 from 10 overs, while Siddle proved too much to handle and ended with 3/24 from nine overs.
Chasing 154 for victory and a guaranteed finals position, Adrian Burgiel was promoted up the order to open with Matthew Chasemore, pushing 16-year-old Kumar Sarna to fifth on the batting order.
It wasn’t a successful reorder – Burgiel caught and bowled by Chris Marantelli for a duck.
Run machine Warren Ayres belted a half-century before injuring his calf and retiring hurt on 51.
Ayres said it was a minor setback and he would still take his position this Saturday.
In his new middle-order position, Sarna scored 28 not out in an innings anchored by Darren Pattinson (50 not out).
The Panthers scored the required runs with six wickets and 11 overs to spare.
In the first qualifying final this weekend, Dandenong takes on Fitzroy-Doncaster at Schramms Reserve.
The Jonathon Fagg factor could prove pivotal in the outcome of the game, after the Fitzroy-Doncaster paceman ripped through the Camberwell top order on Saturday.
Fagg finished with 3/36 and would no doubt be firmly focused on removing the Dandenong openers this weekend.
Whether Sarna returns to his opening position with Chasemore is a decision yet to be made according, to Ayres.
“We gave Kumar a rest down the order, but we’re not sure whether he will return up the order this week,” he said.
The Fitzroy-Doncaster side finished second on the Premier League ladder and the Panthers will need to be well and truly on top of their game to progress to the semi-finals.
