By Paul Pickering
DANDENONG pace prodigy James Pattinson gave his Victorian squad teammates Aiden Blizzard and Adam Crosthwaite a hostile reception to Shepley Oval on Saturday, snaring 4/46 as the Panthers thumped Richmond by 143 runs.
Pattinson combined with Paul Boraston (2/52) in a destructive new-ball assault that reduced the Tigers to 5/28 in reply to Dandenong’s total of 7/377 from the previous weekend.
Boraston started the rot by capturing the wicket of Richmond opener Luke Naughtin in the second over, and Blizzard lasted just two more deliveries before having his stumps rearranged.
Pattinson then claimed the poles of Chris Nash and Sam Taylor, before ending a promising cameo from Crosthwaite, who departed after hitting four boundaries in his 21 from 31 balls.
To the Tigers’ credit, Cameron Taylor (38) and Daniel Sartori (65) knuckled down as conditions cleared, combining to add 87 before Taylor edged a James Nanopoulos delivery through to Panthers gloveman Ricky Damiano.
Sartori found another willing partner in skipper Matt Mulcahy (48), but Sartori was bowled neck-and-crop by a Dave Newman (1/43) special just as he looked set to lead a rearguard action.
Bustling quick Brett Fairbanks (2/60) was shown little respect by left-hander Brenton McDonald (29) during an erratic second spell, but the Panther had the last laugh when McDonald slashed a short ball straight to Darren Dempsey at first slip.
Dempsey rewarded Pattinson for his early heroics by giving him first crack at the Richmond tail, and the 18-year-old quick responded by trapping Mulcahy in front to end the Tiger resistance. Minutes later, Fairbanks pouched a return catch from No.10 Dominic Matarazzo – attempting an extravagant straight pull – to complete the comprehensive two-day demolition.
It was just the confidence-boosting victory Dandenong coach Warren Ayres and his charges needed. “Getting Blizzard and Crosthwaite in that first period was so important,” Ayres said. “I think the conditions were pretty similar for both teams (across both weekends), but on the first day they didn’t take their chances.”
Most pleasing for Ayres was the return to form of Pattinson, who struggled to find a wicket-taking length in the first month of the season.
“We’ve discussed that,” Ayres said. “He thinks he has to bowl a first-class kind of a length so that when he gets to that level he doesn’t have to change, but a lot of people think that length is a bit shorter than it needs to be for district cricket.”
It seems inevitable Pattinson will follow his brother Darren into Bushranger colours, particularly given his selection as captain of the Victorian Under-19 team this week, so Ayres is sympathetic to the youngster’s dilemma.
“He’s playing the game to play at a higher level, and we understand that,” he said.
The Panthers will be on the road for just the third time this season when they play struggling Footscray Edgewater over the next fortnight.
Meanwhile, the club is still waiting forHawthorn-Monash University to grant gifted top-order batsman Matthew Cox a clearance to join the Panthers.
