Master at the crease

By Paul Pickering
ST KILDA skipper Graeme Rummans put on a batting master-class at Shepley Oval on Saturday to deny Dandenong a win in the Premier Cricket season-opener.
The dual Ryder medallist, returning from a stint in Sydney, played a brilliant innings of 79 to guide the Saints to a 49-run victory.
Dandenong captain Darren Dempsey (78 not out) returned fire with a similarly classy knock, but the Panthers left their run too late in pursuit of St Kilda’s 8/248, finishing at 8/199 from the allotted 50 overs.
Panthers coach Warren Ayres was far from disheartened by the day’s play, but lamented some undisciplined bowling from his charges.
“We gave them 34 extras, which is six extra overs, so that was the difference in the game,” Ayres reflected.
“Take nothing away from them (the Saints) though, they’re as good a team as any in the comp and, basically, if Rummans makes runs they win.”
Rummans and opener Dimitri Deane (49) set the game up with a 100-run second-wicket stand, before Panthers recruit Rory Collins had Deane stumped off the bowling of James Nanopoulos (1/30).
The home side further halted the momentum with a pair of run-outs, and Dempsey (3/37) did his best to restrict the flow of runs in the dying overs.
Swing-king Paul Boraston was wicketless, but probably the pick of the bowlers with an economical 0/26 from his 10 overs.
Teenage pacemen Jackson Coleman (0/29) and James Wilcock (0/23) were unable to settle against established batsmen, while Brent Fairbanks (1/53) and Darren Pattinson (1/44) leaked runs.
The Panthers lost Tom Donnell (7) cheaply in reply, but Brett Forsyth (18), Nanopoulos (35), Dempsey and first-gamer Rees Thomas (36) combined to give their side a sniff at 3/170.
The required run rate had already blown out by that stage, and the Saints bowlers tightened the screws with devastating effect.
The Panthers lost 5/24 at the hands of Michael Beer (3/42) and Daniel Mueller (2/28) and ultimately abandoned the chase.
Ayres didn’t have to look far to find positives though, with Dempsey, Nanopoulos, Thomas and Boraston all performing well.
“The result wasn’t disastrous at all, because our batsmen have got good starts to the season,” he said.
“Our bowlers need to be a little more consistent and work together to keep the scores down, but then again, you don’t have to play Rummans every week either.”
Ayres believes this Saturday’s clash with Melbourne Uni at Shepley Oval is an early must-win encounter.