Panthers predict day two victory

By Ben Hope
DANDENONG and Fitzroy-Doncaster will continue to fight it out on Saturday to earn a position in the top eight of the Victorian Premier competition.
Despite Fitzroy making a daunting 6/329 in the first day of the game last Saturday, Panthers captain Darren Dempsey said he was confident his team could pull off a victory.
“At face value it looks like a pretty big total but normally if you bat a day in those conditions you’ll end up around that mark,” he said.
“It certainly can be done, I’ve been in teams that have chased down bigger totals.”
In day one, Brent Fairbanks (2/56) and Peter Sweeney (1/30) provided the best bowling for the Panthers, while James Nanopoulos proved valuable by delivering an lbw to Fitzroy opener Tim Sheehan.
The Panthers struggled under tough conditions, where wet weather left the bowlers making little impact.
“It drizzled for the middle session and the ball was like a piece of soap that we had to bowl with for 45 overs,” Dempsey said.
The Panthers will be counting on openers Brett Forsyth and Tom Donnell to make an impact early in the game this weekend and Dempsey will be happy if the Panthers lose less than three wickets before tea.
“If we can go into tea without losing more than three wickets, we will have a pretty good launching pad to chase them down in the last session,” Dempsey said.
“I’m hoping we will get a couple of showers to make sure it is as hard in the field for them as it was for us.
“If one of our top four batsman can make 100, I will be confident, but if we can all contribute to the run count 329 shouldn’t be too difficult.”
Dempsey predicted Fitzroy would concede early, leaving the Panthers enough time to try and secure a win.
“I would be surprised if they continued to bat in the second day, they need to leave themselves enough time to bowl us out,” Dempsey said.
The result on Saturday will determine which of the two teams will make it into the finals.
“It is pretty much if we win, we will make it. Prahran doesn’t look like they will make it,” Dempsey said.