Dandenong Panthers captain Darren Dempsey about to go the tonk in last season’s Twenty20 match against Melbourne University. 57990 Picture: Donna Oates
By Jarrod Potter
THE Dandenong Panthers kick off their 2011/12 campaign on Sunday with the first round of the Twenty20 competition against Fitzroy-Doncaster at Shepley Oval.
The four-round T20 competition will serve as a good tune-up for the Panthers ahead of their first-round match against Melbourne on Saturday week.
Dandenong has retained most of its talent for this season, with Alex Hales (not returning due to England Lions contention), Ben Hillard (Frankston-Peninsula) and Lucas Ligt (Casey-SM) the departures from a premiership-winning season.
The Panthers will hope to repeat their Premier Cricket glory, which came with an amazing display of tail-end batting by Darren Pattinson and Justin Butterfield.
The pair held off Frankston-Peninsula through the last hour of the final; surviving the last 38 balls of the innings to take Dandenong’s first title since 2006/07.
Panthers captain Darren Dempsey said while the T20 competition might be seen as a pre-season hitout by many clubs, Dandenong will look to win it.
“Now that the Twenty20 competition isn’t in the season proper, most clubs will see it as another pre-season hit out,” Dempsey said.
“Obviously, we want to win it.”
The Panthers have regained the services of home-grown batsman Brett Forsyth, who left Prahran over the off-season.
“When he (Forsyth) made the move, I think he made the decision a bit hastily,” Dempsey said.
“He was looking for a better batting spot, but team success is something he now sees as being a little bit more important.
“The environment he was in wasn’t suitable and he’s back playing with his mates, so it’s worked out well.”
With their focus set on back-to-back Premier Cricket titles, Dempsey said Dandenong is out to show their efforts last season weren’t a stroke of luck.
“We’re looking forward to starting the season,” he said.
“Having won the premiership last year, we’re keen to get back into it and prove it wasn’t a fluke.”
Sunday’s match starts at 2.30pm.
