By JARROD POTTER
Premier Cricket – Twenty20
SOUTH East showdown belonged to Dandenong in a nail-biter against Casey-South Melbourne at Princes Park.
Dandenong won the toss and went to work with the bat as Andrew Gale (31no) and Brett Forsyth (19no) had the prime vantage point to see Tom Donnell destroy the Bloods.
Donnell brutalised anything that came near his bat – with the Dandenong opener pillaging 111 not out from only 77 balls.
His smack fest included 11 boundaries and six sixes to leave Casey-South Melbourne scratching their heads about how to defeat him.
Donnell and Gale posted 90 for the first wicket before the Yorkshire captain was dismissed by Nathan Frietag (1/34).
Forsyth jumped into position and made his time at the crease count – hitting a run-a-ball 19 with a boundary and a six.
Dandenong flew to 1/169 from its 20 overs, leaving Casey -South Melbourne a tough chase.
Donnell (1/7) snared the early wicket of Shane Maggs (5) to cap off his day, before the rest of the bowlers.
Current Tasmanian/Melbourne Stars all-rounder Clive Rose returning to the club for the match, and the Bloods got off to a mediocre start as Maggs, Daniel Watson (9) and Lachie Sperling (1) fell quickly. Rose and captain Jolyon Leaver (61) steadied the chase before Nathan Lambden (2/24) snared Rose via a catch from Tom Donnell.
Chris Hall (41no) was next up for Casey and the Hall/Leaver partnership accrued a quickfire 77-run partnership. The dangerous Leaver fell to James Nanopoulos (1/23), leaving Hall to bat out the innings while the rest of the order fell around him.
In the Twenty20 earlier on Saturday, Dandenong was rightly smashed by Carlton. The Panthers finished 8/101 from its 20 overs with Mick Sweeney (21no) the best of a lacklustre batting card.
Carlton chased the runs with ease – finishing the innings 3/102 with six overs remaining.
