By Nick Creely
Dandenong truly showed no mercy against Greenvale on Saturday, with the Panthers racking up a faultless 10-wicket win.
Sending the Kangas in to bat, the Panthers were merciless with their line and length, rolling them for 122 off their 50 overs.
Jak Jowett’s (3/22) brilliant start to life as a Panther continued, Peter Cassidy (3/20) hit immaculate lines, while Justin Butterfield (2/35), James Nanopoulos (2/28) and impressive spinner Akshat Buch (0/16) all bogged down the home side.
In reply, Brett Forsyth (52 not out) and Tom Donnell (66 not out) put the game to bed in just 28.3 overs, dominating a severely lacklustre opposition in a typically dominant opening stand by the pair.
In just over two hours of class batting, Donnell and Forsyth combined for over a dozen boundaries, and continued their legendary partnership with yet another breathtaking performance.
The Panthers now move to 3-0 and in ominous form, and Donnell is certainly excited about what his side is producing at the moment.
“It was a really good performance, set up by the bowlers and the fielding,” he said.
“With a lowish score to chase, it was pretty comfortable, we didn’t really feel under any pressure – the wicket was pretty decent, so we went about our business as per normal, and it was good to just get another win on the board.
“It’s a great position the club’s in, and it’s a hard job for the selectors at the moment picking a team, and the depth is as strong as it’s been for a really long time.”
His partner in crime – Forsyth – certainly agrees, and is ecstatic at how the club is going in all grades.
“We’ve got a lot depth now, we really do value our lower grades, and see that as a feeding system to our top team,” he said.
“The strength has been building, I think, and we’re moving in the right direction.
“It’s definitely the strongest I’ve seen the club on and off field for 13 or 14 years since I’ve been here.”
In the seconds, Comrey Edgeworth (110) and Josh Slater’s (81) brilliant form continued in a dominant win, the third won by ten-wickets after rolling the Roos for 59, and the fourths won by nine wickets after chasing down the Roos’ 6/210.
Edgeworth has now scored 235 at 117.5 in his first three digs, while Slater has scored 218 runs at 109.
In Women’s Premier Cricket, not even a stellar century to Dandenong skipper Sophie Molineux (115) could save the Panthers from notching its first win of the season against Melbourne on Sunday.
Melbourne elected to bat at the Albert Ground, and scored a competitive 189 off 48 overs despite another terrific performance by Panthers’ recruit Kim Garth (4/26) and Chelsea Moscript (3/44).
Molineux then played an epic knock in reply, opening the batting and surviving every blow as wickets tumbled around her, and was the last wicket to fall for the match as the visitors fell three runs short in a tense finish.
Incredibly, all four grades gained bonus points, a rare feat in the competition.
Dandenong will play Casey over the weekend, with Donnell to play his 200th match in the First XI.
