By Nick Creely
Carlton must have nightmares every time Darren Pattinson lets the ball fly down the pitch.
Back on 21 January, the 38-year old veteran bamboozled the Blues, taking 4/12 in the one day final to dismantle the home side for just 49, in one of the great team performances in the competition’s illustrious history.
And he’s done it again in yet another blockbuster, cut-throat match for the club over the weekend that sees the Panthers qualify for this weekend’s grand final against Fitzroy-Doncaster.
Pattinson this time snared an incredible 6/13, including the first six scalps, as the Blues meekly rolled over for just 54 after play resumed late in the day after rain poured at Princes Park in the morning.
And the rain worked wonders for the brilliant Panthers champ, who completely took the game away with his extraordinary ability to move the ball and intimidate the opposition.
His first victim was opener Brayden Stepien, and not long after Stepien had even taken off his pads in the change room, Harry and Tom Smyth, Mackenzie Harvey and Donovan Pell joined him, all victims to Pattinson stunning opening spell.
And the big wicket, that of skipper Evan Gulbis, who plundered 464 runs for the season, was the defining moment for the Panthers not long after, resigning the home side to 6/26 with all its top line players back in the shed.
The wicket of Gulbis meant Pattinson sits on 31 wickets from 15 matches in his comeback season, his best return since the 2006/07 season.
Unbelievably consistent all-rounder James Nanopoulos (4/15) finished it off with no fuss, to condemn the Blues to embarrassment for the second consecutive time this season.
Worryingly for the Blues, they have lost 20/103 in their last two outings, with Pattinson contributing 10 of those scalps.
Skipper Tom Donnell (52) and Cam Forsyth (42) steadied after the early wicket of champ Brett Forsyth to run the total down with ease, setting up a grand final showdown against the Lions, who are aiming for a rare three peat.
“Darren (Pattinson) was just brilliant; he did exactly what we probably expected he could do, it was incredible,” Donnell said of the champ.
“Those moments are why he came back; he probably finds it surprising how well he’s gone, but at the end of the day, he’s put in all the work and he got the rewards for it.
“With the rain, the conditions and the pitch probably suited him to a tee, and he did the job for us.”
As the Panthers gear up for what will be incredible grand final showdown at Junction Oval this Easter weekend, Donnell; gearing up for his fourth Victorian Premier Cricket grand final; explained that the feeling is pure excitement, all with last year’s hurt ingrained in their minds.
“It’s just exciting for the group; I honestly didn’t expect it, I wasn’t sure how we’d go this year, but the boys have just been unreal,” he said.
“Everyone at this club has bounced back from last year, we have learnt a lot along the way.
“We do take a bit of confidence out of the game, but they (Fitzroy-Doncaster) are the benchmark, they know what it takes to win.
“We’ll hopefully get the job done, and make the club proud.”
Dandenong and Fitzroy-Doncaster will play off for the premiership on Saturday 31 March, Sunday 1 April and Monday 2 April at Junction Oval.
