By Nick Creely
It was a day where runs flowed at an alarming rate across the competition.
And Dandenong weren’t spared in their Victorian Premier Clash with an underperforming Footscray side at Shepley Oval on Saturday.
Remarkably, the Dogs sit second last on the table despite some of the class within their side, but have made the most of an opportunity to blood some youngsters.
But they sent a telling reminder that they are, on their day, as dangerous as any side in the competition, sending the ball to all parts against a Panther side that welcomed back none other than James Pattinson to the fold.
With the fast bowler returning from the side strain that ended his Big Bash season with the Brisbane Heat, champion all-rounder James Nanopoulos playing his 200th first XI match, as well as the always special Pink Stumps Day, there was every reason to be confident after sending the Dogs in.
Nanopoulos – who had arguably his finest season at the club last season in what was a premiership year – continues to build an almighty legacy at Shepley Oval, and is now up to 25 wickets along with his 387 runs for the season.
Pattinson took the new ball and bowled well in his first spell, bowling three overs, but the Dogs were looking comfortable on a superb batting pitch. He finished with 0/33 from 10 overs.
Matt Underwood (41) and Ash Armstrong (28) got the visitors off to a strong start, crashing 68 runs for the first wicket, before seamer Peter Cassidy (4/73) picked up a couple of wickets to peg the score back to 2/80.
But gun pair Dean Russ (91), and skipper Dylan Kight (98) launched – particularly in the second session – combining for a sublime 131-run partnership for the third wicket, sending the visitors past the 200-run mark with plenty of time left in the day.
Agoninsly, both fell just short of a century, with Kight in particular just two runs away from triple figures after Nanopoulos got through the gate of the star in a moment that helped shift momentum somewhat.
The Panthers rallied, particularly through Cassidy and Nanopoulos (4/73) to peg the scoring back, but the Dogs still surged their way to 9/350 at stumps, with a run-a-ball cameo from Dylan Brasher (40) making it a dominant day for the visitors.
But, with the ability of the Panthers’ batting group, they will back themselves to run down the mammoth total on Saturday when play resumes at 11am.
In the seconds, Dandenong amassed 5/251 at Mervyn Hughes Oval, with Dane Heverin making 92, while Dasun Opanayaka also chimed in with 62 runs of his own.
