By Marcus Uhe
Dandenong Cricket Club shook-off a significant week at Shepley Oval by winning their two-day game at Greenvale over the weekend.
A disappointing season for the Panthers in Premier Cricket saw head coach Warren Ayres fall on his sword, with immediate effect.
Ayres tendered his resignation on Friday afternoon, 20 January, ahead of the Panthers’ trip to the Northern side of the city.
In a statement on Friday night, the club paid tribute to Ayres’ service, describing him as an “outstanding leader” across two terms at Dandenong.
“The Dandenong Cricket Club would like to thank Warren Ayres, who has this afternoon stood down as head coach, effective immediately,” the club said.
“In his first tenure he led the club to its first XI premiership, and later guided the first XI in the 20/21 season to a Grand Final.
“Warren has been a strong mentor and provided a wealth of knowledge during the transitional phase at the club.
“In the past two years he has taken a strong interest in the future development, through our Pattinson Academy and Dowling Shield programs.”
The leading run scorer in Victorian Premier Cricket history, Ayres joined Dandenong ahead of the 2002/03 season as captain coach, guiding the club to its first premiership in 2006/07.
He returned as head coach in 2020, leading the Panthers to an unlikely run to the Grand Final in 2020-21 despite finishing the regular season seventh on the table, but was unable to recapture the magic of that first season back in the head coaching role in later years.
Until the win over Greenvale, Dandenong were anchored to the bottom of the table in Premier Cricket, having also missed finals in 2021-22.
Ayres was contacted but chose not to comment on the matter.
Assistant coach Glenn Marinic filled the breach, leading the side to a victory in their first two-day game in years.
Bowling first, they kept Greenvale to 8-291 from 93 overs.
All-rounder Matthew Wilson took 3-75, including two in the 43rd over, while right arm quick Braden Taeuber and spinner Sahan Perera grabbed two wickets each.
Openers Brett Forsyth (75) and Tom Donnell (93) put on 164 for the first wicket, before Donnell was joined at the crease by Perera.
Despite watching Donnell, Joshua Slater, Max Marinic and Wilson all depart in a short space of time, he remained calm to steer the chase home on 76 not out in the 84th over.
The result lifts them off the bottom of the table to 16th, ahead of Greenvale and Kingston Hawthorn.
