Dandenong’s Premier Cricket campaign looks likely to end on a dismal note at the hands of Fitzroy-Doncaster after a poor showing with the bat on the first day of their final two-day clash of the season.
Brett Forsyth and Gehan Seneviratne were the only batters to reach double figures, with 72 and 35 respectively, as the Panthers were dismissed for 153 in the 59th over at Schramms Reserve.
Ben Allison could not repeat last week’s heroics as he was one of three batters who failed to score, alongside Joshua Slater and Sam Newell.
In reply, the Panthers, through Allison, managed to take the wicket of Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, but the Lions need just a further 104 for victory, with nine wickets in hand.
In Geelong, Casey-South Melbourne’s positive start in the field was scuppered by rain after 36 overs.
The Swans had breached the middle order to have the hosts in trouble at 4-112 before weather intervened, forcing the end of play for the day.
Casey South-Melbourne remain an outside chance to qualify for finals, but their destiny is not entirely within their own hands, as they need to win and hope that Northcote (ninth) and St Kilda (10th) fail to secure points next week.
