By Marcus Uhe
NORTH DANDENONG
2022-23 Finish: 4th in Turf 1. Lost semi-final to Hallam Kalora Park.
Coach: David Bell
Captain: Clayton McCartney
Ins: Jurgen Anderson, Sandeep Rahota (Springvale)
Outs: Austin Heldt, Nimesh Kariyawasam
Players to watch: Imran Langmani, Javed Khan, Ramneet Dhindsa
Home ground: Lois Twohig Reserve
Desperate to work its way into the the big three of Turf 1, North Dandenong came as close as any side last season, but fell away when it mattered most.
A gritty 42-run win in round 13 over Hallam Kalora Park was almost made moot by a rain-saved draw against Berwick side playing for pride, before the Hawks turned the tables in the semi finals.
It’s a fact that’s driving the playing group at Lois Twohig, according to veteran coach David Bell.
“I think, by the end of the year, they started to think that, what we were talking about and the direction we were going in, was starting to work,” Bell said.
“In the end, they fell back. They got put under pressure in the semi final and fell back to their old ways, and their old ways didn’t work.
“(Hallam Kalora Park) did their homework, and we did ours, but we didn’t listen to it, which was unfortunate.
“The guys aren’t happy with the way their season was last year, and I’m hoping they live up to what they say. They’re hungry, and we’ve never been like that before, or haven’t been for a long time, where we’ve been hungry with players who can actually do it.”
Leading the charge in the playing group are batters Clayton McCartney and Ramneet Dhindsa, and all-rounder Javed Khan, whose return to bowling will see him as somewhat of a new recruit for the Maroons after injury limited him last season.
But the return of two-day cricket is set to test the playing group, which struggled to maintain concentration with the bat for long periods last season.
Bell says staying in the moment has been a key focus of the preseason.
“Two day cricket is going to give us a lot of opportunity to improve our game, but it’s going to be a tough part of our game, and it’s where we’re going to have to be mentally tough.
“We’re going to have to do a lot of work on that sort of stuff, where we’re actually going to have to work harder with the bat, and everybody wants to.
“(I’m) Hounding (the batters), getting my bowlers to bowl in certain areas and helping my batters discover other options of shots. Giving them a broader range of shots, so that it’s not just line-up the fence and go.”
A tricky opening to the year that will see them face all other sides from the top five in the first four weeks will set the tone for the remainder of the season.
But having broken a tough finals drought last year, there’s optimism as to what this season has in store.
“There is still a lot to prove against the top sides but you can only prove that when you’re playing.
“We’re pretty keen to get started, see where we’re at, see what we have to fix and see what’s working for us, and keep pushing with that.”
Fixture:
Round 1 (one day): Saturday 7 October v Hallam Kalora Park (A)
Round 2 (one day): Saturday 14 October v Springvale South (H)
Round 3 (two day): Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 October v Narre South (H)
Round 4 (two day): Saturday 28 October and Saturday 4 November v Buckley Ridges (A)
Round 5 (two day): Saturday 11 and 18 November v Beaconsfield (H)
Round 6 (two day): Saturday 25 November and Saturday 2 December v Berwick (A)
Round 7 (one day): Saturday 9 December v St Mary’s (H)
Round 8 (one day): Saturday 16 December v Narre South (A)
Round 9 (one day): Saturday 6 January v Buckley Ridges (H)
Round 10 (one day): Saturday 13 January v Berwick (H)
Round 11 (two day): Saturday 20 and 27 January v Hallam Kalora Park (H)
Round 12 (two day): Saturday 3 and 10 February v Springvale South (A)
Round 13 (two day): Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 February v St Mary’s (A)
Round 14 (one day): Saturday 24 February v Beaconsfield (A)
