By Roy Ward
IN with one Darren, out with another. Former England Test cricketer Darren Pattinson will captain Dandenong Panthers in Premier Cricket this season.
The 33-year-old brother of Australian Test star James Pattinson will fill the position left vacant by premiership captain Darren Dempsey who has moved to New Zealand after a work promotion.
Darren Pattinson was born in England but raised in Doveton and was named a life member of the Panthers in 2010.
Club president Michael Findlay said the older Pattinson, who bats and bowls for the Panthers, would offer good leadership to his side.
“Darren has enormous respect within our playing group and his experience with the Bushrangers and Nottingham will prove valuable in the role,” he said.
Pattinson is in England playing with Nottinghamshire but is expected to return to Dandenong in the coming weeks.
Rising batsman Tom Donnell has been appointed vice-captain to Pattinson but the young opening batsman will get some chances to lead the side this season with Pattinson still likely to play matches for the Victorian Bushrangers and with Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash Twenty20 league.
The Panthers have also signed an international import for the Premier Cricket season with Nottinghamshire’s Steven Mullaney signed on.
The 25 year old all-rounder bats in the middle order and bowls medium pace with his talents suited to the long and shorter form of cricket.
