By JARROD POTTER
PREMIER CRICKET
REVIEW – ROUND 7 (Day 1)
FROM stream rolling to steamrolled, as the fortunes of Casey-South Melbourne’s (6/93) flipped quickly back-and-forth against Prahran (231).
Dan Watson (5/50) and Simon Black (1/38) were scintillating in their first spell as Watson found the scalps of Steven De Bolfo (0) and Nicholas Morrey (0) without score.
Watson charged in from the Toorak Road end and left Prahran in complete despair at only 3/5 after six overs.
The heavy workload Casey-South Melbourne places on its star all-rounder continued as in prior weeks with Watson opening both the batting and the bowling.
The middle order gave Prahran something to defend before Watson and captain Chris Hall (1/47) exposed 200-gamer and reigning Ryder Medallist James Miller (2) and the lower attack.
Forcing Prahran to 7/115 Casey-South Melbourne took the foot off the throat and allowed Prahran to weasel its way back into a dominant position.
The young brigade of Casey-South Melbourne players impressed – with a pair of debutants in Cameron Brown (from Cardinia CC) and Devin Pollock (from Yarragon CC) working tidily together to remove Steven Singh (56), before finishing the innings at 231.
The response was lacklustre as wickets fell in clumps around former Berwick opener Josh Holden (32). He held together the batting order before the pair of DDCA premiership players – Holden and Watson (1) – were the last men out as stumps loomed.
DANDENONG v ST KILDA
CHASED from the crease by St Kilda’s (3/122) star all-rounder Matt Chasemore, Dandenong (128) was all but beaten on the first innings in a lacklustre display at the Junction Oval.
The former Panther showed the form that earned him equal second in the Ryder Medal tally last season, as Chasemore ran through Dandenong’s top order en route to record his first five-for with St Kilda off figures of 5/21.
Tom Donnell (34) tried to emulate his form from last round against Frankston Peninsula, but succumbed to a straightener from Lachlan Graf (2/37). Donnell’s dismissal at 4/53 left the side struggling before the next wave of Panthers’ persistence began via James Nanopoulos (36). The crafty all-rounder – coming off career best figures of 6/28 against the Heat – was left to anchor the lower order as he added 31 with captain Dan Doran (13) to give the total some character. Justin Butterfield (11 not out) would hold on at the death to keep Dandenong at the crease, but lost the 10th man as Matt Willcocks (1) was run out. St Kilda needs seven runs for first innings points as Jackson Cooper (41) and Josh Manning (34) took charge of the attack.
