VICTORIAN PREMIER CRICKET
PREVIEW – ROUND 4
DANDENONG (1ST) v CASEY-SOUTH MELBOURNE (17TH)
Shepley Oval, 28 October from 11am
Saturday’s clash for Casey-South Melbourne looms as a mini final, even though the Victorian Premier Cricket season is just a month old.
As a shock finals participant last year, the expectation was that the Swans would take the next step and really start to stamp their authority over the competition.
But instead, the Swans sit just percentage off the bottom of the ladder with a 0-3 record, with only the lowly Greenvale behind them.
Dandenong – their opponents in Round 4 – present the Swans with an almighty challenge, and arguably the toughest ask in the competition as it stands.
The Panthers have been ruthless in the early stages of this season, and have regularly beaten up the Swans in the last five years.
The home side have made just the one change, with veteran Darren Pattinson returning and Justin Butterfield coming out, while the Swans remain unchanged, and confident that this side will click eventually.
Going 0-4 is a long way back for the Swans, and with a red hot Panthers side in its way and looking to extend its winning run and celebrate skipper Tom Donnell’s 200th match, it’s a tough task….but not an impossible one.
LAST TIME THEY MET:
Round 8, 2016/17 at Shepley Oval: Dandenong 4/114 (B.Forsyth 37, J.Pattinson 37, B.Rose 2/19) def Casey-South Melbourne 111 (B.Fairbanks 2/14, A.McMaster 2/17, C.Parkinson 2/28)
TEAMS
DANDENONG
Tom Donnell (capt) – 3 matches, 129 runs at 64.5, HS 66*
Brett Forsyth – 3 matches, 155 runs at 77.5, HS 52*
Ed Newman – 3 matches, 50 runs at 50, HS 49*
Lincoln Edwards – 3 matches, 100 runs at 100, HS 100*
James Nanopoulos – 3 matches, 18 runs at NA, HS 12*, 6 wickets at 16.5, BB 3/38
Cameron Forsyth – 3 matches, has not batted
Jacques Augustin (wk) – 3 matches, has not batted, four catches, one stumping
Jak Jowett – 3 matches, has not batted, 8 wickets at 11.88, BB 3/22
Darren Pattinson – 2 matches, has not batted, 2 wickets at 21.5, BB 1/21
Peter Cassidy – 1 match, has not batted, 3 wickets at 6.67, BB 3/20
Akshat Buch – 3 matches, has not batted, 5 wickets at 14.4, BB 3/28
CASEY-SOUTH MELBOURNE
Kasun Suriaratchie – 3 matches, 19 runs at 6.33, HS 12
Devin Pollock (wk) – 3 matches, 33 runs at 11, HS 19, four catches
Lachlan Sperling (capt) – 3 matches, 43 runs at 14.33, HS 29, 2 wickets at 62.5, BB 1/38
Ryan Eaton – 3 matches, 39 runs at 13, HS 26
Michael Wallace – 3 matches, 70 runs at 23.33, HS 39
Chris Benedek – 2 matches, 79 runs at 39.5, HS 44
Dylan Hadfield – 3 matches, 47 runs at 15.67, HS 37, 1 wicket at 73, BB 1/31
Brendan Rose – 3 matches, 21 runs at 10.5, HS 10*, 2 wickets at 65, BB 1/44
Nathan Lambden – 3 matches, 7 runs at 2.33, HS 5, 6 wickets at 15.5, BB 6/16
Leigh Diston – 3 matches, 8 runs at 8, HS 7*, 1 wicket at 123, BB 1/48
Jackson Fry – 1 match, 8 runs at 8, HS 8, 1 wicket at 23, BB 1/23
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
The milestone man TOM DONNELL has feasted on his former side since joining the Panthers for the 2005/06 season, whacking almost 700 runs at 48, including two massive centuries in recent years. His opening partnership with Brett Forsyth is the cornerstone of their successes, and on Shepley Oval, the two have the capacity to steal the game away in only a moment.
For the Swans, DYLAN HADFIELD is a proven match winner, as shown in his brilliant performance in a Twenty20 against Footscray Edgewater last season. But, the all-rounder has been slightly out of touch for the Swans to start the season, but remains arguably it’s most important weapon. If he fires, look out.
WHAT THE CLUB SAYS:
On the batting:
“We’ve been patchy (with the bat) – we need the skipper Lachie Sperling to stand up, Kasun’s been out of form, but the one positive has been Chris Benedek, who’s probably been unlucky to not play that much ones cricket last year,” – Jackson Fry.
“(After last week) the mood was flat, we probably lost that game in the first half hour losing four wickets, and we were just playing catch up.”
On the bowling:
“We have to build pressure with the new ball, and that’s what we did last year, and what got us into the finals. Brendan (Rose) and Nathan (Lambden) applied great pressure last year, and that’s what we haven’t been able to do, and we’ve given away too many loose balls,”
On the challenge:
“Being 0-3 and Dandenong being on top of the ladder is a huge challenge, and hopefully we can spoil Tommy Donnell’s party, that’s the plan.
“We know we’re capable, we need to knuckle down and play together as a team – I genuinely believe we can cause a real upset on Saturday.
“They are our regional rival, and they’re a great club with great facilities – Tommy (Donnell) obviously started his career with us, Nathan Lambden and Brendan Rose played with them so they’ve got a point to prove, it should be a great contest.”
