By JARROD POTTER
PREMIER CRICKET – Round 9 (One day)
WELCOMED back in more ways than one, Dandenong (112) all-rounder James Pattinson made his bowling return in the Panthers’ five-wicket Twenty20 loss to Monash Tigers (5/133).
Pattinson was a sight for sore eyes as he strode to the bowling crease, after spending the start of the week in Macksville with other Australian and state cricketers to farewell Phillip Hughes.
It was the first time Pattinson had wound up and unleashed a barrage of deliveries since March and the quick didn’t fail to make his mark, snaring a wicket from his four overs and generally impressing the crowd that gathered to see the swarm of state and national-level cricketers.
Dandenong started with a bang off Brett Forsyth’s (41) blade as the opener started the Dandenong initiative at Central Reserve. The Panthers struggled to find a match-winning partnership as Forsyth longed for someone to survive at the other end. Quick wickets first up left Dandenong in all sorts at 3/15 and the innings never recovered from there as Forsyth’s heroics finally came to an end at 5/79 after hitting out against Melbourne Renegades’ spinner Aaron O’Brien (3/30).
Late order flourishes were few and far between as the visitors failed to find the boundary – the Panthers barely crept past triple figures after their 19 overs.
While Monash had four Victorian representatives at the top of the order – Will Sheridan (6), Cameron White (24), Daniel Christian (19) and O’Brien (0) – shots were hammered impressively past Dandenong’s attack by Andrew Chalkley (42 not out), who finished the job for the Tigers as Dandenong’s Twenty20 season opener came to an abrupt end.
James Wilcock (2/13) and James Nanopoulos (2/16) were the best of the Panthers’ attack.
Dandenong was scheduled to host Melbourne Uni on Sunday afternoon for the second Twenty20 of the weekend, but persistent rain forced cancellation.
The Panthers will travel to Fitzroy-Doncaster for their third consecutive short-form match on Saturday.
