Premier Cricket: Dandenong has added a trio of exciting recruits for the 2024-25 season

Dandenong has added a trio of recruits, including a “really athletic” bowler who brought down rising prodigy Jake Fraser-McGurk this summer.

Dandenong coach Tom Donnell is looking forward to having some selection headaches. (Photo by Josh Chadwick)

Few bowlers in world cricket can claim dismissing Jake Fraser-McGurk for a duck in the past six months.

But Dandenong’s newest recruit can.

Nathan Whitford, originally from Collegians in the Sale-Maffra Association, has joined the Panthers.

He played for Dandenong in the T20 double header in December and dismissed Fraser-McGurk second ball on his way to figures of 4-15 on debut.

Whitford headlines a trio of exciting recruits for the Panthers, with Tom Morrison (also Collegians) and Jawid Khan (North Dandenong) also heading to Shepley Oval.

Dandenong celebrated five wins in 2023-24. Picture: Andy Brownbill

“Nathan played a couple of games with us last year and that was a main thing, get him involved in the club and get him playing,” Dandenong coach Tom Donnell said.

“He’s locked away and it’s going to be good because he’s a pace bowler who is really athletic – he runs in and bowls fast.

“Hopefully he can learn a few things and improve his game because what we saw in the twenty20s was really good, we were really impressed with that.

“Jawid Khan, from North Dandy, he’s coming on board as well, he’s a really solid all-rounder.

“He reached out to the club to have another crack … we said ‘yeah, more than welcome’.”

Jawid Khan was a shining light for North Dandenong this DDCA season.

Khan had a sensational summer for North Dandenong in the Dandenong District Association, crunching 538 runs at 53 to go with 21 wickets at 20.

He returns to Premier Cricket with 69 matches of experience between 2012-2017 at Kingston Hawthorn under his belt.

Donnell says the addition of three quality players will create healthy competition for spots.

“Adding some depth and pressure on spots, really,” he said of the club’s recruiting aim.

“Our batting was pretty good, we relied a lot on Brett, but Dhanusha (Gamage) and Josh Slater had really good years.

“We want to get a squad together that can compete week in, week out.

“If we can add a few more to the top grades that can compete then the guys in the threes and fours that are really young can develop further.”

Dandenong finished 12th with five wins in 2023-24.

Dhanusha Gamage, in his first year, and eventual Ryder Medallist Brett Forsyth both featured in the team of the year.