Dandenong boosts pace-bowling and coaching departments
Ed Newman has lost his state contract, but Dandenong coach Warren Ayres is backing the left-hander to bounce back from the disappointment. And Ayres is welcoming David Newman back to the club.
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Ed Newman and David Newman make up some of the news from Dandenong.
Ed has lost his state contract – he was a rookie for two years – but returning coach Warren Ayres is backing the left-hander to bounce back.
Meanwhile premiership player David is returning to the Panthers as an assistant coach.
Curiously, Ed performed better for the Victorian Second XI than Dandenong during his time in the state squad.
But he made pleasing progressing last season, hitting 529 runs at 31.1 in the club competition and the Victorian Super Slam.
Ayres believes the 21-year-old is ready to issue his stamp on Premier Cricket.
“As I said to him, he’s still young enough to become a first-class player, so he needs now to use that disappointment as the spur to have a good season,’’ he said.
“He can be back in that state squad next year. He’s got time on his side. He’s pretty philosophical about the whole thing. He understands it. I think he’s in a good space.’’
David Newman was an outstanding all-rounder for Dandenong in Ayres’ first tenure as coach, playing a starring role in the 2006-07 premiership, and will come back to serve on the coaching panel, concentrating on bowling and fielding.
Senior pair Brett Forsyth (batting) and James Nanopoulos (bowling) will be specialist coaches.
The Panthers have strengthened their pace-bowling stocks by regaining Adam McMaster and recruiting Jack Fowler from Kingston Hawthorn.
McMaster left Dandenong suddenly in 2017-18, apparently miffed at being dropped, and popped up at Melbourne briefly last season.
At one stage the right-armer was regarded as one of the state’s best pace prospects.
“I think he’s a real talent,’’ Ayres said.
“He needs to knuckle down and get fit and if he does that I think he’ll be a real acquisition to the club. A few years back he took 20-odd wickets for the season, and he’s still young, 22 or 23. He’s got a lot of upside.
“My conversations with him have been along the lines that if he can put it all together we’d love to have him back. He’s keen and ready to go. Everything is pointing in the right direction with that one.’’
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McMaster played 40 matches for the Panthers from 2014-15 to 2017-18, capturing 72 wickets at 24.43, with a best of 5-60.
He represented the Victorian Under 19 team at the 2015-16 national championships and was its best bowler, taking 15 wickets at 20.
Fowler, also a right-armer, has had some good moments with the Hawks but has yet to establish himself as a First XI player.
“People have told me he can get them through,’’ Ayres said of Fowler.
“His cricket was a bit interrupted last season. Hopefully he can have a fair-dinkum go at it next season.’’
The Panthers have lost left-arm spinner Akshat Buch, who is tipped to play either Sub-District or local cricket.
Buch was Dandy’s first-choice spinner and featured in the 2017-18 premiership, but the arrival of Suraj Randiv last season left him on the fringes.