Dandenong’s fast bowling stocks reduced ahead of 2018-19 Premier Cricket season

DANDENONG’S batting will be strong again but the Panthers have lost some fast-bowling options for the 2018-19 Premier Cricket season.

GIVE Peter Cassidy the ball and he can bowl all day, accurately and incisively.

But the canny medium pacer, so central to Dandenong’s two-title 2017-18 summer, is taking a spell from Premier Cricket.

Cassidy played in the UK in the off-season and has extended his stay overseas into a few months of travel.

The Panthers are resigned to being without him until the Christmas break in the 2018-19 campaign, which starts on Saturday.

Cassidy snaffled 34 wickets at 15.7 last season, a worthy contribution to Dandenong’s White Ball and two-day crowns.

Depth was a strength of the club, but some of it has been eroded with the departures of Jak Jowett (Clayton Districts), Brenton Murphy (Brighton), Ryan Quirk (Casey South Melbourne), Matt Wetering (Springvale South), Luke Gandy (Frankston Peninsula) and Koby Brann (Wonthaggi). There is also a doubt over paceman Adam McMaster.

Dandenong will be leaning on the great Darren Pattinson for wickets.

Jowett’s transfer came after he was left out of the grand final team against Fitzroy Doncaster, making way for Peter Siddle.

The left-armer had taken 31 wickets at 24; his was the hard-luck story of the season.

The return of fast bowler James Wilcock from DDCA club Berwick will help stay on the pace, so to speak.

The great Darren Pattinson, 39, hasn’t missed a beat in the pre-season and, like last season, coach Nick Speak will look to manage his workload and have him peaking when the stakes are highest.

After three years out of Premier Cricket, Pattinson made a spectacular return with 37 wickets, shredding Carlton with 6-13 in the preliminary final and taking 4-29 in the second innings in the grand final.

The Panthers again look strong in the batting, with prolific opening pair Brett Forsyth and Tom Donnell followed by new Victorian rookie Ed Newman, Lincoln “LJ’’ Edwards, James Nanopoulos and Cameron Forsyth.

Prolific opening batsman Brett Forsyth.

Comrey Edgeworth and Josh Slater, both heavy scorers in the Second XI last season and both given a look in the top team, are ready for more opportunities.

While the White Ball competition has been scrapped, Dandenong will take its place in the inaugural Super Slam T20 competition.

All 18 Victorian Premier clubs accepted invitations to compete in Super Slam #01, which will have two conferences, each with nine teams.

Clubs will play six preliminary rounds. Each conference will have a top four, leading to conference semi-finals and then a final.

The two conference winners will play off in the Championship Final — the “Grand Slam’’.

Both finalists will earn a ticket to Adelaide for the Cricket Australia National Premier T20 Championship in March.

Dandenong has been bunched with Casey South Melbourne, Kingston Hawthorn, Camberwell Magpies, Dandenong, Ringwood, Frankston-Peninsula, Monash Tigers, St Kilda and Prahran in the Melbourne Stars conference.

Greenvale Kangaroos, Melbourne, Fitzroy Doncaster, Northcote, Essendon, Geelong, Footscray, Melbourne University and Carlton form the Renegades conference.

New Dandenong Women’s Premier First XI captain Emma Gallagher.

On the women’s side, Dandenong is out to improve on a modest 2017-18.

Andy Christie is the new senior coach, club stalwart Emma Gallagher has been appointed captain and Maryam Omar from Essendon Maribyrnong Park will add experience to a young squad.

Gallagher served as president and secretary of Dandenong Women’s Cricket Club before its merger with Dandenong Cricket Club last season; on and off the field she has served the game with distinction.

The Panthers are working on signing two overseas players to support their classy young crew of Jess Matin, Lucy Cripps and Alanah Mison.