Premier Cricket: Spin a key for Dandenong in Premier Cricket
The Panthers have produced a line long of top-class pacemen but slow bowling will be a strong suit of the club in 2019-20.
South East
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Spin is in at Dandenong.
For a long time pace has been associated with the Panthers, purveyed by Darren and James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Paul Boraston, Justin Butterfield and others.
While the speed stocks have thinned at Shepley Oval, particularly in the past 12 months, the spinning ranks are brimming with prospects and possibilities ahead of the 2019-20 season that starts next Saturday.
Former Sri Lankan Test offie Suraj Randiv was a key signing in the off-season.
With left-armer Akshat Buch entering his third season, slow bowling will be prominent in the Dandenong attack.
Randiv was a guest player for the Panthers in the Victorian Super Slam last season and was prominent all the way through the tournament, crowning it with 3-21 in the final against Carlton at the MCG.
Randiv had 12 Tests and has played 140 first-class matches, capturing 681 wickets at 25.52.
There were also 31 ODI and seven T20 appearances for Sri Lanka.
“He’s coming to live in Melbourne — he has permanent residency and he’s bringing his family — so he’s going to be a great resource for the club going forward,’’ Dandy coach Nick Speak said.
“Aside from his ability as a player, he has great coaching and leadership potential.’’
A crew of young spinners is bubbling under established pair Randiv and Buch.
Leggie Boopa Munasinghe and left-arm wristie Raheel Bostan are both in the Victorian Under 17 Country team play in the nationals in Mackay from September 30 to October 10, and leg-spinner Gehan Seneviratne has crossed from Carlton.
Then there is Riley Siwes, a product of local club Dandenong West.
“Yeah, really excited about what we’ve got with the spinners, and ‘Randi’ (Randiv) will be working with them,’’ Speak said.
“He’s going to have a big group and a talented group.’’
On the pace front, Englishman Josh Shaw, who played the second half of last season, is returning and will arrive before Christmas.
“Delighted to have him back. He had an impact last year and he’s going to be with us longer this time,’’ Speak said.
“He’s at Gloucestershire full-time now. He signed a three-year deal with them earlier in the year. He’s deceptively quick and there’s upside to this batting.’’
Shaw will help cover the departure of James Wilcock (Berwick), the retirement of club great Darren Pattinson and the relocation of Paddy Turner (Brisbane).
Monash Tigers recruit Triyan De Silva, a left-arm medium pacer and handy batsman, shapes as an option to support seamers Jake Thomas, James Nanopoulos and Peter Cassidy.
Josh Murray, Victorian Under 15 representative Michael Ingram and Cranbourne product Sen Sathyajith are players of the future.
Ingram — whose father, Craig, played District cricket for Collingwood and was in the Victorian squad in 1989-90 — won’t be seen until he overcomes a shoulder injury.
The batting will again revolve around prolific opening pair Tom Donnell and Brett Forsyth, who last season became the club’s first Ryder Medal champion.
“He won four games off his own bat,’’ Speak said of Forsyth’s golden 2018-19.
“It’s a hard thing to do when you’re opening the batting, go all the way through. He hadn’t quite done that on previous occasions. He made it a focus and he did it. No doubt it will be a focus for him again.’’
Victorian rookie Ed Newman barely made a run for the Panthers last season, yet averaged 37 in Futures matches. The coach is sticking with the left-hander, adamant he’ll “find a way to get going in District cricket’’.
As for Speak, the former leading Lancashire batsman is in for a busy summer. He’s coaching the Victorian Under 19 Country team in the nationals in Perth at the end of November — and has high hopes for his charges — and is doing skills coaching at Cricket Victoria, based at the Junction Oval.
Speak is running the batting program and Rhys Adams the bowling.
Dandenong hosts Melbourne University in Round 1 on Saturday.