Victorian Premier Cricket: Dandenong quickie Adam McMaster on the move

The Panthers will turn out a new-look attack after losing all of the frontline bowlers they used in last season’s grand final.

Adam McMaster bowling for Dandenong last season.

Dandenong’s bowling stocks have been depleted further by the departure of paceman Adam McMaster.

The right-armer is planning a move interstate.

It’s a blow for the Panthers, who in the off-season lost the bulk of the team that met Prahran in the 2020-21 grand final.

In fact, all five of the frontline bowlers used in the decider have said their farewells: McMaster, James Nanopoulos (Frankston Peninsula), Suraj Randiv (Edinburgh), Peter Cassidy (Brighton) and Jack Fowler (Dromana).

Last season McMaster made an excellent return to the Panthers team after time away from the club.

He grabbed 18 cheap wickets in the Second XI to earn promotion and then captured 26 wickets at 20.8 in the First XI, on four occasions taking four wickets.

Adam McMaster after taking 4-29 against St Kilda last season.

Dandenong great Brendan McArdle was calling him one of the stories of the season.

With so many bowlers going out the Shepley Oval gates, new captain Brett Forsyth will be handling a new-look attack.

Jake Thomas, who missed last season’s grand final because of injury, will head it, supported by second-year quickie Braden Taeuber, recruits Matt Wilson, Andrew Jones and Aryaman Bhardwaj, and leg-spinner Gehan Seneviratne.

Of the newcomers, Wilson is the only established player, having performed well for top team Carlton last season.

Jones, who has crossed from Kingston Hawthorn, has speed but is yet to appear in the First XI.

The 200cm right-armer is 24 and only now starting to focus on his cricket after earlier concentrating on football (he was a prospect for Tasmania in the TAC Cup).

“He’s raw, but he’s tall and he’s got some pace, and I think he’s going to be around the mark,’’ Ayres said of Jones recently.

“I’m trying to play it down a bit but I think he’s a smoky.’’

The skiddy Bhardwaj, new to Dandy from Northcote, has also yet to debut in Premier Cricket.

Taeuber, tall and nippy, joined the Panthers from the Ferntree Gully association last season and played four matches in the First XI.

Seneviratne played one.

Dandenong followers will get a feel for the recast First XI when it plays Casey South Melbourne ahead of Round 1 on Saturday, November 13.