Premier Cricket: Dandenong defeats Melbourne in qualifying final

Champion James Nanopoulos bowled eight maidens in 10 overs and took three wickets in the Panthers’ win over Mebourne.

James Nanopoulos defends during his crucial innings for Dandenong.

All-rounders sure are coming to the fore in finals for Dandenong.

Last week it was Kim Garth with a half-century and four wickets in the women’s decider against Box Hill.

On Saturday it was James Nanopoulos with a maiden-heavy 10-over spell and vital runs that lifted the Panthers to a rousing victory over Melbourne in the qualifying final and got them down to the last four teams.

In a second-versus-seventh match at the Albert Ground, Dandenong hustled out the Demons for 87 and replied with 5-90, ending Melbourne’s season but setting a fire under its own.

Nanopoulos hit a nerve-settling 38 not out after the visitors had slumped to 4-31, with Brett Forsyth (1), captain Tom Donnell (0), Josh Slater (11) and Ed Newman (run out for 14) the dismissed batsmen.

Panther Ed Newman departs after being run out.

Nanopoulos and Comrey Edgeworth (10) pushed the score to 60 before Edgeworth was bowled by Jackson Koop.

From there, “Nano’’ and Peter Cassidy (12 not out off 37 balls) guided the Panthers home, clinching a superb win.

“He’s a star of the competition and we should all recognise it in my view,’’ Dandenong coach Warren Ayres declared of Nanopoulos after the match.

Noting his eight maidens, Ayres added: “Never, ever would you expect anything like that to happen again.

“As I said, he’s a star. He continually keeps doing it, doesn’t he? Almost 40 wickets for the season…’’

Comrey Edgeworth drives down the ground. Picture: Valeriu Campan

As for the wicket at the Albert, Ayres said it looked fine but played low and slow and “nibbled a little bit’’, and it was probably a good toss for the Panthers to lose.

Batting on it, Melbourne had its worst day of the season and paid a heavy price, dropping out of premiership contention.

Nanopoulos and Adam McMaster gave Dandy a superb start in the match by claiming early wickets with the white ball.

Nanopoulos had opener Campbell Kellaway (4) caught at mid-on, Blake Thomson (12) edging to wicketkeeper Jacques Augustin, and knocked over No 5 Jack Prestwidge.

McMaster picked up Melbourne captain Cameron White (3) caught behind as the home team slumped to 4-24.

When Cassidy slipped in with the wicket of Jack Harper (9), the Dees were 5-34.

Meyrick Buchanan (36) and young Kobe Herft (4) added 37 for the sixth wicket but when they were separated one wicket brought three, Cassidy claiming Herft (4) and Fergus O’Neill (0).

The right-arm medium pacer collected 3-21 off eight overs. McMaster returned 2-26 off his eight but Nanopoulos’s figures were something else: 10 overs, eight maidens, 3-7. He now has 37 wickets for the season.

Ayres said he’d been “reasonably confident’’ his team could match the Demons, who had added White, O’Neill and Koop to the team that defeated Carlton in the final round.

“I thought we could put on a good display … if they (Melbourne) had a good contributor, then fine, maybe we could too,’’ he said.

“That’s what happens in the one-dayers. If someone turns it on you end up winning and we had that player (Nanopoulos).’’