Early collapse puts Cats under pressure against Panthers

A TOUGH first day of action has left Geelong’s Premier Men under pressure in their clash with Dandenong, with batting troubles giving their opponent the upper hand.

At stumps last weekend, the Cats were all out for just 187 after 58 overs, with the Panthers finishing the day at 1/92 from 35 overs.

Geelong won the toss and opted to bat first at home in extreme heat that forced local leagues to cancel all matches.

Dandenong’s bowling attack caused trouble early, with Cats’ openers Lincoln Koliba and Nathan Caulfield both out for ducks within the first three overs.

Their middle order somewhat steadied, with Ashley Armstrong top scoring with 47 runs and Eamonn Vines making an unbeaten 39.

But, four different Dandenong wicket-takers saw the first innings finish undesirably early for the home side.

Panthers captain Brett Forsyth and Dhanusha Gamage will begin play this weekend on 44 and 38 respectively, with their wickets becoming crucial for the Cats early on day two.

With Dandenong in the box seat to chase Geelong’s low target score down, a loss could make a finals berth difficult with just two rounds left in the season.

The Cats’ Seconds impressed on day one of their clash with the Panthers, finishing at 5/304 thanks to a 98-run effort from opener Ryan Aikman and an unbeaten 80 from Fletcher Cozens.

The Thirds skittled Dandenong for just 137 in their clash and but finished the day at 3/60, while the Fourths finished the day with the Panthers at 7/220.