Young champions ready for state challenge

The Southern Pioneers are back to defend their hard-earned under-18s state championship, won on the MCG in February. 115645 Picture: SUPPLIED

By JARROD POTTER

FULL to the brim of Dandenong District Cricket Association (DDCA) talent, the three Southern Pioneers teams – under-14, under-16 and under-18, are ready to take on the rest of the state in the upcoming championships.
With state representatives and schoolboys champions dotting each of the teams, the Pioneers’ trio stand a great chance heading into the championships
The under-18 team will be out to defend its hard-earned victory from last season’s competition, following a 79-run win over Inner South East Scorpions.
The win was set up by a 125-run partnership between current team representative and Victorian Under-19 squad member Zach Allen (83) and current Dandenong CC all-rounder Tanner Stanton (48) to push the side to 8/219 from its batting innings before Travis D’Souza (3/13) and Stanton (2/17) rattled through the Scorpions to claim the title.

SOUTHERN PIONEERS
UNDER-18 TEAM
Zach Allen – Endeavour Hills CC.
Jake Cronin – Buckley Ridges CC.
Janik De Silva – Narre South CC.
Kirk Dickson – Narre South CC.
Jye Driscoll – Berwick CC.
Andrew Humphries – Endeavour Hills CC.
Jawed Hussaini – Narre South CC.
Dylan Jacotine – Noble Park CC.
Stuart Johnson – Doveton CC.
Tobias Keast – Narre Warren CC.
Clayron Landers – Lynbrook CC.
Mitch Lewis – Springvale South CC.
Ryan Quirk – Springvale South CC.
Ross Woodall – Coach – Dandenong CC.
Tilan Samaraweera – Coach – Casey South Melbourne CC.
Nick Cox – Coach – Dandenong CC.
UNDER-16
DOWLING SHIELD TEAM
Joshua Battle – Doveton CC.
Lachlan De Zilwa – Endeavour Hills CC.
Matthew Dennerley – Cranbourne CC.
Bryce Dinger – Cranbourne CC.
Andrey Fernando – Springvale South CC.
Saad Khattak – Clayton District CC.
Liam Labrooy – Springvale South CC.
Arunkarthik Mannarsamy – Noble Park CC.
Sacheen Paramesh – Noble Park CC.
Durras Seccull – Noble Park CC.
Brayden Sharp – Springvale South CC.
Dylan Webber – Endeavour Hills CC.
Matthew Wetering – Springvale South CC.
Mark Boraston – Coach – Dandenong CC.
Kierran Voelkl – Coach – Casey South Melbourne CC.
UNDER-14 TEAM
Ashley Chandrasinghe – HSD CC.
Joshua Davey – Dingley CC.
Triyan De Silva – Rowville CC.
Justin De Wet – Dandenong West CC.
Ethan French – Lynbrook CC.
Dulnath Hendawitharana – Noble Park CC.
Emran Heras – Narre North CC.
Connor Hinds – Narre South CC.
Nathan Munasinghe – Rowville CC.
Nivin Sathyajith – Cranbourne CC.
Kevin Seth – HSD CC.
Daniel Van Hees – Lynbrook CC.
Dylan Vanderwert – Lyndale CC.
Rob Elston – Coach – Casey South Melbourne CC.
Kevin Tissera – Assistant Coach – Dandenong CC.