Name change: Subbies teams to be called Mulgrave-Endeavour Hills next season

Endeavour Hills and Mulgrave will share players next season in a model supported by the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association.

Susantha Pradeep at the creases for Buckley Ridges.

Endeavour Hills and Mulgrave will not be merging for the 2021-22 season.

But the clubs are pushing forward with a joint venture in which some Mulgrave players will line up for the Eagles in Sub-District cricket.

Under the player-sharing model the Subbies teams will operate as Mulgrave-Endeavour Hills.

Talks are continuing and Endeavour Hills officials will outline the state of play in a zoom meeting with players this Thursday night.

The change of name to Mulgrave-Endeavour Hills does not have to be ratified by Eagles members but an amalgamation would have to go to a vote.

In any case it is not on the agenda for the approaching season.

New Endeavour Hills president Arun Rajendran and his predecessor Gary Parsons have been involved in the discussions with Mulgrave, which is affiliated with the Eastern Cricket Association.

Its top team competes in the A Turf section of the ECA.

In a headline-grabbing off-season, Mulgrave announced the recruitment of former Sri Lankan champions Tillakaratne Dilshan (as captain) and Sanath Jayasuriya (coach), as well as Upul Tharanga as a player.

It has also signed former star Sub-District batsman Susantha Pradeep, but he is expected to play for Mulgrave-Endeavour Hills rather than Mulgrave in the ECA.

Susantha Pradeep playing for Moorabbin.

Pradeep cracked 12 centuries for Moorabbin before joining Buckley Ridges in the DDCA.

Nick Bole-Brown continues as coach of Endeavour Hills, which will retain Pargeter Reserve for home games.

“If anyone knocks on your front door, you don’t turn them away,’’ Parsons said in May after an approach from Mulgrave.

“The ideal thing would be for us to be strong enough to stand alone, but we see this as an avenue to strengthen our playing stocks and rebuild our juniors.’’

Last season the Eagles operated four Sub-District teams, a one-day side in the Dandenong association, as well as Under 18 and Under 15 turf teams and Under 10 and 14 sides.

They have also become a big player in Over 50s and 60s cricket.

Endeavour Hills crossed from the Dandenong and District Cricket Association to the VSDCA in 1998-99 but has had limited success.

The seconds and fourths have won premierships, and two years ago the firsts captured the Twenty20 title.

The VSDCA regards the administration of the club and the facilities at Pargeter Reserve as excellent but the Eagles have struggled to attract quality players.

VSDCA president Phil O’Meara said today he supported the joint venture.

He said the association believed struggling clubs should pursue amalgamations if the circumstances were right and it would make them stronger.

O’Meara said his board had no issue with teams being called Mulgrave-Endeavour Hills rather than Endeavour Hills-Mulgrave next season.

Meanwhile legendary Endeavour Hills administrator David Anning is back for his 18th year as secretary and the Over 50s team formed under the Endeavour Hills banner has been rebranded the South Eastern Veterans Cricket Club, with the nickname of the Kangaroos.

The Over 60s will continue to play as Endeavour Hills.