Dilshan and Casey South Melbourne part ways

Ex-Sri Lankan captain Tillakaratne Dilshan has left Casey South Melbourne after his post-Christmas spell with the Swans.

Tillakaratne Dilshan hitting our for Casey South Melbourne. Picture: Mike Dugdale

Without any of the fanfare that accompanied his arrival, former Sri Lankan champion Tillakaratne Dilshan has left Casey South Melbourne.

Rather than playing for the Swans on Saturday, the 44-year-old lined up with Mulgrave in the Eastern Cricket Association.

After the openers had put on 243, Dilshan came out at No 3 and was out for three, LBW.

He had already linked with Mulgrave for its Twenty20 series.

The right-hander started at Casey South Melbourne with a thrilling hand of 53 against Dandenong, but in seven matches he managed 178 runs at 25.4.

He also picked up 11 wickets at 23.3.

Dilshan missed Round 11 with a hamstring strain he suffered during his innings of 30 against St Kilda in Round 10.

Tillakaratne Dilshan picked up 11 wickets for the Swannies.

Swans president Shaun Petrie said the former Sri Lankan captain had left the club on amicable terms.

He said Dilshan would soon be playing in a masters tournament in India and wanted to arrive in good time and have a thorough preparation.

“It would have been nice if he’d got a hundred and another hundred and another hundred and we were in the finals, but it was worth having him,’’ Petrie said.

“His bowling ended up being handy – he was opening the bowling with his offies and he got some important wickets for us – and I think our younger players really enjoyed the experience of playing with him.

“For him to open the batting with Ashley Chandrasinghe and spend, I don’t know, something like 200 balls with him, that’s got to be worth its weight in gold for Ash.

“It didn’t cost the club a bomb and we got some good things out of it.’’

On Saturday the Swans suffered a stinging loss to Footscray, dismissing the Dogs out for 140 but being bowled out for 121 in the 47th over.

With Cal Dodson, the promoted Cameron Brown and the returning Nathan Lambden making early strikes, the visitors crashed to 5-27, with Dylan Brasher and key pair Dean Sartori and Dean Russ among the casualties.

A 70-run partnership between Dylan Kight (37) and Hamish Winter-Irving (39) restored some balance between bat and ball, and No 9 Max Birthisel (18) and No 10 Jordan Buckingham (10) added what proved to be vital runs.

Nathan Lambden returned to Casey South Melbourne team to take four wickets.

Quickie Lambden had 4-19 off his 10 overs after coming in behind Dodson (2-11 off 10) and Brown (2-36 off eight).

Left-arm spinner Lachie Sperling, like Lambden returning to the side after injury, clipped the tail for his 2-26 (giving him a useful 15 wickets for the season).

But the Swans bettered the Bulldogs in their batting collapse, sinking to 5-12.

Young Harry Kannan (47 off 121 deliveries) and Sperling (35 off 54) put on 58 for the sixth peg, raising home-team hopes.

But man-of-the-match Winter-Irving, with 5-22 off nine overs, and Buckingham (3-15 off 9.3) closed it out for the Doggies.

It was a disappointing day for Casey South Melbourne captain Michael Wallace and wicketkeeper Devin Pollock, both of whom were playing their 100th match.

Wallace was regarded as a promising leg-spinner – he was picked for his bowling when he made his debut for St Kilda in 2011-12 – but he’s earned his Premier stripes at the Swans as an accomplished left-hand batsman.

Pollock is now established as one of Premier Cricket’s best wicketkeeper-batsmen.