Melbourne cricket: Upul Tharanga joins Tillakaratne Dilshan at Mulgrave

A batsman with 18 centuries to his name at the elite level will pad up in the Eastern Cricket Association next summer.

Upul Tharanga will bring plenty of experience to Mulgrave. Picture: AAP Image/Ben Macmahon

Former Sri Lanka batsman Upul Tharanga has linked with Mulgrave in a recruiting coup.

The Eastern Cricket Association outfit will have two ex-international stars in its line-up next season after unveiling Tillakaratne Dilshan as its new captain last month.

Tharanga only retired from elite cricket in February after a career which took in three Test centuries and 15 one-day tons.

Tharanga and Dilshan were a successful opening combination in the 50-over format and are set to cause myriad headaches for opposition bowlers in the ECA.

“We’re trying to do something a bit different for the community because international exposure has never been there for local community cricket,” Mulgrave president Malin Pullenayegam said.

“We had a certain selection criteria we went through.

“We wanted players who were just out of that international scene. We wanted to attack those sorts of players who want to give back to the community now.

“Tharanga fitted into that portfolio.”

Mulgrave finished runner-up in the third-tier A Turf and Twenty20 competitions in a productive 2020-21.

Dilshan made six appearances for the club last summer, contributing 135 runs and 10 wickets.

He also had a stint with Premier Cricket outfit Casey-South Melbourne, returning 178 runs and 11 wickets in seven matches before parting ways with the club in February.

Tillakaratne Dilshan will lead Mulgrave next season. Picture: Mike Dugdale

Pullenayegam said the star duo would be full-time next season in a massive boost to Mulgrave’s prospects of promotion.

But he stopped short of confirming Tharanga would partner Dilshan at the top of the order.

Opener Shiran Rajakaruna was the leading run-scorer in the last A Turf campaign, punching out 617 runs at 41.13, highlighted by a knock of 138 and five half-centuries.

“It’s early days, but it would be nice to see that (Tharanga and Dilshan opening),” Pullenayegam said.

The president said Mulgrave’s young players would benefit enormously from the signings.

“We want to give our young players as much opportunity as possible,” Pullenayegam said.

“A very big aspect for me is junior cricket and they start getting exposed to the international quality – the training standards, the regimes, the commitments – and they enjoy it as well because normally they look at those players through binoculars when they’re on the ground.

“Now they get to train, meet, greet, have lunch … so it’s a big thing for the community.”