VSDCA: Endeavour Hills rallies after being stripped of full membership

Endeavour Hills has taken steadying steps towards regaining full membership of the VSDCA after falling into turmoil over the bizarre recruiting of internationals including Chris Gayle.

Chris Peake hitting out for the Hills last season on his way to the club runs record.

Put on probation over the recruitment of a string of international players, Endeavour Hills is on course to regain full membership of the Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association, competition officials say.

The Subbies last year fined the Hills $7500 and changed their status from “full member club’’ to “probationary club’’ for two years.

They said the club’s actions in the previous 12 months “adversely reflected on the good name of the VSDCA across the broader cricket community’’.

Endeavour Hills signed internationals including Chris Gayle, Shoaib Malik, Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne to play in two exhibition T20 matches at Dandenong during the 2022-23 season.

But ahead of the T20s a player attached to the Hills was charged with criminal offences, with police alleging he stole more than $200,000 to pay for the recruiting spree.

The first match went ahead, with Gayle and Malik arriving at Shepley Oval in a black Mercedes-Benz.

The second game was cancelled.

In putting Endeavour Hills on probation, the Subbies said the club had “engaged in conduct prejudicial to the association’’.

But VSDCA secretary Ken Hilton said yesterday that Endeavour Hills had worked hard in the past year to put the saga behind it and he expected it to resume as a full member of the Subbies next year.

The Endeavour Hills girls team won the premiership last season.

Club stalwart Gary Parsons has returned as president, heading a new committee.

Another mainstay at the Hills, Jay Stent, is vice-president.

“We’re very pleased with the way they’re travelling and if they maintain that level of performance off the field, there shouldn’t be any issues with them returning to full membership in 12 months,’’ Hilton said of the Hills.

“They had to report to us at the end of last season, which they did, and we’ve given them some feedback.

“Over the last couple of years, they’ve been under the hammer, so it was appropriate for us to say, ‘Yeah, we’re really pleased with how you’re going’.

“They’ve done everything that’s been asked of them from the board.’’

He said Endeavour Hills’ next task was to improve their on-field results.

Last season the Hills’ First XI finished 15th of 16 teams in the southeast section.

Parsons was president when Endeavour Hills won the T20 grand final in 2019-20.

Bill Leane will serve as chairman and head of a coaching panel.

Last night the Hills said they were putting a “huge focus’’ on local juniors and development, setting themselves up as a “destination club for decades to come’’.

They are planning to run 10 mixed juniors and four girls teams, seven men’s sides and a women’s XI, as well as Over 50, 60 and 70 teams.

There will be about 350 players.

Endeavour Hills will be bringing out a cricketer from the UK.

But it said last night: “We are against paying ridiculous amounts for transient players when our responsibility is local talent. We have a number of 15 and 16-year-olds who will push up into senior teams.’’

The club also said former Australian spinner Ray Bright, ex-Victorian batter Graeme Vimpani and former VSDCA champion Richard Saniga would be part of a rotating coaching panel.

The Hills have appointed David Hancock and Sachira Weerasinghe as coaches of the Under 15 John Craig Shield team.

Forty-four hopefuls attended the first training session last Sunday.

The club has also secured two major sponsors.

It will have a season launch on Sunday, September 29 at Pargeter Reserve.

Originally published as VSDCA: Endeavour Hills rallies after being stripped of full membership