Mendis special
Player and Best Bowler of SLC Premier L/O C'ships:
Chris DHAMBARAGE
It was at the backdrop of some uncertainty that he joined the Tamil
Union in a desperate attempt to enhance his career prospects.
The change of clubs seem to have brought a drastic change in the
fortunes of Jeewan Amit Mendis who was named Player of the Tournament
and Best Bowler in the SLC Premier limited overs championship.
 The 27 year old dynamic all rounder played a significant role in the
final against Chilaw Marians SC as the Tamil Union created history by
winning their first major title since 1999.
In fact the final was the perfect setting for left hander Jeewan
Mendis who rescued his team with a top score of 94 which was certainly
worth more than a century at the end. And then he bowled his leg
spinners to a perfect line and length to frustrate the opposition and
pick up a couple of key wickets.
Altogether Mendis amassed 345 runs inclusive of two fifties, captured
23 wickets and also held on to eight catches. Even then these figures
and statistics does not really give a clear indication of his talent and
potential.
The former schoolboy of S. Thomas' College Mount Lavinia has been
playing the supporting role on more occasions but has not wasted any
opportunities when it comes into a big final. In fact he has always
played some fantastic innings in some of the big games even from his
school days.
A Big Match centurion against the traditional rivals Royal College
and another hundred in the limited overs game was something in which he
always cherished looking back at his school career.
He achieved another piece of milestone while touring Pakistan with
the under 17 team where he clinched the Man of the Series award that
helped Sri Lanka win the Asia Cup.
He was an automatic choice for the tour of New Zealand where he
produced some magnificent bowling performances during the International
Cricket Council Under 19 World Cup.
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Jeewan Mendis
Pictures by Ruwan de Silva |
In fact Mendis will always remember the game against Zimbabwe where
he captured seven wickets for 19 runs a record in that tournament. He
was crowned Schoolboy Cricketer of the year in 2001 which was probably a
great launching pad for a successful career.
But Jeewan Mendis hardly realised that the tough days are still ahead
of him. He joined the SSC with great hope of making an impact as an all
rounder and with the ambition of representing the country.
For six years he laboured at the Maitland Place club and struggled to
get his act together well.
He was of course up against a star studded line up and was battling
for a place in the side along with a host of national and former Sri
Lankan players.
The environment and the setup was really frustrating for this
promising cricketer who believed that there should be a big change in
his career. It was with this in mind that Jeewan Mendis bid good bye to
the SSC and joined the Tamil Union club two seasons ago.
He of course could not make an impact immediately but showed signs of
maturing and getting on well with his other teammates.
Mendis had a stint with the Sri Lanka Spin Coach Piyal Wijetunga
while representing the Development Squad and the Sri Lanka 'A' team.
He also came under the guidance of Sri Lanka 'A' team coach Chandika
Hathurusinghe and Under 19 coach Sumithra Warnakulasuriya. Mendis of
course went through the basics of the game under the supervision of
coaches Dinesh Kumarasinghe, Kumar Boralessa and Owen Mottau having
joined S. Thomas' College from grade five after an initial stint at
Susamyawardena MMV.
But at the Tamil Union it was purely motivation that has helped
Mendis to perform so successfully in both versions of the game. He has
found the environment quite friendly and has been feeling great to play
under the coaches of Lanka de Silva and Trishen Nonis.
In addition the company of World's greatest bowler Muttiah
Muralitharan has also added a great amount of confidence into his
bowling department. More importantly his club was able to realise his
capabilities and as a result he was given a major role which he executed
to near perfection.
The club certainly had great hope on Mendis who delivered the goods
at the correct time. He was able to bowl long spells more regularly and
had a good understanding with his captain Sajith Fernando.
The pair formed a great combination throughout the season and helped
Tamil Union to bag a major title after a lapse of ten years. Mendis
certainly showed that he loves to take up challenge by hammering a match
winning knock in the important final encounter.
Mendis prefers to bat down the order at number five or six as he then
could control the innings during the latter stages. But the final was
completely different and he was forced to walk into the crease as early
as in the 18th over after the side had lost some early wickets.
Mendis was prepared to grab the opportunity with both hands as he
carried Tamil Union towards a match winning position almost single
handedly. This performance has really given him a new life and a
complete change of attitude as a genuine all rounder.
He has also extended his form into the Mercantile scene and led his
team Sampath Bank to clinch the 'A' division title for two years.
After spending time with the Tamil Union for two successful seasons
Jeewan Mendis is now ready to take the game into next level and help his
team with the SLC Premier League title.
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[ Achievements]
Full name: Amit Jeewan Mendis
Born: January 15, 1983, Colombo
Age: 26 years
Batting style: Left hand
Bowling style: Leg spin
Major teams: Tamil Union, Bloomfield, Kandurata Province, SSC, Sri
Lanka 'A', Sri Lanka Board XI,
Sri Lanka Under 19
First class debut: 2000
First class matches: 83, Innings: 135, Not outs: 19, Runs: 3567,
Highest score: 153 n.o, Average: 30.75, 100's: 5, 50's: 21, Wickets: 56,
Average 33.50.
How he fared in the Premier limited overs tournament:
10 and 1 for 43 v Moors SC
20 and 3 for 37 v Baduraliya CC
45 and 4 for 42 v Army SC
67 and 4 for 28 v Ragama CC
7 and 2 for 41 v Colts CC
DNB and 1 for 20 v CCC
24 n.o, and 1 for 28 v SSC
45 and 1 for 32 v Chilaw Marians SC
29 and 0 for 27 v NCC
DNB and 2 for 4 v Saracens SC
4 and 2 for 18 v Bloomfield
94 and 2 for 38 v Chilaw Marians SC (final)
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