Kusal Mendis to lead Prince of Wales

Dilwin Mendis - Moratuwa Sports Correspondent

The right handed bat opening batsman and stumper of the slide, seventeen year old former Sri Lanka schools under 17 vice captain and under 15 captain Kusal Mendis will lead Prince of Wales College for the year 2012/2013.

Kusal Mendis is one of the youngest cricketers to captain Prince of Wales in their 116 year old cricket history.

He commenced his cricket career under Jayalath Aponso and his two junior coaches Ajith Bandara and Sumith Fernando.

When he was selected to the under 13 cricket team at college his coach was Sujeeva Gunarathne. Sumith Fernando coached him while he was playing for under 15. Later he came under Lantra Fernando and Suranga Wijeyanake.

During this period Hemantha Devapriya too helped him separately for nearly five years. He led the under 15 and 17 teams in 2009 and 2011 respectively.

In the year 2009 he toured Malaysia with the Sri Lanka schools under 15 for a four nation tournament and for the same tournament in 2010 he captained the Sri Lanka schools team and won the championship.

In 2012 he toured India sponsored by Coca Cola to participate in the under 17 tournament as the Vice Captain and in the finals he scored 112 runs and carried away the Man of the Match award. In the year 2009 he became the Man of the Series.

In his second year in the first eleven cricket team in 2011/2012 he scored 1,103 runs with the top score of 206 against Joseph Vaz College and joined the select of band of Cambrians who scored a double century. Others being Lantra Fernando, Wirantha Fernando and Nayana Ranjith.

Also with his 1,10 runs he joined the select band of one thousand brigade along with H.I. Fernando, Hemal Mendis (Jnr), Wirantha Fernando, Pemlal Fernando, Wasanthalal Fernando, Crishan Fernando, Nilantha Bopage and Nilantha Cooray.

So far this season he has played eight matches and has scored 443 runs at an average of 49.2 including two centuries against St. Thomas 102 and an unbeaten 103 against Mahinda. He represented Moratuwa Sports Club in the under 23 division one cricket tournament conducted by Sri Lanka cricket and scored 316 runs in four matches including centuries against formidable Colts Cricket Club 126 and against Leo Sports Club 123 and 52 versus Nondescripts Cricket Club at an average of 79.

It is a pity that with all these performances and inform batsman of this calibre could not gain a place (at least in the reserve list) for the unsuccessful Sri Lanka schools under 19 tour of World Cup in South Africa.

His father Dinesh Mendis too an old Cambrian.

How he fared

Against: Dharmasoka – 6, Dharmapala – 80 and 103 n/o, Mahinda – 8 and 103 n/o, St. Thomas – 102, Sri Sumangala - 5 and 25, Maris Stella – 42, Thurstan – 30, Isipatana – 32.