Sports
Kamindu Mendis promises much moving forward
by Rex Clementine
Any player who has featured in two ICC Under-19 World Cups has to be special. Such unique talents are groomed early in their careers and eventually go on to captain the team when the time is ripe. Angelo Mathews is one such and so is Upul Tharanga. Kamindu Mendis like the two men who went on to captain Sri Lanka featured in two Under-19 World Cups – 2016 in Bangladesh and 2018 in New Zealand. He became a sensation overnight. Not for his exploits with the bat, but his ambidextrous abilities.
Kamindu was bowling left-arm orthodox spin in the 2016 edition of the tournament when he played under Charith Asalanka. But in the middle of an over, with a left-hander on strike, when he informed the umpire that he wants to bowl off-spin, he left the umpire bemused, the commentator amused and the poor batsman confused.
Kamindu is a left-handed batsman. So, you expected him to be a strong left-arm bowler too. But for some reason off-spin is his strong forte.
Why such unique talents have prospered over the years at Richmond College, Galle, is because cricket coaches at that school think out of the box. Dhammika Sudarshana ran a programme where he didn’t have many batters who scored 1000 runs in the season or claimed 100 wickets, but they won a record number of games. Players with the x-factor were backed heavily and their cricket has been a huge success story.
Although it’s Katmandu’s bowling that was highlighted in the early days, his batting has been always a sensation. Given the package he was offering, he should have been fast tracked to become a regular by now but he had to fight out tooth and nail to cement his place.
A half-century on his Test debut that too against the mighty Aussies proved to be not good enough, but two years later, he delivered the knockout punch with hundreds in each innings on his return to the side. He is the seventh Sri Lankan to the milestone and the youngest. Kamindu and his skipper Dhananjaya de Silva deserve lot of credit for their efforts came on a tough wicket.
Now that Kamindu has made it look all too easy, the temptation will be there to push him to number three. There’s sound reasoning as well for he bats there in domestic cricket and players with good temperament batting top of the order rather than being wasted at number seven serves the team well.
However, the other side of the coin is that it’s a very rare skill to bat at number seven. More often than not you get to bat with the tail and it’s a tough job. You’ve got to take calculated risks and farm the strike from the tail. Kamindu has done that well and should remain at number seven. Sri Lanka are unlikely to do any changes as of now, but in the long run, getting one of your best batters higher in the order is going to happen naturally.
This means Kusal Mendis will keep the number three slot and continue to keep wickets. But he’s under tremendous pressure. Lead up to Sri Lanka’s next Test series – three Tests in England, they might look at handing the gloves to someone like Dinesh Chandimal.
Opening batter Nishan Madushka will survive too, but only for the time being. Unless he gets something big in Bangladesh, it’s only a matter of time before Pathum Nissanka returns to the opening slot.
by Rex Clementine
India are closing in on a big win at SSC after Sri Lanka slumped to 229 for six at stumps on day four of the second Test having been forced to follow on yesterday.
Sri Lanka lead by just 16 runs with four wickets in hand and with three sessions remaining, the tourists will be looking to wrap up victory and complete a 2-0 series sweep. India won the first Test in Galle by 165 runs.
Sonal Dinusha, who batted superbly for a hundred in the first innings, was unbeaten on seven when rain brought play to a premature end. With Sri Lanka now into the tail, Dinusha has his work cut out. He has been the hosts’ standout performer in the series, having also made 100 and 84 in Galle.
Sri Lanka resumed the day on 265 for eight, still needing 39 runs to avoid the follow on, but were bowled out for 290 and asked to bat again.
Although they lost both openers early, Kamindu Mendis and Pasindu Sooriyabandara gave Sri Lanka hope with a 115 run stand for the third wicket.
Sooriyabandara, who had made 80 in the first innings, once again played spin superbly, using clever footwork, while Mendis took on the fast bowlers.
But India had plenty of runs on the board and persisted with the short ball against Mendis, stationing three fielders on the boundary. Eventually, the plan paid off. Mendis took on Mohammed Siraj and perished for 55, with captain Shubman Gill running in from square leg to complete a fine catch.
That was the breakthrough India desperately wanted and the spinners quickly turned the screws. Three wickets fell for just nine runs as Sri Lanka surrendered the initiative and India regained control.
Sooriyabandara missed out on a well deserved hundred when he charged Manav Suthar. The left-arm spinner cleverly fired the ball wide, leaving the batter stranded as Rishabh Pant whipped off the bails in a flash. Sooriyabandara’s 92 came off 173 balls and contained ten fours and a six.
Having spent considerable time in the field, India’s bowlers were beginning to tire, evident from the number of loose deliveries they sent down. But Sri Lanka’s batters lacked the patience to drive home the advantage, with several throwing away their wickets just when the hosts appeared to be clawing their way back into the contest.
Sri Lanka Air Force emerged Overall Champions in both the Men’s and Women’s categories at the 14th Defence Services Badminton Championship concluded successfully on 21 August 2026 at the Sri Lanka Army Indoor Sports Complex, Panagoda.
The SLAF Men’s Team secured the Open Men’s Doubles and Men’s Team Championships, while the Women’s Team excelled by winning the Open Women’s Singles, Open Women’s Doubles and Women’s Team Championships.
In the Open Men’s Doubles, Leading Aircraftman Lochana De Silva and Aircraftman Achintha Imeshaqe secured the championship, while Aircraftwoman Praveena Wijesundara and Aircraftwoman Anurangi Masakorala claimed the Open Women’s Doubles title with Aircraftwoman Praveena Wijesundara winning the Open Women’s Singles Championship.
Major General Mohan Premaratne, President of the Sri Lanka Army Badminton Federation, was the Chief Guest at the awards ceremony while SLAF’s Director Sports Air Commodore Prabath Dissanayake, former Chairman Badminton Sri Lanka Air Force Air Commodore Poojana Gunathilake, Secretary Air Force Sports Council Group Captain Eranda Geeganage and Secretary Badminton Sri Lanka Air Force Wing Commander Thushara Wijeratne. were also present.
Malki Madara and Shashini Fernando shared nine wickets between them to help Sri Lanka Air Force Women beat Chilaw Marians Cricket Club Women by 169 runs and propel their team to the semi finals of the Major Club Womens Limited Over cricket tournament conducted by Sri Lanka Cricket.
In the game played at their home ground in Katunayake on Monday [24], Sri Lanka Air Force posted 276 runs for the loss of eight wickets with Ashani Kaushalya topping the score card with 57 runs off 81 balls with ten hits to the ropes.Sasini Alwis and Wethumya Wijesuriya captured three wickets each.
Chasing 277 to win Shashini Fernando captured five wickets while Malki Madara captured four wickets to restrict the Chilaw Marians Cricket Club Women to 107. Skipper Sanduni Nisansala scored 38 off 61 balls with four boundaries and a six.
Sri Lankan Air Force Women will meet Panadura Sports Club Women for the semi-final at the LRDC ground on Friday (28)
Scores:
Sri Lanka Air Force Women 276/8 in 50 overs [Ashani Kawshalya 57, Malsha Shehani 32, Savindi Cooray 34*; Sasini Alwis 2-48, Wethumya Wijesuriya 2-67]
Chilaw Marians Cricket Club Women 107/10 in 43.5 overs [Sanduni Nisansala 38; Malki Madara 4-14, Shashini Fernando 5-09]
Showers above 50 mm are likely in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle and Matara districts
Patali alleges NPP conspiring to put off elections indefinitely
August 15 Super Dvora tragedy: Search continues for missing officer’s body
Tripartite MoU to expand free cardiothoracic surgeries at KDU Hospital
Jaffna to mark Int’l Day of the Disappeared
Unfolding El Niño and burning issues
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News6 days agoCountry’s first woman Surveyor General appointed
-
Business5 days agoSriLankan Airlines makes ShakthiSAT Mission possible for talented Sri Lankan student
-
Features6 days agoMedical education in Sri Lanka: Then and now
-
Latest News6 days agoImran Khan moved to private hospital amid deteriorating health
-
Latest News6 days agoGovernment has declared 21, 22 and 23 August 2026 as national days of mourning
-
Features4 days agoMy secondary schooling after Royal Primary
-
Latest News5 days agoTharanga edges out Chopra in 88m javelin battle
-
News6 days ago22A: Opp. demands all available SC judges hear petitions