Sports
Kamindu Mendis here to stay
by Rex Clementine
Most of you, followers of Sri Lankan cricket, would agree that the toughest opponent in the sport is Australia. Very friendly people off the field, the Aussies suffer from something called the ‘white line fever’, meaning the moment they cross that white line or rope, they come hard at you.
Romesh Kaluwitharana on debut had to save a hat-trick at SSC. He was facing Shane Warne of all people and Kalu remembers that it was quite an ordeal. But he survived going on to make a hundred on debut.
Kamindu Mendis was facing a similar scenario when he was thrown to the deep end against Pat Cummins Aussies in 2022. He fared well making 61 in Sri Lanka’s only innings. The team won the game by an innings but soon Kamindu was forgotten.
A former Sri Lanka Under-19 captain, Kamindu has many aspects that impresses you. In recent times, we have been looking too much into talent and technique while not much attention has been paid for character, work ethic and temperament. Kamindu brings all of that to the equation.
The former Richmond College player has been scoring heavily in domestic cricket. He was overlooked even when there was a batting collapse against Pakistan last year. When Ireland were in town for two Tests, you at least hoped that he featured in one game, but not to be.
Some players have permanent slots in the team and why Sri Lankan cricket has struggled in recent years is because the selectors have had favourites.
Kudos to the present selection committee, who have done well to pick players on merit. They have also sent a clear message that talent and seniority alone aren’t factors for earning selection. Performance has got to be the main criterion and rightly so.
It was a smart move to hand the wicketkeeping gloves to Kusal Mendis and bring in Kamindu Mendis at number seven replacing Sadeera Samarawickrama.
Needless to say, that if not for Kamindu’s effort, this Test match could have been a close affair with the pitch tailormade for fast bowlers and Sri Lanka’s top order collapsing in both innings against the new ball.
Scoring a century is a fabulous thing on your comeback game but to score hundreds in each innings is out of this world. Not even the great Kumar Sangakkara has been able to do it. These were not just twin hundreds, but hundreds on a demanding surface.
It goes on to show young Kamindu’s hunger. He has been given a raw deal all these while and the moment he sees an opening, he just doesn’t grab it from both hands but gobbles it.
Selectors will be tempted to push him to number three now that he has made some big runs. Yes, it’s true that he plays at three in domestic cricket, but then, number seven is one of the toughest positions and not many succeed there. Kamindu is ideal for the role. He can bat with the tail, farming the strike from them and clearing the boundary when necessary. He should be allowed to develop where he has made a mark.
Under 19 Cricket
Left-arm spinners Vishwa Peiris and Demion de Silva took five wickets each as St. Joseph’s cruised to an innings and 51 runs victory over St. Benedict’s in the Traditional Mack – Croner trophy cricket encounter at Darley Road on Tuesday.
St. Benedict’s came to the match having done well in the Tier B tournament matches but the spin might of the Joes was too hot for them to handle as they collapsed for 62 runs in the second innings.
The result somewhat exposed the gap between the Tier A and Tier B teams of the Under 19 Division I category as the team from Kotahena were bowled out within 25 overs. They were following on after being dismissed for 197 runs in the first innings, where Nushan Perera grabbed five wickets bowling the bulk of the overs for the Joes. He was adjudged the Best Bowler.
While Vishwa was the Man of the Match, Rishma Amarasinghe (Best Fielder) and Senuja Wakunugoda (Best Batsman) won the other individual awards.
The Joes made 313 in their innings with Senuja top scoring with 106 runs.
In the Division I Tier ‘A’ matches Gurukula (against St. Sebastian’s) and St. Anthony’s Katugastota (against Royal) registered first innings victories.
Maliyadeva took first innings points against De Mazenod in a tier B match.
(RF)
Organisers of the ICC T20 World Cup are sweating over after Pakistan refused to play nuclear-armed neighbours India in Colombo, a decision that has left administrators scratching their heads and staring at a potential financial googly.
The India–Pakistan contest, the jewel in the tournament’s crown, is the game that oils cricket’s economic engine. If the marquee clash is bowled out, the loss of revenue will have every stakeholder feeling the pinch from boardroom to boundary rope. Islamabad’s call to withdraw, taken at government level, has sparked fears the verdict will not be overturned.
Anticipation for the grudge match had reached fever pitch. Tickets vanished on day one of sales, while Colombo’s hotels were snapped up quickly. Five-star rooms that normally fetch 150 US dollars were hiked to 600 USD, some even soaring to 800 USD as the city braced for a carnival.
With the capital full to the rafters, tour operators shuttled visitors to nearby Negombo, an hour’s drive from the stadium, while others opted for apartments as accommodation ran dry. Flights, too, were booked well in advance, but uncertainty over the epic duel has now cast a long shadow.
“We haven’t had many cancellations yet, but we fear the worst. Everyone will take a hit if the game doesn’t take place,” aviation industry official Thusitha Perera told Telecom Asia Sport.
Gihan Wickramasinghe, representing Colombo’s hoteliers, echoed the concern. “Our hope is the match goes ahead. If not, we’ll have to refund bookings and the tour operators will be hit even harder.”
Tour operator Lisa Fernando said the anxiety was mounting. “Two groups from Dubai alone, 75 people, were coming. Corporate clients had planned trips down south as well. There’s a lot of money at stake and so much unnecessary stress.”
Indian fan Varun Kumar from Bangalore has already paid for flights and hotels but intends to travel regardless. “Sri Lanka has been on my bucket list. Whether the match happens or not, we’ll come to experience the country,” he said.
Sri Lanka Cricket remains optimistic the contest will be rescued before the final over is called. But if the showpiece is scratched, it would be a hammer blow to an economy only just finding its feet after years of setbacks, leaving the tournament badly caught behind.
SSC Open Tennis Championship 2026
Zacharia Akbar and Thishya Banagala were crowned champions in the Under 12 boys’ and girls’ singles respectively of the SSC Open Tennis Championships in Colombo.
In the boys final, Zacharia Akbar beat Kashya Seneviratne 6-2, 2-6, 6-4. The S.Thomas’ College player reached the finals with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Satheesh Appathuri in the semi-finals.
The Under 12 girls’ final saw Thishya Banagala beat Thiyansa de Silva 7-5, 6-2.
The Visakha Vidyalaya player reached the final after a 6-4, 6-4 win over Manuli Seneviratne in the semis.
Zacharia Akbar (Pix by Kamal Wanniarachchi)
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