Duleep Mendis - Duleep to his numerous fans here and abroad, Rohan to Ms nearest and dearest at home, needs no introduction today. He introduced himself six years ago in the grand style of all great champions, and ever since his name has been a household word wherever cricket is played, be it an international or a Club encounter. It is not just a fad that even in the remotest of village greens where little urchins play their own version of cricket, an individual who makes a big hit is cheered by his companions with a sustained cry, "Come on Duleep Mendis !"

Having started his initial training at St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa in his home town, he Joined S. Thomas' Mt. Lavinia. The training he imbibed at this hallowed Institution reached its climax in 1972 at the Royal-Thomian encounter when playing a gallant Captain's innings he averted his school from sliding into defeat, broke many a coveted record and covered himself with undying glory. In that memorable encounter of 1972 when Duleep strode out to bat, the prospects were-not all that bright for the Thomians. Opener Samarasinghe had left for a "duck" and the score-board displayed a dismal 1 for 1. The responsibility of pulling them out of this grim situation rested heavily on the broad shoulders of this dusky lad. His failure would have spelt disaster. Every Thomian knew that only too well. The hushed expectancy in the Thomian camp was almost a foreboding physical presence. Duleep was well aware of the magnitude of the task that confronted him. He was not ruffled or awed. Neither was he imbued with that cavalier spirit which very often takes control-of his outlook in any cricketing encounter. He had to contend not with a mediocre attack but one which contained all the wiles and sting of pace, spin and googly bowling. He measured up the situation, put his head down and in a style that reflected the level of maturity far above that of a schoolboy, he laid the foundations of both a Thomian recovery and an epic innings that stands out today pre­eminent in the colourful and record laden history of Royal -Thomian encounters.

He treated the bowling, by no means of a trifling order on its merits. No undue risks did he take. He treated with disdain those deliveries that deserved the severest punishment. By sustained effort and clear foresight he shaped himself against the attack on his own terms. Care, doggedness and resoluteness blended beautifully with his natural urge to blast the Royal attack to all corners of the Oval grounds and start piling up the runs. It was CHAMPAGNE batting at its scintillating best. It was cricket artistry par excellence, the crescendoing cheers of the crowd applauding his every stroke. In the very first over he faced it was clear that the debonair quality in him was trying to assert itself. In this over he swept bowler Saldin for four. Then realising that discretion was the better part of valour he immediately settled down and pruned his enthusiasm to suit the occasion. So over the next hour he sent the score up only with carefully judged singles and twos. So much so, that it took him 90 minutes to register his 50. But all the same, he was gnawing into attack steadily. By now he was dictating his own terms and had the bowlers and fielders sweating in despair!

Then came the "fireworks". Duleep Mendis, that prodigious run-hunter was now taking over. As he passed his 60's he tore into the attack with the ferocity of a gladiator about to administer the Coup-De-Grace on his adversary. His blade flashed repeatedly in the noon sunlight as he propelled the ball at unbelievable speed through the gaps which only his unerring eye could discern. The ball literally exploded against the fence in all directions. Fours and sixers began to flow in quick succession. In one over he lifted a ball from his rival skipper Jayaweera for a spiralling six and crashed the very next one for a sweeping four. The score-board was having no respite and soon the century was passed. From that point onwards his aggression seemed to acquire a new dimension capable of pulverising anything and everything that connected with the bludgeon in his steady hands.

The vast crowd, comprising friend and foe alike were held spellbound by this masterly display. Duleep's scything cuts, graceful glances, towering pulls and cleanly executed drives reduced the fielders to mere on-lookers. So enthralled was that cricket crazy multitude that the spectators merely gripped the edge of their seats, their eyes glued on this superlative batting performance. The tingling of the nerves of the Thomian supporters was almost audible.

His opponents had taken the field in the certain belief that Duleep would flop for a paltry score but when they saw him in full cry, devastating the attack with such ease and aplomb, those who came to scoff began to cheer and applaud. But Duleep had not given his supporters and his school enough yet. Could Duleep recover the record up to now proudly held by Royal? Duleep was not to disappoint them. As he cracked that vital four to break the record of the highest score held by Jagath Fernando, scenes of wild enthusiasm and rejoicing swept across the grounds, engulfing the hero in a mass of flag waving and near delirious spectators. Duleep's performance was so magnificent in its execution that even the ranks of Tuscany could scarce forbear to cheer!

For the Thomians, the result of the match no longer mattered. They were the heroes of the day, led into the limelight by their indefatigable skipper, Duleep Mendis. They now wanted only twin centuries from him and he was on the verge of duly obliging them when his concentration lapsed for a fleeting and only instance and a glorious and memorable innings ended at 184 within sight of twin centuries.

Mention must be made here of the stolid and able support given to Duleep by his partner Samaranayake who stuck to his guns for an invaluable contribution of 39 runs. This lad who had failed in earlier encounters rose to the occasion when he was most needed and batting doggedly for over an hour held his end up to enable his formidable skipper to do the needful. His was an unselfish and most praiseworthy effort. Had Samaranayake failed to give Duleep this sterling support, Duleep may have run out of partners and the coveted records for S. Thomas' may well have had to wait for another day for a batsman of Duleep's calibre to come along.   His achievements include two centuries in successive years and the highest ever individual aggregate of 386 runs in the series.

Coming back to our hero, Duleep's story does not end there. The great work he initiated on that memorable day in 1972 is being continued today. He is now in the fore front of Sri Lanka's batting line-up. The attacking nature of his batting has developed into a fine art over the last few years. To-day it comes to him in greater spontaneity than ever before. To see such batsmanship one has to go to the masters of stroke play, like Worrell of revered memory, Weekes, Barnes or Compton to name but a few. Duleep is young yet and with more maturity he is bound to prove that a com­parison of him with the batting "Greats" even at this early stage is not mere hyperbole.

Since that memorable day in 1972, I have watched him in action in almost all his important engagements. In every instance to watch him has been a treat. I cannot help recalling that great match against the West Indies in 1975 in which Duleep carried the Sri Lanka batting virtually on his shoulders, ably helped by Sunil Wettimuny.

As a fitting tribute to this great cricketer, let me mention here what the West Indies Skipper, Clive Lloyd had to say of him after that match: "Mendis is a top class batsman and could well turn out for any County in England. I have heard so much about him in India and he is one of the best I have come across in Sri Lanka. Give him more and more opportunities to play and with maturity and experience he will be an asset to any side.   He is one of the hardest hitters in the game. We found it a problem to get him out." How prophetic these words proved to be when Duleep opened the new Moratuwa Stadium in the recent match against the West Indies with a glorious innings in which never perhaps in Sri Lanka's cricketing history had a crowd seen such explosive energy and the kind of fireworks that makes one's heart flutter. He set the tempo with a rhythmic calypso melody in an innings that included two sixes and eleven fours which brought back memories of his champagne innings of 184 at the Royal-Thomian in 1972.

SPECTATOR

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