THE CHAMPION INNINGS OF DULEEP MENDIS IN
1972 BY SPECTATOR
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
