By Editor in Chief –
Kamindu Mendis continued his rich run vein fashioning his fourth test century 114 in his seventh appearance in the first test against New Zealand in a twofold achievement of the familiar sheet anchor role of rescuing Sri Lanka from bad situations, this time from 106 for 4 to a satisfying 302 for 7 while scaling world record breaking heights yesterday at the Galle International Cricket Stadium.
The knock took his average to 80.90 with only the legendary Australian Sir Don Bradman’s mark of 99.94 better among batters to have played a minimum of 10 innings.
Only three players – Bradman, plus West Indies duo George Headley and Everton Weekes – have scored five hundreds in their first seven Tests.
England’s Harry Brook made a similarly impressive start to his career when he scored four hundreds in his first six Tests after his debut in 2022.
The 25-year old discovery yesterday returned to his hometown terrain where he struck a debut 73 against Australia in 2022 at the same venue from a notable 2-year cold storage of a fantasy run that took off with magical twin centuries against Bangladesh in March this year to putting the English to the sword to the tune of a century and half century. His 173-ball workmanlike innings filled with 11 hits to the ropes blended in perfect technique to using his feet to negating New Zealand’s spinners in a record breaking flourish going past Indian great, Sunil Gavaskar’s record of fifty in each of his first six Tests to drawing level with Pakistan’s Saud Shakee’s record of seven half centuries.
Kamindu Mendis displayed the nonchalance of holding forth at any given position as he made light of his elevation of been thrown into the middle up the order to man the No.5 slot from the bottom of 7 as he took on the New Zealand bowlers to redeeming his side to inscribing his name in test cricket history in the aplomb. Four hundreds from 7 games certainly thrust the left-hander in the limelight of a rare achiever in the panache of doubling to record feats.
He made light of the early setbacks of Dimuth Karunaratne falling for 2, Pathum Nissnka 27, Dinesh Chandimal 30, Angelo Mathews 36 and Dhananjaya de Silva 11 as he countered particularly New Zealand’s pace-spin duo of William O’Rouke and Glenn Philipps who claimed 3 and 2 wickets respectively.
Mendis’ rescue act was punctuated by a 72-fifth-wicket stand with Angelo Mathews who stalled New Zealand for 36 in a 116-ball drag in taking the score to 178 after skipper Dhananjaya de Silva had gone for 11, and 103 for the next wicket with Kusal Mends who came good cast to No7 from long familiar third slot that had hit a form slump as he moved to a quick-fire 50 off 68 balls clouting 7 boundaries.
Sri Lanka 302 for 7 (Kamindu Mendis 114, KusalMendis 50, Angelo Mathews 36, Dinesh Chandimal 30, Pathum Nissanka 27, Dhananjaya de Silva 11, William O’Rourke 3/54, Glenn Phillips 2/52, Ajaz Patel 1/58)