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| Sunday, 7 March 2004 |
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Record 184 in 'Big match' more special to me than all my innings for Sri Lanka - Duleep Mendis by SRIAN OBEYESEKERE It is the landmark year of 125 years of 'big match' rivalry on the cricket field, fervently dubbed the Royal-Thomian or 'Battle of the Blues' between two of Sri Lanka's oldest schooling institutions. A showpiece in which not only Royal College and S. Thomas' College take pride in for its universally unmatched cricket series at that level, but the whole of Sri Lanka. Indeed, a series of an 'ashes' magnitude as far as college ties go. A landmark occasion befitting a journey down memory lane of records even as the two schools get into the 'ring' at the SSC. Bathed in such historic tradition is this 'Blues' extravaganza that reflectively, the record books beckon to a gentleman in the game who has left behind a lasting impact. He hailed from S. Thomas' College, standing tall by the tropical swirling sea waters by the rocks in Mt. Lavinia, a town named after a fair damsel called Lavinia who wove around a captivating love story in the now famous tourist destination for all its breathtaking beauty. It is from S. Thomas' bordering what is a haven of the sun, sea and sand that a hulk called Duleep Mendis for his artistry with the willow arrived, by his own right for stature and his bat work. He came with a bang as Sri Lankan cricket was beginning to stir the dust. It was the era of the 1970s when Lankan cricket was knocking on the doors for international recognition, and a passage of time when the 'hero cult' was creating a smashing impact on cricket crazy local fans, understandably when the game was played in typical cavalier fashion to the gay abandon of merry making spectators. And Duleep Mendis characteristically epitomed the perfect hero. Born in the town of Moratuwa, known for its wood craft where cricket, furniture and the traditional song of baila are synonymously interwoven, a dark complexion accentuated by handsome features saw Duleep as an 18-year old emerge on the blocks as a savage with the bat. A fact perhaps best typified by that record breaking knock of 184 when he took the Royal bowling apart in 1972. Today, Mendis, who smashed Royalist, Jagath Fernando's 1971 record of 161 before tea in a blitz of just over 4 hours at the crease, is a world famous name. Now Chief Executive of Sri Lanka Cricket, and former Sri Lankan captain and a batsman who went on to smash his way with his swashbuckling, cavalier strokeplay to rank among the greats during his time. Perhaps, the most talked of batsmanship by the former Thomian being when he put England's Ian Botham to the sword at Lords scoring 100 and 99 missing out by a single digit of joining the hall of fame for twin centuries at the hallowed citadel of cricket itself in the peak of his career, captaining Sri Lanka. But the man, who blitzed his way to fame to be regarded by the international cricketing world none more than the Indians as Sri Lanka's carbon copy of India's famous batsman, Ranjit Singh for similarity of features and strokeplay, says without batting an eyelid that for him that record knock for his 'alma mater', S. Thomas' College 'means much more to him than any of his knocks on the international stage. "For me, that knock of 184 in the Royal-Thomian is even more special than the centuries I made for Sri Lanka. I value it as unforgettable for the rest of my life," recalls a now mellowed Mendis (51), with fond memories as he looks back on his career right down to formative college days." "Those were the days, recalls the former run-machine when 'as a starry eyed lad I delighted in clobbering the ball right over the college building when we played at our home grounds." Indeed, the great has reason to cherish old college ties as he pauses and sets out to explain. "Because for me to achieve in the 'Big Match' was the cornerstone to my walking to the national team as a schoolboy. It is that knock which helped me to flaunt my career from there." Now 'batting' with Sri Lanka Cricket, Mendis found time between work to chat with the 'Sunday Observer' as to his hey days when what mattered was the Royal-Thomian. Today, the veteran is in the thick of a concentrated national cricket development drive Chief Executive of Sri Lanka Cricket alongside Bandula Warnapura, Sri Lanka's first Test captain whom Mendis succeeded in the aftermath of that apartheid tour of South Africa which divided the country's cricket. But now, old wounds healed, willing workers together joined by master batsman Aravinda de Silva and that illustrious Royalist Ranjan Madugalle who find time in retirement to contribute their mite to their motherland, the latter from his official duties as the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Chief Match Referee as the cream of talent of a bygone era put school ties behind uniting as one resource of expertise fronting towards the future of Sri Lankan cricket. Mendis went on to rave over that record year, saying, "before me Royal's Jagath Fernando had set the record for the highest individual score in the Royal-Thomian which was 161 in 1971. I played in that 'Big Match' and made 111. The next year Jagath's record was at the back of my mind. It was a bit of a task going past it in 2 days. But it worked out well at the SSC. It was a good wicket and I went in to bat in the second over. I started off slow, but after about 30 or 40 I was my normal self working into a swashbuckling innings which came before tea. What is more I was the captain." The match ended in a draw with S. Thomas' making 284 for 9 wickets declared to which Royal replied with 267 for 8 declared. S. Thomas declared their second innings at 124 for 2 wickets with Mendis making 31 setting Royal 142 to win, in less than a session in which they had made 32 for no loss when stumps were drawn. But for young Duleep Mendis, it marked the beginning of an era. For a career which was born at St. Sebastian's College, the lad from Moratuwa had emerged at S. Thomas' in what was to be a big slice of contribution to Sri Lankan cricket. His immense talent with the bat saw a schoolboy dream come true when the Thomian won his Sri Lanka cap soon after as the 1970's heralded the advent of a new hero to adulate in the wake of Michael Tissera and Anura Tennekoon who before him had done S. Thomas' proud by making an impact with the bat for Sri Lanka. And as he grew in stature from a teenager into a goliath with the bat for some breathtaking innings for Sri Lanka, Mendis went on to cut a striking image. More beefy in physique, the dark complexion the more sun tanned from his 'marriage' to the game, accompanied batting artistry which saw the right hander cut out a greek like image which set home fans on fire whenever the basher, blade held cross-chested strode to the crease. That was before the advent of Aravinda de Silva when Duleep Mendis cut a swathe into the hearts of Sri Lankans for his sheer ferocity with the bat. For Mendis, 1972 was indeed an year of personal records."I went on to score 1,000 runs for a season for the third time. First it was at St. Sebastian's College, Moratuwa in 1971, and the next two were for S. Thomas' in 1972 and '73," recalled Mendis who also wore the captaincy mantle at St. Sebastian's. Two experiences from which he says he greatly benefitted in further flaunting his career. "I think when you captain 2 schools and put that knowhow to the club cricket arena, you have some sort of experience in playing and derive a fair idea of how to fine tune for cricket on the big circuit," Mendis said. Certainly words which largely reflect the ingraining value of the synonimity of college ties and 'big match' records. So much so as to a point of 'taking the cake' over more singular feats at international level for a man who went on to distinguish himself as one of Sri Lanka's most illustrious captains before Arjuna Ranatunga. Indeed, Mendis could count so many memorable deeds for his country as batsman, and so many memorable achievements as captain, one of which was leading Sri Lanka to a historic Test win over Kapil Dev's Indians in that emerging era of the 1980's which was to be a bedrock to bigger achievements as a Test nation. For Mendis, a tower to Sri Lankan cricket, the race is run. And when he writes his story, the grand man of cricket will, as he insists hold fast to memories of what he achieved wearing the 'Blue, Black and Blue' jersy for S. Thomas' College. Golden boy of records Sumithra says, It is something to surpass Mendis! by SRIAN OBEYESEKERE As cricket sings its song in the age long cemented Royal-Thomian better known as the 'Battle of the Blues', the name Sumithra Warnakulasuriya will long endure. Entering its 125th landmark this year, it is the music of Warnakulasuriya's landmark achievement of the 197-run record for the highest score by a batsman in the series that rings sweet. Indeed, Warnakulasuriya's bat in that year of 1981 cut a sweet rhapsody as the Royalist went past Thomian Duleep Mendis' record of 184. Eight laborious hours of sweat in the middle of run-grafting tucked with 22 boundaries and a six is Warnakulasuriya's song. A record feat as far as the Royal-Thomian goes, and much sung as another 'Big Match' rounds the corner. For entering a century and a quarter of big matches in what is school cricket's global show on earth, Warnakulasuriya's record has not been erased for the last 23 years. And to the man, who tragically never got to wear the Sri Lanka cap due to victimisation, this feat in the Royal-Thomian is the one lofty record the former Royal College and Colombo Cricket Club (CCC) cricketer has before his name to speak of. The fact that he achieved it breaking the feat of one of Sri Lanka's most illustrious cricketer's at that, makes it the more significant for Warnakulasuriya than for Mendis who held it before him. "Up to date, I can't even compare myself with Duleep because he was such a great player. But in my own way I consider my record as something to cherish because I surpassed Mendis' record. He was such an entertainer," said Sumithra reminiscing his knock to the Sunday Observer. Of course Mendis' record came when the 'Big match' was confined to two days while Warnakulasuriya's came when it was extended to 3 days in its centenary year. This has left a chord of controversy over the record with some holding that Mendis' record also stands since it was scored in the 2-day frame and Warnakulasuriya's in its extended form. But score-wise, Warnakulasuriya's is the accepted record. In comparison, Warnakulasuriya and Mendis were like chalk and cheese. If the Thomian was a savage with the bat, the Royalist characterised a sedate type of batsman. Honed in the fine art of run-grafting, the 5 ft 6 ins compact frame packed as compact a bat which caught the eye of such world greats like Greg Chappell and Sunil Gavaskar as ideal Test match material. That was when Warnakulasuriya's career flowered into some century-making innings representing Cricket Board XI's and second string teams on the international circuit, but which never blossomed beyond that. But cricket was written all over the lad who incidentally broke the 'Big Match' record as a fresher at just 17 years when cricket is in the nostrils of the starry-eyed. "I was in my first year and the side was in trouble when I went into bat at the fall of the first wicket with the scoreboard reading 5 for 1 wicket after which 2 or 3 wickets fell quickly," recalled Warnakulasuriya who has bitter-sweet memories of that innings. "After I scored that record knock I had all sorts of problems because some newspapers were critical that it was far too long. So many wrote against me saying that it was best suited for Test cricket. That was the beginning of my troublesome career," he went on. But in defending that long innings from around 11 a.m. on the first day till lunch on day two, Warnakulasuriya holds that he was a batsman for all seasons, but which came more by the necessity of circumstances. "It was the role given to me by my coach to keep one end up. Unfortunately the declaration was prolonged. The sides had a fear of batting on the second day which was not that conducive for batsmen. So Royal wanted to make a big score on the first day, but that was negated by the Thomians bowling on the off stump," reasoned the record-breaker who argues that his 22 boundaries and six did in fact comparatively surpass Mendis.' "The quantum of boundaries was subsequently bettered by compatriot Anushka Polonowita's 24 in 1994. I went on to put on a record 222-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Ajith Devasurendra who made 88 in a total of 357 for 8 wickets declared. S. Thomas' struggled to avoid the follow-on, but survived through Ken de Alwis' 40 odd and an eighth wicket partnership of 60 runs between Umesh Iddipily and Mahinda Halangoda declaring on 211 for 9 wickets. We made 97 for 2 in the second innings setting them an unrealistic 279 to win in about an hour in what turned out to be a stalemate," reflected Warnakulasuriya. As brick bats were hurled at him for that long innings, Warnakulasuriya says that it was Duleep Mendis' father Julius (now deceased) who 'finally came to my rescue in the face of that criticism' for which to date he has a good word. "I owe a debt to Mendis' late father who at the time wrote to some of the newspapers asking them to 'stop this nonsense.' He wrote, "It's true this lad broke my son's record, but he batted for 1 1/2 days and should be given the credit for that and be left alone," recalled Warnakulasuriya. Warnakulasuriya , who by a different trait to Mendis, had all the attributes of a Test batsman in the making, has fond memories as far as records go. He remembers surviving a difficult chance at gully when on 13. "That was the only blemish I'm indeed proud of it because it was by no means easy getting 197. Even the Thomians who disputed the record then, do acknowledge it now. I suppose Mendis' knock and mine were probably in different circumstances. For one, writing off such an innings when school cricket is regarded as the cradle to the national team where cricket is all about Test cricket as far as the old version of the game goes which still holds sacred to the scribes. The other being that here was a career which for all those hossanas from the international world, never won a national cap for all latent talent in the youngster, as the story goes due to selection folly or red tape. But Warnakulasuriya, who was once driven to despair at not finding the rewards of labour, prefers not to dwell on those early days of his career. "I applied to coach the Sri Lanka under-19 team after the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) called for applicants during the term of the last interim committee. But funnily, having called for applicants, the BCCSL informed me that they had filled the vacancies with two coaches who were already serving the Board. It was a bit of a joke why they then advertised the posts. It was a wastage of my time," mumbled Warnakulasuriya. Of course, he recalls that as a school kid too, it wasn't a rosy beginning. "As a junior in 1977 I was not given to bat or bowl. The master-in-charge who was also the coach rarely came for practices. Selections were made on the recommendation of the seniors and I never made it to the team. But I thought I was fairly good. I used to play a lot of softball cricket which was a build-up to my career." But when it looked like it would not be Sumithra, somehow things changed and he found his opening when the then Vice-Principal the late Christie Gunasekera took an interest in the game. "I was at the time attending practices for under-16s attended by some 400 boys. Mr. Gunasekera said, "those who want to open batting put up your hands. I'd never opened batting but I put up my hand and was asked to pad up and remained not out," he went on. It was to be the turning point in his college career. But after turning out for the under-16 XI he could not make even the First XI pool. "But I decided to play division-III cricket for Bloomfield and I think that it was there that I gained much of my experience training alongside such cricketers like Bandula Warnapura, Anura Ranasinghe, Lalith Kaluperuma, Shabir Asgerally and Jayantha Seneviratne." Sumithra's 'break' did come when he was asked to play in two practice matches, more by chance when two regular players did not turn up. From there onwards he was the most talked of batsman in the team. Today, he has found out that it is better to be satisfied with small mercies, coaching his former club CCC and the SriLankan Airlines cricketers to fly high. Now going in his 41st year, Warnakulasuriya says he enjoys the job which with it brings a remuneration package including flying with the country's national carrier as he continues to bat for what was 'my first love' undaunted by the ups and downs which did not bring out the best in a career as a batsman. Today, while Mendis is a world household name, Warnakulasuriya's illustrious story in contrast will remain with the Royal-Thomian for his 197. But for the bond of school ties immersed in a tradition of 'Blue, Gold and Blue' and 'Blue, Black and Blue' as universally second to none in the gospel of the Royal-Thomian, a monument of gold. |
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