Mendis an extra special blend

There seems to be no stopping Ajantha Mendis that off-spinning sensation from the Army from breaking records and getting statisticians to rewrite the books.

First he erased former England's medium pacer Alex Bedser's record. Bedser had taken 24 wickets in a three Test debut series against India and that epic feat stood for over 51 years until Mendis came along and struck Bedser's name off the books and put him to second best by capturing 25 wickets.

Not satisfied with that, Mendis has now pocketed another record, that of getting to 50 wickets in one-day Internationals in just 19 matches. The earlier record stood to the name of India's Ajith Agakar who captured 50 wickets in 23 matches.

Incredible is the best way to describe Mendis' feats with the ball. If these two achievements are an indication, then he is on the way to more records.

Mendis, emerging from a little known school where he did not have the best facilities to ply his trade and improve, showed his capabilities once joining the Army.

There he was nursed and nurtured and allowed to blossom with his mentor in the Army Major General V.R. Silva a former Maliyadeva cricketer and hockey player showing him how. Somewhat of a freak like, the West Indian of old Sonny Ramadhin, he got into the wicket taking act playing in the Premier League.

Batsmen who fronted up to him, were non-plussed as to how to read and play him. He seemed to have six different deliveries, bowled with an off break action and once it pitched, batsmen did not know which way the ball was going and they were lured to their demise.

Apparently the most vicious of all his deliveries is the `carrom ball' delivered with the style of a carrom player, where he flicks the ball at the last moment.

Mendis could not play in the first match of the triangular series in Bangladesh. Had he done so, he would have obtained the record much earlier. Recovering from an ankle injury, he made his presence felt in the game against Zimbabwe to grab the record.

Mendis first made it to the Sri Lanka team when he toured the Caribbean for the one-day series. There, former West Indian greats and the knowledgeable who saw him told me that in this guy they see Ramadhin reborn and predicted a great future for him.

He has since not let his admirers down and is continuing to mesmerise batsmen who come up against him. Most batsmen seem to be just prodding at his deliveries not knowing which way the ball is turning and hoping against hope that they would connect.

Unassuming and the likeable Mendis first showed his mystic powers in Test cricket when he bamboozled the Indian batsmen when they came up against him early last year.

None of the Indian batsmen, which included willow wielders of the class of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, V. Laxman and V. Shewag were comfortable against him and were undone by his wiles.

Test wicket record holder Muttiah Muralitharan is also in line to add another record to his career, needing 10 more wickets to go past former Pakistan Captain Wasim Arkam who holds the record for the most number of wickets in one-day Internationals.

Akram called it a day with 512 wickets. Muralitharan now has 492. The record should spin Muralitharan's way when the Indians tour here soon for five one-day Internationals.

Tita passes away

It was sad to hear about the passing away of `Tita' Nathanielsz, the former Ceylon and Colts cricketer.

I got to know Nathanielsz when I was the Sports Editor of the now defunct `Times of Ceylon'. He served in my panels that helped pick the `Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year' and `Netballer of the Year'

He was always great inspiration and when serving at Show Wallace and Hedges, would never say `no' when I asked him to sponsor any sports show. That time the above contests and the `Great Race' for jalopies were great attractions and `Tita' was in the thick of sponsorship.

During his playing days, this over six-footer was a fearsome fast bowler with a slinging action and was aptly called the `Human catapult'. It is said he would take just three or four steps and bowling round the wicket was his forte and he would let fly with the ball rising awkwardly from a good length to hit the batsman's ribs.

Abu Fuard, the former Colts and Sri Lanka all-rounder who was `Tita's teammate at the Colts when he was just out of school, recalled a moment when Nathanielsz played for Ceylon against the Commonwealth Team in 1951.

'The Commonwealth opening batsman was England's left-hander Jack Ikin. When the umpire called play, Ikin refused to face, waiting for Nathanielsz to walk to his bowling mark.

'Usually a fast bowler has a long run. With Nathanielsz taking just four steps. Ikin took strike and first ball he had his middle stump knocked back.

As a schoolboy, I remember watching Ikin walking back to the pavilion muttering and what he was muttering was obvious', said Fuard. Nathanielsz was lightning speed.

It was great of K. Mathivanan, President, Colts CC to open a lounge and name it the `Tita Nathianielsz Lounge' at the club.

Cricket also lost former Josepian opening batsmen `Billy' Balthazaar who made a lot of runs and was a stylish batsman to watch. Leo Wijesinghe who was a pal of Balthazaar, described him as `excellent'.

Also was the demise of Ray Illangakoon, the former Media Manager of the Sri Lanka Cricket. Every journalist was `lokka' to Ray who maintained a superb rapport with the media always being available to them, to answer and clarify when required.

God Rest their souls!