Gehan Mendis
{{short description|English and Sri Lankan cricketer}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Gehan Mendis
| image =
| country =
| fullname = Gehan Dixon Mendis
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|4|24|df=y}}
| birth_place = Colombo, Ceylon
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nickname =
| batting = Right-handed
| role = Opening batsman
| club1 = Sussex
| year1 = {{nowrap|1974–1985}}
| club2 = Lancashire
| year2 = 1986–1993
| columns = 2
| column1 = First-class
| matches1 = 336
| runs1 = 21,436
| bat avg1 = 36.83
| 100s/50s1 = 41/108
| top score1 = 209*
| deliveries1 = 177
| wickets1 = 1
| bowl avg1 = 158
| fivefor1 = 0
| tenfor1 = 0
| best bowling1 = 1/65
| catches/stumpings1 = 144/1
| column2 = List A
| matches2 = 313
| runs2 = 8,327
| bat avg2 = 29.42
| 100s/50s2 = 8/41
| top score2 = 141*
| deliveries2 = –
| wickets2 = –
| bowl avg2 = –
| fivefor2 = –
| tenfor2 = –
| best bowling2 = –
| catches/stumpings2 = 83/0
| date = 15 March
| year = 2016
| source = https://cricketarchive.com/Players/11/11275/11275.html CricketArchive
}}
Gehan Dixon Mendis (born 24 April 1955) is a former cricketer who was an opening batsman for Sussex and Lancashire between 1974 and 1993. He was part of the Lancashire team that won the 1990 Benson & Hedges Cup and 1990 NatWest Trophy. Mendis scored over 21,000 runs in his first-class career.{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/content/story/868889.html|title=Janaka Malwatta|work=Cricinfo}}
Career
As a youngster, Mendis represented the Sussex Young Cricketers, England Schools Cricket Association, and National Association of Young Cricketers teams,{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Players/11/11275/Miscellaneous_Matches.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|publisher=}} and in 1974, Mendis played for Bede College as they won the British Colleges National Knockout Cup.{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=NNquSTywfSwC&pg=PA276| title= In a Different League: Cricket's North-South Divide| last=Carnegie|first=Jim| page= 276| publisher=Matador |date=September 2009}} He made his first-class debut for Sussex in a 1974 County Championship match against Worcestershire at the Central Recreation Ground, Hastings. Mendis made one run in the match.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/34/34448.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|publisher=}} In 1977, Mendis was part of a Sussex team that lost to Ireland at Pagham; Mendis scored 42 in the first innings of the match.{{cite web|url=http://www.cricketeurope4.net/DATABASE/ARTICLES/articles/000032/003265.shtml |title=Sussex caught Short |publisher=cricketeurope4.net |author=Chambers, Barry |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313201741/http://www.cricketeurope4.net/DATABASE/ARTICLES/articles/000032/003265.shtml |archivedate=13 March 2016 |df=dmy }}{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/100/100638.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|publisher=}} Mendis scored 1326 runs in the 1980 season, which was the first time that he had scored over 1000 runs in a season. During the season, Mendis scored two double centuries.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GgWCAAAAMAAJ&q=gehan+mendis+sussex+cricketer&dq=gehan+mendis+sussex+cricketer| title=The Janashakthi Book of Sri Lanka Cricket, 1832–1996|last=Perera| first=S.S.|page=388| publisher=Janashakthi Insurance| date=1999}}{{cite web |url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2004/03/10/fea10.html|date=10 March 2004|title=The Royal Thomian derby|first=Renu |last=Manamendra|publisher=Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited}} In addition, he was the top scorer in the 1980 Gillette Cup with 296 runs from 4 innings, including two centuries.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Events/0/Gillette_Cup_1980/Batting_by_Runs.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|publisher=}} Mendis scored 119 against Glamorgan and 141 against Warwickshire, both at the County Ground.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/40/40414.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|publisher=}} As a result, he was named the Sussex Cricket Society Player of the Year for 1980.{{cite web|url=http://scs.councilcricketsocieties.com/Honours_Board.html|title=Sussex Cricket Society – Honours Board|publisher=}} In 1985, Mendis almost became the twelfth first-class cricketer to score five centuries in six innings; he was 96 not out when Sussex declared in a match against Hampshire.{{cite web|url=https://cricketique.wordpress.com/2014/02/22/across-generations-sri-lankas-dream-team-from-county-cricket-across-the-ages/|title=Across Generations: Sri Lanka's Dream Team from County Cricket across the Ages|work=Critiquing Cricket}}
After 12 seasons with Sussex, Mendis joined Lancashire for the 1986 season. During his time at Lancashire, Mendis frequently practised in the nets with Wasim Akram.{{cite web|url=http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/78188/india-has-failed-to-guard-its-bowlers-wasim-akram|title=India has failed to guard its bowlers: Wasim Akram|date=23 February 2016|publisher=}} In 1988, Mendis carried the bat in a match against Glamorgan at St Helen's, Swansea; Mendis scored 65* in Lancashire's second innings total of 163.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/counties/3032382/Division-One-Swann-carries-his-bat.html|title=Division One: Swann carries his bat|author=Martin Searby at Old Trafford|date=9 August 2002|work=Telegraph.co.uk}}{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/50/50167.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|publisher=}} In 1990, Mendis was part of the Lancashire team that won both the Benson & Hedges Cup and the NatWest Trophy. He scored 180 runs in a match against Nottinghamshire at Southport.{{cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/cricket/lancashire-southport-56-years-cricketing-9307069|title=Lancashire in Southport: 56 years of cricketing thrills at Trafalgar Road|author=Jamie Bowman|date=21 May 2015|work=liverpoolecho}} The 1990 Natwest Trophy semi-final was played over three days, and Mendis batted throughout, scoring 121*, eventually receiving the man of the match award.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/53/53306.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|publisher=}} In 1993, Mendis was given a benefit year by Lancashire.
Mendis also appeared in a 1989 match for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against Scotland at Glenpark.{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12002414.Mendis_set_to_face_Scotland/|title=Mendis set to face Scotland|work=Herald Scotland}}
Personal life
Mendis was born in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and his family emigrated to the United Kingdom when he was 12; as a result, he was eligible to play for either Sri Lanka or England, although he did not make international appearances for either. As of 2015, he worked in Wilmslow, Cheshire as a teacher.{{cite web|url=http://www.thecricketpaper.com/features-and-columns/1128/where-are-they-now-lancashire-natwest-trophy-and-benson-hedges-cup-winners-1990/|title=Where are they now? Lancashire – NatWest Trophy and Benson & Hedges Cup winners 1990|work=The Cricket Paper}} His nephew Alex Mendis has played for Sussex Second XI in the Second Eleven Championship between 2005 and 2006.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/88/88339/88339.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|publisher=}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{cricinfo|id=17179}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mendis, Gehan}}
Category:Cricketers from Colombo
Category:Lancashire cricketers
Category:Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers
Category:Sri Lankan emigrants to the United Kingdom
Category:Alumni of the College of the Venerable Bede, Durham