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By Will 6 months ago Leave a comment on this post
I approached yesterday’s one-dayer between West Indies and Sri Lanka with something of a spring in my step. This was a surprise for many reasons, but it’s explained by the glowing reports that gushed from the media - Cricinfo included - surrounding Ajantha Mendis, Sri Lanka’s great new spinning hope. He is a legspinner, an offie, bowls googlies, toppers, flippers and doosras and no one quite knows what to make of him. He wasn’t quite so mercurial last night, but what fascinated me was his grip. He seems to grasp the ball between the tips of his thumb and middle finger, which looks decidedly precarious - but Sri Lanka encourage the unconventional (Murali, Lasith, etc). Other nations, England in particular, breed orthodoxy and anything less is usually considered nasty and foreign.
Anyway, this bloke looks the real deal. In 19 first-class games he has 111 wickets at 14 apiece. In ODIs, he’s taken 40 wickets at 11 in just 20 games. Watch out, world.
Tags: Ajantha Mendis, spin-bowling, sri-lanka |
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