SLC Greens batter, Kamindu Mendis had to be content to be a game loser to the SLC Reds despite a 58-ball 66 in yesterday’s encounter. As it was, his effort was denied by the superior efforts of the rival team. That much desired hurrah victory cry of the ebullient that has lit up the game of cricket for the goodies that go with conquests won was not to be.
But as the defining competitive slogan goes of sweat, blood and tears where victory and defeat go hand in hand in cricketers making the grade, indeed, yesterday’s willow effort of young Mendis was not in vain. It did put him into a winning groove as the tournament’s highest run getter so far.
The 22-year old is right up there leading the table with a fantastic aggregate of 193 runs from 3 innings with sores of 74, 53 and 66 from three innings having piped SLC Grey’s skipper Dasun Shanaka who was leading the table after two matches with 132 points, into second place. He has averaged 96.00 with one not out with a strike rate of 167.82 with 13 boundaries and 8 sixes to his credit as against second placed Shanaka who has scored 132 runs from 2 matches with highest of 84 averaging 66.00 and strike rate of 167.08 with 12 boundaries and 7 sixes.
In third place is Pathum Nssanka with 124 averaging 62.00 with strike rate of 129.16 with highest of unbeaten 76 hitting 12 boundaries and 3 sixes.