RIGHT ARM, LEFT ARM BUT HE CAN’T GET ENGLAND OUT!
ENGLAND came up against an ambidextrous spinner in the first game of their Sri Lankan tour yesterday, but had no problem in distinguishing between right and a wrong ’un in a weather-affected warm-up win. Kamindu Mendis bowled off-breaks to England one-day captain Eoin Morgan and slow left-arm to Joe Root, but had no success with either as both remained unbeaten when bad light ended a useful workout against a strong Sri Lanka XI. Yet the 20-year-old is clearly a unique talent, with no drop in quality as he repeatedly switched between arms after signalling his intentions clearly. ‘I didn’t realise he was ambidextrous,’ said Moeen Ali, who led the England bowlers with three wickets. ‘Somebody mentioned it earlier, but I wasn’t sure it was him. I’ve never seen someone do that but it’s fantastic for the game. It’s amazing he was so accurate with both arms. I’ve tried bowling left-arm but I was so bad. You just don’t have that same feel. You hear rumours about these guys being around but for him to bowl that sort of standard and be that good is fantastic.’ Mendis learned to bowl with both arms at a young age. ‘I tried to do it when I was eight bowling in the garden with my friends,’ he said. ‘I was basically a right-arm bowler but I practised step by step with my left. I am comfortable with both now and happy to do it in a match. I take wickets with both arms. Root and Morgan knew what I was going to do and they didn’t panic because they are big players. They are two of the best I’ve bowled to.’ The home side, with nine full internationals and led by Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal, made a competitive 287 for nine in their 50 overs. After England openers Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy fell cheaply, Morgan (91) and Root (90) took England to 215 for two before bad light intervened after 35.3 overs — a win by 43 runs on Duckworth-Lewis. A satisfactory win with a second warm-up game here today ahead of Wednesday’s first one-day international in Dambulla.
TOUR MATCH: Sri Lanka Board XI 287-9 (50 overs, Moeen 3-42, Stokes 2-33, Wood 2-38), England 215-2 (35.3 overs, Morgan 91*, Root 90*). England won by 43 runs (DL method).