LIVE player analysis–Ajantha Mendis (SRI) versus Shem Ngoche (KEN)
Group A teams, Kenya and Sri Lanka who both have played two matches of the ICC World Cup 2011 each will have their third encounter on 1st March. The teams will greatly depend
on the performance of their spin attack because subcontinent’s pitches are thought be more suitable for the spinners.
Sri Lanka has a variety of top spin bowlers including Ajantha Mendis, a slow-medium pacer who delivers a variety of googlies, off-breaks, top-spinners and leg-breaks. His versatile bowling
makes it hard for the batsmen to stay on the wickets as it becomes difficult for them to guess what delivery they are going to face. Looking at his marvelous performance in domestic cricket for Sri Lanka Army in 2007-08, he was called into the Sri Lanka squad
for their tour to West Indies in April 2008. He took a good start and claimed three wickets for 39 in ten overs.
The 25-year-old made an impressive debut at the Caribbean and invented a new bowling variety, known as ‘Carrom Ball’ which he delivered with the flick of his middle finger. The spinner
has good a bowling record at the subcontinent’s pitches as he gave his best One-Day International bowling performance in 2008 Asia Cup final against India where he claimed six wickets for 13 and was awarded man of the match. The right-arm bowler ended the
tournament with 17 wickets.
A former Sri Lankan captain Marvan Atapattu expressing his views about Mendis said, “A class of his own. Very unorthodox and bowls the best line for a spinner wicket to wicket.”
Mendis was awarded ‘Emerging Player of the Year’ at the LG ICC awards ceremony held in Dubai in September 2008. The versatile bowler picked 48 wickets in 2008 at an excellent average of
10.12. He also gave a remarkable performance in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 in England and became the third highest wicket-taker of the tournament only behind Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal and Umar Gul. Mendis made a record for being the fastest to reach the 50 wickets
in ODIs in just 19 matches. He has bowled in 45 ODI innings and has claimed 83 wickets at an average of 19.57.
The player who is playing the mega tournament for the first time will have an open opportunity to make his mark with his unique bowling talent.
On the other hand, Kenya includes a variety of players in their team ranging from the most seniors to junior ones. Shem Ngoche is an important Kenyan spinner whose talent brought him to
play the first World Cup of his career at the age of 21. Although, he does not spin the ball much but he delivers the ball with perfect accuracy. The bowler who belongs to a cricketing family often bowls from round the wicket. The left-arm orthodox has featured
in 7 ODIs claiming five wickets at an average of 37.80.
Kenya coach, Eldine Baptiste describes Ngoche as,
“His strength is left-arm spin, but he can actually be good in all departments. He is a brilliant fielder, and could be one of the surprises of the tournament”
Kenya needs to win this match against the World Champions Sri Lanka, because they have been defeated in their first two encounters with Pakistan and New Zealand. While Sri Lanka won their
first match against Canada and were beaten by Pakistan in the second.