AJANTHA - THE SUCCESSOR to SONNY RAMADHIN

   
Roy Bishop
Ajantha Mendis, the new “mystery” spinner has in a few weeks has made an astonishing rise from his humble beginnings in Kadalana, Moratuwa and Army CC playing in effectively, second division league cricket.

In the recent ODI and Test matches he has destroyed the top order batting of the West Indies and India.

He has the best Test debut (8) and two- Test wicket (18) hauls and has, incredibly, overshadowed the incumbent off spinner/Doosra bowler: Muralitharan, the world record holder.

 It was skills learnt at his elementary school St Anthony’s with softball that changed his and his family’s life.

 In addition to his off spinner, it was the flicking of the tennis ball out of the front of the hand by the middle finger for an undetectable leg spinner that he added to the off and top spin. He delivers and bowls at a brisk pace with a pace bowler’s vertical palm position. He gets only sufficient turn (that’s enough) and has a “gunner’s” accuracy on off and middle stumps.

Ajantha Mendis’ bowling has been compared to past mystery spinners: Gleeson and Iverson, both Australians. No one has correctly identified the father of the mystery spin and “carrom ball”. He is SONNY RAMADHIN, the West Indian from Trinidad who invented this undetectable leg spin in 1949 and who is the spiritual and historical predecessor of Ajantha Mendis’ bowling.

Uncannily, there are many similarities with the discovery and career of these great bowlers separated by half a hemisphere and six decades.

 Ramadhin (with no first name), an orphan hails from south of the Trinidadian capital (as is Moratuwa) in a sugar plantation with no facilities or clubs.

 He played taped tennis ball cricket with his elder brother and friends in the village pasture.

A passing club cricketer saw the 18 years old Ramadhin turning the ball both ways with a flat trajectory and fast arm action. He took him to the city where Ramadhin mesmerized all the top club cricketers including the WI. Captain: Jeff Stollmeyer.

Like Ajantha Mendis, Ramadhin bowled the off, leg and top spinners with the same grip that he had perfected with his brother. He was drafted into the Trinidad team in early 1950 to play two trial matches for the W I squad.

He was selected for the England tour and demolished the English batsmen with his spin partner:Valentine (their first Lords Test win and its famous calypso). It was the first time in history that the “carrom/doosra” was bowled. By a poor country lad who never played any first class, school or club cricket and was never coached.

Like Mendis, his first home Test was against India and Ramadhin destroyed them with his mystery spin taking 5 for 26 runs and match total of 8 wickets ( exactly as Mendis).

His action was fast and controlled with buttoned sleeves and strong, long fingers. He didn’t turn it much (except on a turner) but was on line every ball. As does Mendis.

Like Mendis, Ramadhin was never picked up by the schools, club or coaching system. He was his own teacher as is Mendis. Ramadhin became famous for his calmness under pressure, his friendliness and sportsmanship and his mental strength. Mendis has these traits as well.

Ramadhin continued all his life to be humble and loyal to his beginnings. Ajantha has the former and one hopes the latter too.

Ramadhin’s name will stand out in his country’s cricket history as the first great spinner and carrom ball bowler – Ajantha is also his country’s first.

Ramadhin’s negative treatment by the 1957 English batsmen who padded (and not batted) him resulted in the current LBW Law. Maybe Ajantha Mendis will one day be remembered as the bowler who helped to banish the unnecessary bent arm Doosra by a revision of the No ball Law.

Ajantha Mendis, with his impressive start in international cricket, his inventiveness, his character and strength will achieve much for himself and country. He will be emulating and continuing the mystery of spin that started by that little village lad in the faraway Caribbean.