CRICKET: “Piranda Uyalnal Mangalam!” Happy birthday to Colwyn Bay’s spin king Dulanjala Mendis!
Colwyn Bay Cricket Club have fielded some amazing professionals over the years, South African Andre Nel, India’s Debasis Mohanty and New Zealand run machine Aaron Barnes to name but three.
This week another of the club’s great overseas players celebrates his 35th birthday – Sri Lankan spin king Dulanjala Mendis.
The left-arm slow bowler claimed a remarkable 83 league wickets at 9.71 apiece last season as Bay lifted the Liverpool and District Competition First Division title. Mendis picked up nine five-wicket hauls.
And this season he has already scooped one five-for as the North Wales club challenge themselves on the much-bigger stage of the ECB 1st XI Premier League.
Balapuwaduge Manukulasuriya Dulanjana Kalhara Mendis, known popularly as ‘Dully’ was born in Colombo on May 20, 1990.
He has been a regular in First Class and List A cricket for a number of Sri Lankan domestic teams since his debut in 2009 as a 19 year old.
With over 340 professional wickets to his name. Dully’s most recent club back home was SL Air Force SC.
He has an incredible strike rate of a wicket every 6 overs in First Class and every 4 in one day cricket.
Amazingly, he collects his one day wickets at 15.57 apiece.
Dully has gathered plenty of experience of UK cricket conditions in recent years.
He joined Frinton-on-Sea CC in 2019 and the club secured their first ECB East Anglian Premier League title. Their overseas star was instrumental in the success, picking up 41 wickets at 14.07 in the league with a best of 5-19. He returned to Frinton in 2021 and just as effective with 35 wickets at 17.43.
Dully headed back to Essex in 2023, this time joining Belhus CC in the ECB Essex Division One to aid their pursuit of a swift return to the Premier League – and they achieved just that. The Sri Lankan bagged 32 wickets at 21.34 with a best of 5-17 and even managed to clock up a ton with a 101* against Brentwood in a midweek fixture.
Joining Colwyn Bay to remarkable effect in 2024, there was joy at Penrhyn Avenue when he signed up to return for the current season.
We wish this very popular cricketer a wonderful 35th birthday.