| Gehan Mendis | |
| Fullname: | Gehan Dixon Mendis |
| Birth Date: | 24 April 1955 |
| Birth Place: | Colombo, Ceylon |
| Batting: | Right-handed |
| Role: | Opening batsman |
| Club1: | Sussex |
| Club2: | Lancashire |
| Year2: | 1986–1993 |
| Columns: | 2 |
| Column1: | First-class |
| Matches1: | 336 |
| Runs1: | 21,436 |
| Bat Avg1: | 36.83 |
| 100S/50S1: | 41/108 |
| Top Score1: | 209 |
| Deliveries1: | 177 |
| Wickets1: | 1 |
| Bowl Avg1: | 158 |
| Fivefor1: | 0 |
| Tenfor1: | 0 |
| Best Bowling1: | 1/65 |
| Catches/Stumpings1: | 144/1 |
| Column2: | List A |
| Matches2: | 313 |
| Runs2: | 8,327 |
| Bat Avg2: | 29.42 |
| 100S/50S2: | 8/41 |
| Top Score2: | 141 |
| Deliveries2: | – |
| Wickets2: | – |
| Bowl Avg2: | – |
| Fivefor2: | – |
| Tenfor2: | – |
| Best Bowling2: | – |
| Catches/Stumpings2: | 83/0 |
| Date: | 15 March |
| Year: | 2016 |
| Source: | https://cricketarchive.com/Players/11/11275/11275.html CricketArchive |
Gehan Dixon Mendis (born 24 April 1955) is a former cricketer who was an opening batsman for Sussex and Lancashire between 1974 and 1993. He was part of the Lancashire team that won the 1990 Benson & Hedges Cup and 1990 NatWest Trophy. Mendis scored over 21,000 runs in his first-class career.[1]
As a youngster, Mendis represented the Sussex Young Cricketers, England Schools Cricket Association, and National Association of Young Cricketers teams,[1] [2] and in 1974, Mendis played for Bede College as they won the British Colleges National Knockout Cup.[3] He made his first-class debut for Sussex in a 1974 County Championship match against Worcestershire at the Central Recreation Ground, Hastings. Mendis made one run in the match.[4] In 1977, Mendis was part of a Sussex team that lost to Ireland at Pagham; Mendis scored 42 in the first innings of the match.[5] [6] Mendis scored 1326 runs in the 1980 season, which was the first time that he had scored over 1000 runs in a season. During the season, Mendis scored two double centuries.[7] [8] In addition, he was the top scorer in the 1980 Gillette Cup with 296 runs from 4 innings, including two centuries.[9] Mendis scored 119 against Glamorgan and 141 against Warwickshire, both at the County Ground.[10] As a result, he was named the Sussex Cricket Society Player of the Year for 1980.[11] In 1985, Mendis almost became the twelfth first-class cricketer to score five centuries in six innings; he was 96 not out when Sussex declared in a match against Hampshire.[12]
After 12 seasons with Sussex, Mendis joined Lancashire for the 1986 season.[1] [12] During his time at Lancashire, Mendis frequently practised in the nets with Wasim Akram.[13] In 1988, Mendis carried the bat in a match against Glamorgan at St Helen's, Swansea; Mendis scored 65* in Lancashire's second innings total of 163.[14] [15] In 1990, Mendis was part of the Lancashire team that won both the Benson & Hedges Cup and the NatWest Trophy. He scored 180 runs in a match against Nottinghamshire at Southport.[16] The 1990 Natwest Trophy semi-final was played over three days, and Mendis batted throughout, scoring 121, eventually receiving the man of the match award.[17] In 1993, Mendis was given a benefit year by Lancashire.[1]
Mendis also appeared in a 1989 match for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) against Scotland at Glenpark.[18]
Mendis was born in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and his family emigrated to the United Kingdom when he was 12; as a result, he was eligible to play for either Sri Lanka or England, although he did not make international appearances for either.[1] As of 2015, he worked in Wilmslow, Cheshire as a teacher.[19] His nephew Alex Mendis has played for Sussex Second XI in the Second Eleven Championship between 2005 and 2006.[20]