BY Angelo Samarawickrema
Very rarely do you see a multi-talented sportsman strive towards breaking records in shorter periods of time, but for Yohan Mendis, with his unwavering dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence, exceptional skills and remarkable consistency, has helped earn him a place amongst the most outstanding cricketers in the first class game of cricket, as he sets a new milestone in the history of the Bradford League Premier in England.
Reuben Jonathan Yohan Mendis born, January the 19th, 1997 in Colombo Sri Lanka, 27 years, a left-handed top order batsman, gained his education at S. Thomas College, Mt. Lavinia where Mendis played cricket for S. Thomas Preparatory School (STPS) from the age of 10 (Under 13 and U15), captaining the team in 2009 (U 13), and once again in 2012 (U 15).
After completing his Ordinary Level Examination, Yohan joined S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia and played 3 Royal–Thomian big matches (2014-2016) and was Vice Captain for the 1st XI Cricket team in his final year. In the 3 Big Matches played, Yohan had already started to establish himself setting milestones of his own, scoring 2 half centuries.
In 2016 Yohan and his opening partner, Rashmika Opatha established a new record for the college when they scored a partnership of a 197 runs for the 1st wicket, thereby erasing a record held for 80 years. In 2016 the contribution of votes by S. Thomas Prep saw Yohan judged as runner up in the Most-Popular-School-Boy-Cricketer contest.
After leaving school Mendis continued his cricket joining Tamil Union and scored a half century on debut against the Chiilaw Marians (2018). He was in an 88-run partnership for the 8th wicket with
Rangana Herath. Meanwhile he scored his first 1st Class century (116) in 2020, and put on a 144-run partnership for the 4th wicket with Dhananjaya De Silva. Meanwhile Yohan qualified as a Level 1 Coach in Sri Lanka and a Level 2 Coach in the United Kingdom (UK). During his free time, he helped with summer camps to coach juniors as a batting coach/assistant coach. At S. Thomas Mount Lavinia, Yohan coached the Under 13 and under 15 teams, he was also Master-in-Charge of the 1st XI Cricket Team during the year that toured England. Yohan scored 2 centuries and 12 half centuries with a top score of 121 not out. He was also awarded the Best Batsmans prize in the Bradford Cricket League for 2022.
He made his first-class debut in January 2018, scoring a half-century (61), then featured in 4 matches in 2018/19. The following season he struck his maiden first-class century (116 v Negombo) and finished with 305 runs at 30.50, including a notable 62 against the star-studded Nondescripts bowling attack.
To date, Yohan has scored 634 runs at 21.86 in his 19 first-class matches, alongside averages of 18.42 and 31.50 in his 9 List A, and 5 T20 games, respectively, including a highest score of 75 (scored in the One-Day quarter-final).
A player that comes highly recommended by former Sri Lankan legend Rangana Herath, Mendis has spent two prolific (2022-23) seasons in the Bradford League for Pudsey Congs. 1,127 runs at 66.29 with 12 fifties and 2 hundreds in 2022, before a further 1,009 runs at 40.36 with 10 half centuries in 2023.
Such was his dominance (2,136 runs at 50.86), Pudsey Congs were quick to re-sign their Sri Lankan star for a third stint in 2024.
The 2024 season concluded on a high not just for Pudsey Congs but was of great significance for this talented young Sri Lankan star as having poised a thousand runs a piece to his tally over the last three seasons, making history on the 7th of September 2024.
In the 130-year history of the club, this milestone has been achieved only on three prior occasions, the last being V. V. S. Lakshman (in 1996), the former Indian National player who scored 1253 runs.
With much achieved over his cricketing journey, Yohan likes to keep a low profile and focuses to play his natural game which he has been doing since the early years and that seems to be the way for this amazing player both on and off the field. Amidst that he works for UK based 156 Cricket Coaching as a Batting Consultant whilst continuing to play as an overseas player for Pudsey Congs CC as he has over the last few seasons.
Amidst Yohan’s love for the beautiful game we all follow as a cricketing nation, Yohan spends his cricketing career off the field doing what he loves best, and that is to pass on his knowledge to the next generation of cricketers having been qualified as a Level 1 Coach in Sri Lanka and a Level 2 Coach in the United Kingdom (UK).
In the recent past he has helped with summer camps to coach juniors as a batting coach/assistant coach. At S. Thomas College Mt Lavinia,
Yohan coached the Under 13 and under 15 teams, and was also Master-in-Charge of the 1st XI Cricket Team during the year they toured England.
Upon Yohans return with the conclusion of the 2024 season I had to privilege by asking him as to what he felt in reaching this milestone in his career and what he aimed to do, now that he was back in the Island once more, and this was his response.
To have broken the record was always in the back of my mind, said Yohan but being very close to his parents Rev. Roshan and Rebecca Mendis and especially his father, the Reverend Roshan Mendis, an avid follower of the game and a past cricketer himself who loves milestones such as this, said young Mendis, but that was a motivation in itself for him, he went onto say as the season that concluded was long which had mentally drained him as a player even though he was scoring the runs whilst Pudsey Congs CC was not capitalizing on winning the key games and they always did play to win.
However, Yohan went onto say that he had the support from his team members and of the Club he loved to play in and was great to have finished off on a high note to have set a new record on the 7th of September 2024 thus completing the season in style.
Nevertheless, it was a great honor to break the record set by V.V.S Laxman and a much bigger honor and privilege to have received a message of congratulations via social media from the Indian legend himself.
In his personal journey, being a man of faith, Yohan stated that, Ultimately I must say that, none of this was my ding alone, but down to Gods perfect timing as well, so I just trusted Him.
Prior to his departure to the United Kingdom, Yohan has joined Colombo Colts Cricket Club and went onto state that he will be working much harder to do his best whilst he remains in Sri Lanka and will be trusting and believing that the right opportunities would open up for him in the near future and we as a cricket loving nation can only wish Yohan Mendis the very best and that he will be on the score cards striving higher in the seasons to come whether be off shore or on local soil.
