Mendis emerges as new Sri Lankan spinning threat

By Simon Evans

PORT OF SPAIN (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's success in recent years has been built on the outstanding spin bowling of Muttiah Muralitharan and now they appear to have produced another slow-bowling talent capable of befuddling opposition batsmen for years to come.

Ajantha Mendis took three wickets on his international debut, a last-ball defeat by West Indies at the Queen's Park Oval on Thursday, and he showed his full repertoire of deliveries.

Mendis produced offbreaks, legbreaks, googlies, top-spinners and flippers, often in the same over as he lived up to a reputation gained through his impressive figures in Sri Lankan first class cricket.

In 19 matches the 23-year-old has claimed 111 wickets at an average of 14.54, all that against batsmen well used to facing all manner of spin bowling.

"We have told him that all he has got to do is go out and do what he has done in the past," said Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss.

"Whatever has worked for him in the past, at whatever level that same thing can work for him at the next level," he added.

"It was a pretty good debut effort. He could have a long period in the game," he said.