The Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground is one of the famous sporting venues in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Often described as “the Lord’s of Sri Lanka”, the SSC Cricket Ground was established in 1952 and has a seating capacity of 10,000.
The Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground staged its first international cricket match, a One-Day International (ODI) between Sri Lanka and England in 1982. The visitors won the Test by five runs.
It later hosted its first Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in 1984, which ended in a draw. Since then, the stadium has hosted more than 40 matches in Test cricket.
The Sri Lankan cricket team has a decent record at Sinhalese Sports Club in Test cricket, registering 20 wins, 14 draws and suffering 10 losses.
Let’s have a closer look at the Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground Test records and stats.
Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground Test records and stats
Highest total
The Sri Lanka national cricket team holds the record for the highest total at Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Test cricket. During the first Test of South Africa’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2006, the hosts posted a mammoth total of 756/5d in their first innings. After bundling out South Africa for 169 in the Proteas’ first innings, Sri Lanka rode on Kumar Sangakkara’s 287 and captain Mahela Jayawardene’s 374 to register a massive first innings lead. Sri Lanka later bowled out South Africa for 434 in the visitors’ second innings to win the Test by an innings and 153 runs.
Lowest total
Sri Lanka registered the lowest total at Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Tests. The Nasser Hussain-led England bowled out Sri Lanka for 81 in 28.1 overs in their second innings of the third Test in 2001. Left-arm spinner Ashley Giles was the wrecker-in-chief for England as he picked up four wickets for just 11 runs in his 9.1 overs. England won the Test by four wickets to clinch the three-match series 2-1.
Most runs
Former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene scored the most runs at this ground in cricket’s longest format. Between 1997 and 2014, the stylish right-handed batter accumulated 2,921 runs in 27 Test matches at an average of 74.89. Jayawardene also slammed 11 hundreds and nine fifties at this venue in Test cricket. Jayawardene’s former teammate Kumar Sangakkara is second on the list with 2,312 runs in 22 Test matches.
Most wickets
Legendary Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan bagged the most wickets at SSC Cricket Ground in Test cricket. The right-arm off-spinner picked up 166 wickets in 24 matches at an average of 20.69. Muralitharan scalped nine four-wicket hauls and 14 fifers at Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Tests. Former left-arm spinner Rangana Herath features second on the list with 84 wickets in 14 Tests.
Highest individual score
Mahela Jayawardene registered the highest individual score at Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Tests. Batting at number four, Mahela Jayawardene scored 374 against South Africa in 2006. His brilliant knock was laced with 43 fours and one six. Jayawardene’s innings powered Sri Lanka to a dominant victory in the first Test of a two-match series as the hosts thrashed South Africa by an innings and 153 runs.
Best bowling figures in an innings
Former Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath recorded the best bowling figures in an innings of a Test at this venue. During the second Test of Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2014, the left-arm spinner registered figures of 9/127 in the visitors’ first innings. Herath later bagged another five-wicket haul in Pakistan’s second innings to help Sri Lanka secure a 105-run victory in Colombo and seal the two-match series 2-0.
Best bowling figures in a match
Rangana Herath also holds the record for the best bowling figures in a Test match at SSC Cricket Ground in Test cricket. The left-arm spinner took 14 wickets during the second Test of Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2014. While Herath picked up nine wickets for 127 runs in the first innings, he bagged another five-wicket haul for 57 runs in the second innings. Herath’s incredible bowling performance helped Sri Lanka win the Test by 105 runs. The hosts later won the two-match series 2-0.
Highest partnership
Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene registered the highest partnership at this ground in Test cricket. The legendary Sri Lankan duo forged a mammoth 624-run stand for the third wicket in their first innings of the opening Test against South Africa in 2006. It is still the highest partnership in Test cricket history. Sangakkara scored 287 while Jayawardene slammed 374. Sri Lanka won the Test by an innings and 153 runs.
Photo credit: Alamy
