Cricket is a popular sport in Sri Lanka. The country has eight grounds that have been used to host international cricket matches, and seven of them have hosted Test matches. However, the Colombo Cricket Club Ground and the Tyronne Fernando Stadium are no longer used for matches at international level, although they are still used for domestic matches and warm-up matches for visiting teams.[1][2] The Galle International Stadium was destroyed in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, but was rebuilt and hosted international matches again in 2007.[3] The Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium held its maiden One Day International in 2001, but was unable to host another until 2003 due to a legal problem.[4]

The Hambantota and Pallekele cricket grounds were both newly constructed for 2011 Cricket World Cup, which Sri Lanka jointly hosted with India and Bangladesh. The R. Premadasa Stadium has also hosted world cup matches.[5] The R. Premadasa Stadium was also one of the three grounds in Sri Lanka that hosted matches for the 1996 Cricket World Cup. The other two were the Asgiriya Stadium and the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground.[6]

The R. Premadasa Stadium was the venue for the match in 1997 where Sri Lanka scored a record 952 runs for 6 wickets against India.[7] Sri Lankan cricketer Mahela Jayawardene has scored a total of 2467 Test runs at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, the most runs scored by a batsman in one ground.[8] It is also the venue where he scored 374 runs, the highest score by a Sri Lankan batsman.[9] The venue where the most Test wickets have been taken by a single bowler is also the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, where 166 have been taken by Muttiah Muralitharan. The Asgiriya Stadium ranks second with 117 wickets, and is followed by the Galle International Stadium with 103 wickets. Both these records are also held by Muralitharan.[10] Sanath Jayasuriya has scored 2514 ODI runs at the R. Premadasa Stadium, making it the venue which has the highest ODI runs by a single batsman.[11] The largest non-cricket stadium in Sri Lanka is the 25,000-capacity Sugathadasa Stadium, which is used mostly for association football matches.

Cricket stadiums

Sri Lanka
Kandy Colombo Galle Dambulla
Asgiriya Stadium Colombo Cricket Club Ground Galle International Stadium Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
Capacity: 10,000 Capacity: 6,000 Capacity: 35,000 Capacity: 16,800
World Cup matches: 1 World Cup matches: 0 World Cup matches: 0 World Cup matches: 0
Test matches: 21[12] Test matches: 3[13] Test matches: 30[14] Test matches: 0
ODI matches: 6 ODI matches: 0 ODI matches: 9 ODI matches: 50
T20I matches: 0 T20I matches: 0 T20I matches: 0 T20I matches: 0
Hambantota
List of international cricket grounds in Sri Lanka is located in Sri Lanka
Saravanamuttu
Saravanamuttu
SSC
SSC
CCC
CCC
R. Premadasa
R. Premadasa
Tyronne Fernando
Tyronne Fernando
Galle
Galle
Asgiriya
Asgiriya
Rangiri Dambulla
Rangiri Dambulla
Pallekele
Pallekele
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Welagedara
Welagedara
Uyanwatta
Uyanwatta
Locations of grounds that have hosted an international match in Sri Lanka
 Colombo
Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium P. Sara Oval
Capacity: 35,000 Capacity: 15,000
World Cup matches: 2 World Cup matches: 0
Test matches: 0 Test matches: 21[15]
ODI matches: 17 ODI matches: 12
T20I matches: 7 T20I matches: 1
Pallekele Colombo
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium R. Premadasa Stadium
Capacity: 35,000 Capacity: 35,000
World Cup matches: 3 World Cup matches: 9
Test matches: 6[16] Test matches: 8[17]
ODI matches: 19 ODI matches: 121
T20I matches: 18 T20I matches: 25
Colombo Moratuwa
Sinhalese Sports Club Ground Tyronne Fernando Stadium
Capacity: 10,000 Capacity: 15,000
World Cup matches: 1 World Cup matches: 0
Test matches: 43[18] Test matches: 4[19]
ODI matches: 65 ODI matches: 6
T20I matches: 2 T20I matches: 0

Key

Symbol/ Word Meaning
Name Official name
Other names Nicknames and past names used for the ground.
Capacity Seating capacity of the stadium (approximately).
Ends The names of the two ends of the ground.
Test Starting date of the first Test match played.
ODI Date of the first One Day International played.
T20I Date of the first Twenty20 International played.
Ref. Reference(s)
Name Other names Location Capacity Ends Test ODI T20I Ref.
First match
Asgiriya Stadium – Kandy, Central Province 10,300
  • Hunnasgiriya End
  • Hanthana End
 22 April 1983 2 March 1986 – [20][21]
Colombo Cricket Club Ground (CCC) Maitland Crescent Colombo, Western Province 6,000
  • Press Box End
  • Pavilion End
 24 March 1984 – – [1]
Galle International Stadium The Esplanade Galle, Southern Province 35,000
  • City End
  • Fort End
 3 June 1998 25 June 1998 – [22][23]
Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium Hambantota International Cricket Stadium Hambantota, Southern Province 35,000
  • Thanamalwila End
  • Sooriyawewa End
 – 20 February 2011 1 June 2012 [24][25]
P. Sara Oval Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo Oval Colombo, Western Province 15,000
  • Air Force Flats End
  • Press Block End
 17 February 1982 13 April 1983 1 February 2010 [26]
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium Muttiah Muralitharan International Cricket Stadium Pallekele, Central Province 35,000
  • Hunnasgiriya End
  • Rikillagaskada End
 1 December 2010 8 March 2011 6 August 2011 [27]
R. Premadasa Stadium Khettarama Stadium Colombo, Western Province 35,000
  • Khettarama End
  • Scoreboard End
 28 August 1992 9 March 1986 10 February 2009 [28]
Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium – Dambulla, Central Province 16,800
  • Press Box End
  • Scoreboard End
 – 23 March 2001 17 February 2024 [29]
Sinhalese Sports Club Ground (SSC) Maitland Place, Lord's of Sri Lanka Colombo, Western Province 10,000
  • Tennis Courts End
  • South End
 16 March 1984 14 February 1982 3 February 2010 [30]
Tyronne Fernando Stadium Moratuwa Stadium, De Zoysa Stadium Moratuwa, Western Province 16,000
  • Press Box End
  • Katubadda End
 8 September 1992 31 March 1984 – [2]

Notes

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Colombo Cricket Club Ground". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Tyronne Fernando Stadium". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  3. ^ Francis, Tony (15 November 2007). "Race to restore Galle to full glory". The Telegraph. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  4. ^ "Dambulla back in business". BBC Sport. 23 May 2003. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  5. ^ Thawfeeq, Sa'adi (14 December 2009). "Sri Lanka World Cup venues on track - ICC". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  6. ^ "The Wills World Cup: Sri Lankan Grounds". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  7. ^ Cozier, Tony (7 August 1997). "Sri Lanka's 952 hints at new era". The Independent. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  8. ^ "Batting records (Test matches): Most runs on a single ground". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  9. ^ "Batting records (Test matches): Most runs in an innings". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  10. ^ "Bowling records (Test matches): Most wickets on a single ground". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  11. ^ "Batting records (One Day Internationals): Most runs on a single ground". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  12. ^ "Asgiriya Stadium: Test Matches". ESPN Cricinfo. 17 June 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  13. ^ "Colombo Cricket Club Ground: Test Matches". ESPN Cricinfo. 17 June 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  14. ^ "Galle International Stadium: Test Matches". ESPN Cricinfo. 17 June 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  15. ^ "Saravanamuttu Stadium: Test Matches". ESPN Cricinfo. 17 June 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  16. ^ "Pallekele International Cricket Stadium: Test Matches". ESPN Cricinfo. 17 June 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  17. ^ "Ranasinghe Premadasa Stadium: Test Matches". ESPN Cricinfo. 17 June 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  18. ^ "Sinhalese Sports Club Ground: Test Matches". ESPN Cricinfo. 17 June 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  19. ^ "Fernando Stadium: Test Matches". ESPN Cricinfo. 17 June 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  20. ^ "Asgiriya Stadium". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  21. ^ Marikar, Hafiz (3 May 2009). "Trinity's Asgiriya Cricket Ground". The Nation. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  22. ^ "Galle International Stadium". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  23. ^ "Galle International Stadium". The Times of India. 10 September 2007. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  24. ^ "Hambantota International Cricket Stadium". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  25. ^ Thawfeeq, Sa'adi (13 November 2009). "How Sri Lanka's World Cup venues were chosen". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  26. ^ "P. Sara Oval". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  27. ^ "Pallekele International Cricket Stadium". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  28. ^ "R. Premadasa Stadium". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  29. ^ "Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  30. ^ "Sinhalese Sports Club". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 February 2010.

External links

Sri Lanka national cricket team
Cricket in Sri Lanka
Cricket grounds by country
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