Sri Lanka Cricketers - World Record Holders

Many of the World Records in Cricket are Held by Sri Lankans

Feb 23, 2009

Despite an ongoing civil war and lack of funds and facilities, Sri Lanka has consistently punched above its weight - and holds many enviable records in world cricket.

Mahela Jayawardena and Thilan Samaraweera's record breaking partnership for the fourth wicket, achieved this week (February 2009) against Pakistan in the first Test match in Karachi, serves to remind us that this little nation has amassed an amazing number of world records in International cricket - particularly records for partnerships - during its short stay at the world crease.

Samaraweera (who scored 231) and Jayawardena (who scored 240, his fifth double century) added a total of 437 runs - the highest partnership for the fourth wicket in Test cricket. The previous record for a fourth wicket partneship was held by England - established when Peter May and Colin Cowdrey scored 411 against the West Indies in Birmingham in 1957.

Partnerships for the second and third wicket

Interestingly, the records for the second and third wickets in Test matches are also held by Sri Lanka.

1997 saw Sanath Jayasuriya (340) and Roshan Mahanama (225) put on 576 for the second wicket against India at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, breaking the 63 year old record of Don Bradman and Bill Ponsford made against England at the Oval in 1934 - while in 2006, Kumar Sangakkara (287) and Mahela Jayawardena (374) scored 624 for the third wicket against South Africa at the Colombo SSC grounds, surpassing the previous 3rd wicket partnership record of 467 made by New Zealand's Martin Crowe and AH Jones against Sri Lanka at Wellington in 1991.

Admitted as a full member of the International Cricket Conference only in 1982, Sri Lanka's cricketers hold a number of other important world records.

Highest totals -Tests, One Day Internationals and Twenty-Twenty

Sri Lanka concurrently holds the records for the highest number of runs made by a team in all three forms of the game at the international level. Sri Lanka's incredible 952 for 6 against India in 1997 (surpassing the previous record of 903 for -7 declared made by England v Australia at The Oval in 1938) is the highest in Test cricket.

In One Day International (ODI) games, the island cricketers' record of 443 for 9, made against the Netherlands at Amstelveen in 2006, exceeded the 434 for 4 made by Australia and 438 for 9 made by South Africa in the same match at Johannesburg in 2005. And Sri Lanka holds the record for the largest margin of victory in an ODI between Test playing nations - defeating India by 245 runs at Sharjah in 2000 when it won the 2000/01 Coca-Cola Champions Trophy

At the 2007 ICC World Twenty-twenty tournament, scoring 260 for 6 against Kenya and then bundling out the opposition for only 88, Sri Lanka established a record not only for the highest total in international Twenty-Twenty cricket, but also a record for the largest margin of victory in this form of the game.

At the time of writing, the records for the highest number of wickets in Test cricket (769) and ODIs (505) are held by Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralidaran.

Civil War in Sri Lanka

Cricket writer Mahinda Wijesinghe in his recently published book 'Sri Lanka Cricket - At the High Table' has detailed the fascinating tale of Sri Lanka's entry, survival and success in international cricket.

An island no bigger than Australia's smallest state of Tasmania, with a government having to deal with a long-standing civil war that has limited the amount of money available for sports development, Sri Lanka's cricketers have by their performances made the name of the nation a household word in the cricket loving world.

Certainly not a bad record for a tiny nation that has only been playing in the International arena for just over a quarter century.

The copyright of the article Sri Lanka Cricketers - World Record Holders in Cricket is owned by Sanjiva Wijesinha. Permission to republish Sri Lanka Cricketers - World Record Holders in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.