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Watching Sri lanka Cricket Matches
Of all the legacies of the British colonial period, cricket is probably held dearest by the Sri Lankan people. Cricket is undoubtedly king in the Sri Lankan sporting agenda. Kids play it on any patch of spare place, improvising balls, bats and wickets out of rolled-up bits of cloth and discarded sticks, whilst the country almost routines to a halt during international matches, with nervous crowds grouped around every available radio or TV
The national team only accorded full Test status in 1982 – they’ve more than held their own since then. It’s in the one-day game, however, that Sri Lanka has really taken the world by storm, topped by their victory in the 1996 World Cup, when their talented batting line-up – led by stylish left-hander Aravinda da Silva and the explosive Sanath Jayasuriya – blasted their way to the title
Not surprisingly, the success of the Sri Lankan team has proved an important source of national pride and consistency. Although Sinhalese players have traditionally dominated the squad, the Tamil population has provided perhaps Sri Lanka’s finest ever player, Muttiah Muralitharan .One of the world’s most deadly spin bowlers, Muralitharan retired in 2010 after capturing an amazing 800 wickets in test cricket, a record which is unlikely to be broken for many years. Other star players include world-class batsmen Mahela jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, both of whom currently average over fifty in test matches.
Watching a Match
If you get the chance, it’s well worth taking in a cricket match, particularly a one-day or Twenty20 – the noisy crowds and festival atmosphere are a world away from the rather serious ambience of most English cricket grounds. The island’s principal Test- match venues are the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy and the cricket ground in Galle. One-day and Twenty20 internationals are mainly held at Kandy, Galle, the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, and the new cricket stadiums in Dambulla and Hambantota. Tickets for matches are available from the relevant venues. For more on Sri Lankan cricket, check out Srilankacricket website
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