Cricket in Sri Lanka
Encyclopedia
Cricket
is the most popular sport in Sri Lanka
, followed by Football (Soccer) and Rugby Union
. Sri Lanka is one of the ten nations that take part in test cricket
and one of the five nations that has won a cricket world cup
. Cricket is played at professional, semi-professional and recreational levels in the country and international cricket matches are watched with interest by a large proportion of the population.
in 1802. As everywhere that the British arrived in numbers, cricket soon followed and it is reasonable to assume that the game was first played on the island by 1800. The earliest definite mention of cricket in Ceylon was a report in the Colombo Journal on 5 September 1832 which called for the formation of a cricket club. The Colombo Cricket Club
was formed soon afterwards and matches began in November 1832. Since then, the sport has grown domestically with major events such as the Premier Trophy (starting 1938) and Premier Limited Overs Tournament (starting 1988-89). Sri Lanka's one day international debut came in the 1975 cricket world cup
and were later awarded Test cricket
status in 1981, by the International Cricket Council
.
, formerly the Board for Cricket Control in Sri Lanka (BCCSL), is the controlling body for cricket
in Sri Lanka
. It operates the Sri Lankan cricket team
, Sri Lanka A cricket team
, Sri Lankan women's cricket team
and first-class cricket
within Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is a full member of the International Cricket Council
and the Asian Cricket Council
. Sri Lanka co-hosted the 1996 Cricket World Cup
and the 2011 Cricket World Cup
.
tournament Premier Trophy
, the List A tournament Premier Limited Overs Tournament
and the Twenty20
competition Twenty20 Tournament
, in which all of the following First-class teams take part:
They also organise and host the Inter-Provincial Cricket Tournament, a competition where the above first-class do not take part, but instead teams representing different provinces of Sri Lanka
:
The Sri Lankan cricket team is the national cricket
team of Sri Lanka
. The team first played One day international cricket in the 1975 Cricket World Cup
and were later awarded Test
status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka
the eighth Test cricket playing nation.
The Sri Lankan team transformed themselves from the underdog
status to a major cricketing nation during the 1990s. Sri Lanka have won the Cricket World Cup
in 1996, the ICC Champions Trophy
in 2002 (Co-champions with India) and have been runners up in the 2007 Cricket World Cup
, 2011 Cricket World Cup
and ICC World Twenty20
in 2009.
matches.Sri Lankan women's cricket team's international debut came in 1997 with a three match ODI series against the Netherlands. Since then, the team has represented Sri Lanka in international women's cricket tournaments.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
is the most popular sport in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, followed by Football (Soccer) and Rugby Union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
. Sri Lanka is one of the ten nations that take part in test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
and one of the five nations that has won a cricket world cup
Cricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
. Cricket is played at professional, semi-professional and recreational levels in the country and international cricket matches are watched with interest by a large proportion of the population.
History
Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon) became a British colonyCrown colony
A Crown colony, also known in the 17th century as royal colony, was a type of colonial administration of the English and later British Empire....
in 1802. As everywhere that the British arrived in numbers, cricket soon followed and it is reasonable to assume that the game was first played on the island by 1800. The earliest definite mention of cricket in Ceylon was a report in the Colombo Journal on 5 September 1832 which called for the formation of a cricket club. The Colombo Cricket Club
Colombo Cricket Club
The Colombo Cricket Club is a first-class cricket club in Sri Lanka. It is the oldest in the country, having been formed in 1832.-External links:*...
was formed soon afterwards and matches began in November 1832. Since then, the sport has grown domestically with major events such as the Premier Trophy (starting 1938) and Premier Limited Overs Tournament (starting 1988-89). Sri Lanka's one day international debut came in the 1975 cricket world cup
1975 Cricket World Cup
-Group B:-Knockout stage:-Semifinals:In the best World Cup performance to date by a bowler, Gary Gilmour took six wickets as England were bowled all out for 93 , after falling to 37/7...
and were later awarded Test cricket
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
status in 1981, by the International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
.
Governing body
Sri Lanka CricketSri Lanka Cricket
Sri Lanka Cricket, formerly the Board for Cricket Control in Sri Lanka , is the controlling body for cricket in Sri Lanka. It operates the Sri Lankan cricket team and first-class cricket within Sri Lanka....
, formerly the Board for Cricket Control in Sri Lanka (BCCSL), is the controlling body for cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. It operates the Sri Lankan cricket team
Sri Lankan cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team is the national cricket team of Sri Lanka. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test cricket playing nation...
, Sri Lanka A cricket team
Sri Lanka A cricket team
The Sri Lanka A cricket team is a national cricket team representing Sri Lanka. It is the 'second-tier' of international Sri Lankan cricket, below the full Sri Lanka national cricket team. Matches played by Sri Lanka A are not considered to be Test matches or One Day Internationals, instead...
, Sri Lankan women's cricket team
Sri Lankan women's cricket team
The Sri Lankan women's cricket team is the team that represents the country of Sri Lanka in international women's cricket matches.-1990s:Sri Lanka's international debut came in 1997 with a three match ODI series against The Netherlands, which they lost 2-1...
and first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
within Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is a full member of the International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
and the Asian Cricket Council
Asian Cricket Council
The Asian Cricket Council is a cricket organization which was established in 1983, to promote and develop the sport of cricket in Asia. It is the regional administrative body and is sub-ordinate to the International Cricket Council. The Conference became the Asian Cricket Council in 1995 and its...
. Sri Lanka co-hosted the 1996 Cricket World Cup
1996 Cricket World Cup
The 1996 Cricket World Cup, also called the Wills World Cup after its official sponsors, was the sixth edition of the tournament organized by the International Cricket Council . It was the second World Cup to be hosted by Pakistan and India, and for the first time by Sri Lanka...
and the 2011 Cricket World Cup
2011 Cricket World Cup
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It was Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup...
.
Domestic competitions
Sri Lanka Cricket oversees the progress and handling of the major domestic competitions: the First-classFirst-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
tournament Premier Trophy
Premier Trophy
The Premier Trophy is the main domestic first-class cricket competition in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1938 and has existed under a number of different names. Matches before the 1988-89 season are not considered first-class.-List of winners:...
, the List A tournament Premier Limited Overs Tournament
Premier Limited Overs Tournament
The Premier Limited Overs Tournament is the main domestic limited overs cricket competition in Sri Lanka. It was established in 1988 and has existed under three different names.-List of winners:Brown's TrophyHatna Trophy...
and the Twenty20
Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
competition Twenty20 Tournament
Twenty20 Tournament
Twenty20 Tournament was a Twenty 20 domestic Cricket competition in Sri Lanka held by Sri Lanka Cricket. It was conducted from 2004–2008 and was held between the clubs in Sri Lanka...
, in which all of the following First-class teams take part:
- Bloomfield Cricket and Athletic ClubBloomfield Cricket and Athletic ClubBloomfield Cricket and Athletic Club is a first-class cricket team based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is one of Sri Lanka's oldest cricket clubs founded in 1892 and competes in the Premier Trophy, which it has won eight times.-History:...
(ColomboColomboColombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
) - Burgher Recreation ClubBurgher Recreation ClubBurgher Recreation Club is a first-class cricket team based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.-External links:*...
(Colombo) - Chilaw Marians Cricket ClubChilaw Marians Cricket ClubChilaw Marians Cricket Club are a first-class cricket team based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. They play their home games at Colombo Cricket Club Ground. The club has won the one day Tournament in 2005 Sri Lankan first class competition....
(Colombo) - Colombo Cricket ClubColombo Cricket ClubThe Colombo Cricket Club is a first-class cricket club in Sri Lanka. It is the oldest in the country, having been formed in 1832.-External links:*...
(Colombo) - Colts Cricket ClubColts Cricket ClubColts Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team based in Colombo, Sri Lanka.-Honours:* P Saravanamuttu Trophy 1991–92* Premier Trophy 1999–002001–022004–052008–09 -External links:*...
(Colombo) - Galle Cricket ClubGalle Cricket ClubGalle Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team based in Galle, Sri Lanka. They play their home games at Galle International Stadium, which was reconstructed after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.-Notable players:Sports...
(GalleGalleGalle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....
) - Moors Sports ClubMoors Sports Club-Team Records:* Playing Record : Played : 181 Won : 37 Lost : 39 Drawn : 105* Highest team total - 622 vs SLAF, Colombo , 2003–04* Best innings bowling figures - HMRKB Herath 8/43 vs PSC, Colombo 2003–04...
(Colombo) - Nondescripts Cricket ClubNondescripts Cricket ClubNondescripts Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It was founded in 1888...
(Colombo) - Panadura Sports ClubPanadura Sports ClubPanadura Sports Club are a first-class cricket team based in Panadura, Sri Lanka. Their home ground is Panadura Esplanade.-Past Presidents:*1924 - 1935 - M. J. Jayatillake*1936 - 1943 - Dr. C.W. Dias*1944 - 1947 - A. C. Goonaratne*1948 - C. A. Jansz...
(PanaduraPanadura- History :The historic debate 'Panadura Vadaya' was held in this place which is a milestone of the history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka with the initiative of the ven. Migettuwaththe Gunananda Thera.- People and Culture :Panadura is home to about 100,000 citizens...
) - Ragama Cricket ClubRagama Cricket ClubRagama Cricket Club are a first-class cricket team based in Katunayake, Sri Lanka. Their home ground is the Free Trade Zone Sports Complex.-Partnership records:* 1st - 216 DA Ranatunga & HGSP Fernando * 2nd - 161 PHD Premadasa & EFMU Fernando...
(KatunayakeKatunayakeKatunayake , is a town situated on the west coast of the island of Sri Lanka near Negombo and close to the commercial capital of Colombo. It is the site of Bandaranaike International Airport, the primary international air gateway to Sri Lanka...
) - Sebastianites Cricket and Athletic ClubSebastianites Cricket and Athletic ClubSebastianites Cricket and Athletic Club are a first-class cricket team based in Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. Their home ground is De Zoysa Stadium.-Partnership records:* 1st - 171 BCMS Mendis & SK Silva * 2nd - 247 TM Dilshan & GG Ranga Yasalal...
(MoratuwaMoratuwaMoratuwa is a city on the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka, near Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia. It is situated on the Galle–Colombo main highway, 18 km south of the capital, Colombo. Moratuwa is surrounded on three sides by water, except in the north of the city, by the Indian Ocean on the west...
) - Sinhalese Sports ClubSinhalese Sports ClubThe Sinhalese Sports Club is a first-class cricket club in Sri Lanka. Sinhalese is the most successful club in Sri Lankan domestic cricket, having won the Premier Trophy a record 30 times to 2008.-History:-Honours:...
(Colombo) - Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic ClubTamil Union Cricket and Athletic ClubTamil Union Cricket & Athletic Club is a first-class cricket team based in Colombo, Sri Lanka. They play their home games at P. Saravanamuttu Stadium.-Current squad:Players who represented the club during the 2008-09 Premier Championship....
(Colombo)
They also organise and host the Inter-Provincial Cricket Tournament, a competition where the above first-class do not take part, but instead teams representing different provinces of Sri Lanka
Provinces of Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, provinces are the first level administrative division. They were first established by the British rulers of Ceylon in 1833. Over the next century most of the administrative functions were transferred to the districts, the second level administrative division. By the middle of the...
:
- Basnahira - Western ProvinceWestern Province, Sri LankaThe Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.-Districts:Basnahira is divided into 3 districts:...
- Kandurata - Central Province
- Ruhuna - Southern ProvinceSouthern Province, Sri LankaThe Southern Province of Sri Lanka is a small geographic area consisting of the districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota. The region is economically backward compared to the Western province, where the capital Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte is situated...
- Wayamba - North Western ProvinceNorth Western Province, Sri LankaNorth Western Province is a province of Sri Lanka. The districts of Kurunegala and Puttalam formulate Wayamba. Its capital is Kurunegala, which has a population of 28,571. The province is known mainly for its numerous coconut plantations. Other main towns in this province are Chilaw and Puttalam...
- Uturu-Meda- North Central ProvinceNorth Central Province, Sri LankaNorth Central Province is a province of Sri Lanka. Its capital is Anuradhapura. The province is not densely populated with a weak economy, as the land tends to be dry tropical woodlands.-History:...
National cricket team
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
team of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. The team first played One day international cricket in the 1975 Cricket World Cup
1975 Cricket World Cup
-Group B:-Knockout stage:-Semifinals:In the best World Cup performance to date by a bowler, Gary Gilmour took six wickets as England were bowled all out for 93 , after falling to 37/7...
and were later awarded Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
the eighth Test cricket playing nation.
The Sri Lankan team transformed themselves from the underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
status to a major cricketing nation during the 1990s. Sri Lanka have won the Cricket World Cup
Cricket World Cup
The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of men's One Day International cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council , with preliminary qualification rounds leading up to a finals tournament which is held every four years...
in 1996, the ICC Champions Trophy
ICC Champions Trophy
The ICC Champions Trophy is a One Day International cricket tournament, second in importance only to the Cricket World Cup. It was inaugurated as the ICC Knock Out tournament in 1998 and has been played every two years since, changing its name to the Champions Trophy in 2002...
in 2002 (Co-champions with India) and have been runners up in the 2007 Cricket World Cup
2007 Cricket World Cup
The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament that took place in the West Indies from 13 March to 28 April 2007, using the sport's One Day International format...
, 2011 Cricket World Cup
2011 Cricket World Cup
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It was Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup...
and ICC World Twenty20
ICC World Twenty20
The ICC World Twenty20 or ICC World T20 also referred to as the T20 World Cup is the international championship of Twenty20 cricket. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council...
in 2009.
Women's cricket team
The Sri Lankan women's cricket team is the team that represents Sri Lanka in international women's cricketWomen's cricket
Women's cricket is the form of the team sport of cricket that is played by women.-History:The first recorded match of women's cricket was reported in The Reading Mercury on 26 July 1745, a match contested "between eleven maids of Bramley and eleven maids of Hambledon, all dressed in white." The...
matches.Sri Lankan women's cricket team's international debut came in 1997 with a three match ODI series against the Netherlands. Since then, the team has represented Sri Lanka in international women's cricket tournaments.
See also
- Big MatchBig MatchA Big Match is an annual cricket match played between teams from two different schools in Sri Lanka. The matches are Test cricket matches, even though limited overs cricket matches between those two schools are played, they are not considered a Big Match...
- List of cricketers from Sri Lanka
- Sri Lankan national cricket captainsSri Lankan national cricket captainsThis is a list of all men, boys and women who have captained a Sri Lankan national cricket team at official international level. Sri Lanka became a full member of the International Cricket Council on 21 July 1981. Previously they were an associate member of the ICC from 1965, which made them...
- List of Sri Lankan Test cricket records
- List of Sri Lankan One Day International cricket records
- Ananda-NalandaAnanda-NalandaAnanda - Nalanda is a cricket match played between Ananda College Colombo, and Nalanda College Colombo. It was first played in 1924. Over the years both schools has produced many world famous cricketers....