Thilan Samaraweera
Encyclopedia
Thilan Thusara Samaraweera is a Sri Lanka
n cricket
er, born September 22, 1976 in Colombo
. Samaraweera plays international cricket for Sri Lanka and is in the side primarily for his solid right-handed batting but is also a capable Off spin
ner.
, Colombo. His brother, Dulip Samaraweera
is also a Test cricket player who had played 4 Test matches in his career from 1993 to 1995. He is married and has 2 children.
. He managed a handful of ODI games in 1998 but did not play Test cricket until August 2001. Having worked on his batting considerably he got due reward by scoring century on debut against a strong Indian side helping Sri Lanka to win the series 2-1. He continued to star with the bat by scoring another two centuries in his next five Tests, all on his home ground, the SSC in Colombo. This stunning start to international cricket cemented his spot in the middle order, a spot which had holes to fill with the retirements of Aravinda de Silva
and Hashan Tillakaratne
.
His off-spin has been rarely called upon by his captain but when he comes on he has earned a reputation as a partnership breaker.
After a poor Test series in England in which he failed to reach double figures in any of his four innings, he was dropped from the side. He was made captain of Sri Lanka A before earning a recall for the first Test against Australia in Brisbane
. He scored 13 and 20 and was promptly dropped when Kumar Sangakkara
returned to the side for the second game in Hobart
. This was followed by his non-inclusion in the squad to play England in the first Test in Kandy
.
Samaraweera was included in the Sri Lankan team to play the Test series in Pakistan in February - March 2009. This series was conducted after the Indian team withdrew from a scheduled series in Pakistan, following the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. Samaraweera started off the series in superb form, hitting consecutive double centuries – 231 in the first Test in Karachi and 214 in the second Test in Lahore.
In February 2009, he shared a record-breaking partnership of 437 with Mahela Jayawardene
. This is a world record for 4th wicket in Test cricket. The previous Test record was held by an English pair—Peter May
and Colin Cowdrey
—who put on 411 against West Indies at Birmingham
in May 1957.
In September 2009, he got his maiden ODI century against New Zealand national cricket team at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. It took a long period of time since his ODI debut.
on the bus that carried the Sri Lankan cricketers to the Gaddafi Stadium
. He was hospitalised with a thigh injury. Samaraweera was the most seriously injured player amongst them. Six policemen that guarded the bus and two civilians were killed in the attack.
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...
n 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...
er, born September 22, 1976 in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo 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...
. Samaraweera plays international cricket for Sri Lanka and is in the side primarily for his solid right-handed batting but is also a capable Off spin
Off spin
Off spin is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket which is bowled by an off spinner, a right-handed spin bowler who uses his or her fingers and/or wrist to spin the ball from a right-handed batsman's off side to the leg side...
ner.
Personal life
Thilan Samaraweera born in Colombo and had his education at Ananda CollegeAnanda College
Ananda College , Colombo which is considered as the leading National school in Sri Lanka, was established on November 1, 1886, by the Buddhist Theosophical Society led by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott...
, Colombo. His brother, Dulip Samaraweera
Dulip Samaraweera
Dulip Prasanna Samaraweera is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played in 7 Tests and 5 ODIs for his country from 1993 to 1995. He was a right-handed opening batsmen and occasional right arm off-spinner...
is also a Test cricket player who had played 4 Test matches in his career from 1993 to 1995. He is married and has 2 children.
International career
Samaraweera started his career as an offspinner who could bat a bit and could not find a way into the side due to the emergence of Muttiah MuralitharanMuttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan , often referred to as Murali, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who was rated the greatest Test match bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2002...
. He managed a handful of ODI games in 1998 but did not play Test cricket until August 2001. Having worked on his batting considerably he got due reward by scoring century on debut against a strong Indian side helping Sri Lanka to win the series 2-1. He continued to star with the bat by scoring another two centuries in his next five Tests, all on his home ground, the SSC in Colombo. This stunning start to international cricket cemented his spot in the middle order, a spot which had holes to fill with the retirements of Aravinda de Silva
Aravinda de Silva
Pinnaduwage Aravinda de Silva is a former Sri Lankan cricketer, who is considered one of the finest batsmen produced by the country.He is also regarded as one of the most elegant batsman in his generation, and to date is the only player to make a hundred and take 3 or more wickets in a world cup...
and Hashan Tillakaratne
Hashan Tillakaratne
Hashan Prasantha Tillakaratne is a Sri Lankan cricketer and a politician.-Cricket career:As a schoolboy in 1986, he was selected to play against England B at Galle, scoring a century to save the match. He played in his first One Day International in November 1986, and emerged into the Sri Lankan...
.
His off-spin has been rarely called upon by his captain but when he comes on he has earned a reputation as a partnership breaker.
After a poor Test series in England in which he failed to reach double figures in any of his four innings, he was dropped from the side. He was made captain of Sri Lanka A before earning a recall for the first Test against Australia in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. He scored 13 and 20 and was promptly dropped when Kumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara
Kumar Sangakkara is a Sri Lankan, Sinhalese cricketer and the former captain of the Sri Lanka national cricket team. He is a left-handed top-order batsman...
returned to the side for the second game in Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
. This was followed by his non-inclusion in the squad to play England in the first Test in Kandy
Kandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
.
Samaraweera was included in the Sri Lankan team to play the Test series in Pakistan in February - March 2009. This series was conducted after the Indian team withdrew from a scheduled series in Pakistan, following the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. Samaraweera started off the series in superb form, hitting consecutive double centuries – 231 in the first Test in Karachi and 214 in the second Test in Lahore.
In February 2009, he shared a record-breaking partnership of 437 with Mahela Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene
Denagamage Proboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardene , known as Mahela Jayawardene, is the former captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team. He is a specialist batsman who has a Test average of over 50, and an ODI average in the 30s...
. This is a world record for 4th wicket in Test cricket. The previous Test record was held by an English pair—Peter May
Peter May
-External links:* * at Cricket Archive*...
and Colin Cowdrey
Colin Cowdrey
Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...
—who put on 411 against West Indies at Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
in May 1957.
In September 2009, he got his maiden ODI century against New Zealand national cricket team at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. It took a long period of time since his ODI debut.
Test centuries
The following table illustrates a summary of the Test centuries scored by Thilan Samaraweera- In the column Runs, * indicates being not out
- The column title Match refers to the Match Number of the player's career
| Test centuries of Thilan Samaraweera | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |Match | |City/Country | |Year | ||||
| [1] | 103* | 1 | Colombo Colombo Colombo 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... , Sri Lanka |
Sinhalese Sports Club Ground Sinhalese Sports Club Ground The Sinhalese Sports Club is one of the most famous cricket grounds in Sri Lanka. It is theheadquarters of Sri Lanka Cricket, the controlling body of cricket in Sri Lanka. The Ground often cited as the Lord's of Sri Lanka, hosting most domestic finals and one of preeminent international cricket... |
2001 | |
| [2] | 123* | 6 | Colombo, Sri Lanka | Sinhalese Sports Club Ground | 2001 | |
| [3] | 142 | 14 | Colombo, Sri Lanka | Sinhalese Sports Club Ground | 2003 | |
| [4] | 100 | 23 | Faisalabad Faisalabad Faisalabad , formerly known as Lyallpur, is the third largest metropolis in Pakistan, the second largest in the province of Punjab after Lahore, and a major industrial center in the heart of Pakistan. Before the foundation of the city in 1880, the area was very thinly populated. The population has... , Pakistan |
Iqbal Stadium Iqbal Stadium Iqbal Stadium is a Test cricket ground in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Previous names for the ground include Lyallpur Stadium, National Stadium, and City Stadium. The current name honours Pakistani poet Sir Allama Muhammad Iqbal. Capacity is 25,000. It has hosted 25 Test matches and 14 One Day... |
2004 | |
| [5] | 138 | 30 | Colombo, Sri Lanka | P. Saravanamuttu Stadium | 2005 | |
| [6] | 125 | 42 | Port of Spain Port of Spain Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population... , West Indies |
Queen's Park Oval Queen's Park Oval Queen's Park Oval, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is currently the largest capacity cricket ground in the West Indies and has hosted more Test matches than any other ground in the Caribbean. It also hosted a number of matches in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. It is privately owned by the... |
2008 | |
| [7] | 127 | 43 | Colombo, Sri Lanka | Sinhalese Sports Club Ground | 2008 | |
| [8] | 231 | 47 | Karachi Karachi Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million... , Pakistan |
National Stadium National Stadium, Karachi The National Stadium is a cricket stadium in Karachi, Pakistan. It is currently used for cricket matches, and is home to Karachi's domestic cricket teams. The stadium is able to hold 34,228 spectators, making it the second largest cricket stadium in Pakistan after Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore... |
2009 | |
| [9] | 214 | 48 | Lahore Lahore Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a... , Pakistan |
Gaddafi Stadium Gaddafi Stadium Gaddafi Stadium is a cricket ground in Lahore, Pakistan. It was designed by Daghestani-born architect and engineer Nasreddin Murat-Khan who also designed Lahore's Minar-e-Pakistan and constructed by Mian Abdul Khaliq and Company in 1959. Following the ground's renovation for the 1996 Cricket World... |
2009 | |
| [10] | 159 | 53 | Galle Galle Galle 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.... , Sri Lanka |
Galle International Stadium Galle International Stadium Galle International Stadium is a cricket stadium in Galle, Sri Lanka, situated near the Galle fort and fringed on two sides by the Indian Ocean. It is considered to be one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in the world... |
2009 | |
| [11] | 143 | 54 | Colombo, Sri Lanka | Sinhalese Sports Club Ground | 2009 | |
| [12] | 137* | 60 | Colombo, Sri Lanka | P. Saravanamuttu Stadium | 2010 | |
ODI centuries
The following table illustrates a summary of the ODI centuries scored by Thilan Samaraweera| ODI centuries of Thilan Samaraweera | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |Match | |City/Country | |Year | ||||
| [1] | 104 | 22 | Colombo, Sri Lanka | R. Premadasa Stadium | 2009 | |
| [2] | 105* | 30 | Dhaka, Bangladesh | S B National Stadium | 2010 | |
Lahore Attack
Samaraweera, along with five other Sri Lankan cricketers, were injured in the March 3, 2009 attack2009 attack on the Sri Lanka national cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team attack occurred on March 3, 2009, when a bus carrying Sri Lankan cricketers, part of a larger convoy, was fired upon by 12 gunmen, near the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan. The cricketers were on their way to play the third day of the second Test against the...
on the bus that carried the Sri Lankan cricketers to the Gaddafi Stadium
Gaddafi Stadium
Gaddafi Stadium is a cricket ground in Lahore, Pakistan. It was designed by Daghestani-born architect and engineer Nasreddin Murat-Khan who also designed Lahore's Minar-e-Pakistan and constructed by Mian Abdul Khaliq and Company in 1959. Following the ground's renovation for the 1996 Cricket World...
. He was hospitalised with a thigh injury. Samaraweera was the most seriously injured player amongst them. Six policemen that guarded the bus and two civilians were killed in the attack.
See also
- 2009 attack on the Sri Lanka national cricket team2009 attack on the Sri Lanka national cricket teamThe Sri Lankan cricket team attack occurred on March 3, 2009, when a bus carrying Sri Lankan cricketers, part of a larger convoy, was fired upon by 12 gunmen, near the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan. The cricketers were on their way to play the third day of the second Test against the...
- 100 Runs Test Cricket Partnerships by Sri Lanka100 Runs Test Cricket Partnerships by Sri Lanka100 Runs Test Cricket Partnerships by Sri Lanka is a list of 100 runs partnerships recorded in Test cricket by the Sri Lanka national cricket team. Currently Sri Lankans hold the world record partnerships for 2nd , 3rd , 4th , and 6th wickets in Test crickets. -Hundred Runs Test Cricket...
- 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....