Mahela (374) and Sangakkara (287) shared world record partnership of 624

by A.C.De Silva

Sri Lanka first played international cricket in 1926-27, and were later awarded Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the 8th Text cricket playing nation. Came the Text series against South Africa in 2006 and Jayawardene and with Kumar Sangakkara was at their best and shared a world record partnership of 624 runs.

This Partnership, the highest for any wicket in first-class cricket history, and the first instance of a stand of 600 or more in a first class or Test match innings, smashed the previous third wicket stance for Sri Lanka, surpassing 262 which involved himself along with Thilan Samaraweera.

Jayawardene became the first Sri Lankan captain to score a Test triple-century, making 374 off 572 deliveries with 43 fours and 1 six, the fourth highest individual innings score in Test match cricket and the highest by a right-hander. He is also the first batsman to pass 350 in a Test without going on to break the world record. He also surpassed the highest score by a Sri Lankan in a Test match, previously Sanath Jayasuriya’s 340 in 1997 against India, coincidentally also produced in a world record partnership.

He was also chosen as a Wisden Cricketer of the year in 2007. In the 2007 Cricket World Cup Jayawardene hit one century and four half-centuries and was the second highest run-scorer in the list topped by Australia’s Matthew Hayden.

Mahela Centuries against all Test Playing nations

He has scored centuries against all Test-Playing nations. He achieved this feat on the 21st February 2009 by scoring his maiden Test century against Pakistan at the National’ Stadium in Karachi, Pakistan.

During the second Test of Sri Lankan’s tour of South Africa in 2011-12, Jayawardene became the ninth player in cricket history, and the first Sri Lankan, to score 10,000 Test runs.

Jayawardene led Sri Lanka to the final of the 2012 World Twenty 20 Cup against the West Indies on home turf. He resigned as Sri Lanka’s T20 captain after the match and in 2014 also announced his retirement from T20 cricket.

He holds the record for most number of catches in ODIs, taking 204 catches in 415 innings.

Sri Lanka have won the Cricket World Cup in 1996, the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002 (Co-Champions with India) have been consecutive runners up in the 2007 and 2011. Cricket World Cups, and have been runners up in the ICC World Twenty20 in 2009 and 2012: The team has won the ICC World Twenty20 in 2009 and 2012: The team has won the ICC World Twenty20 championship for the first time in 2014. The Sri Lankan cricket team currently holds several world records, including world records for highest team totals in all three.

Forms of the game Test, ODI and Twenty20.

Milestones

Sri Lanka is the only ICC Trophy winning team to have gone on to win the Cricket World Cup at a later date.

Sri Lanka is the only team to have participated in every edition of the Asia Cup.

Between 7 years (2007-2014) Sri Lanka have played five ICC Finals 2007 World Cup, ICC World Twenty20 in 2009, 2011 World Cup, ICC World Twenty20 in 2012 and ICC World Twenty20 in 2014 Which is a Record and Sri Lanka have Qualities to ICC World Twenty20 2010 Semifinals and ICC Champions Trophy 2013.

There have been many significant days in Sri Lanka’s cricket history since 17 March 1996, when they won the World Cup, but only two that will live long in the memory of those who witnessed them.

Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, captain and vice-captain and also best friends, completed the highest partnership ever seen in first-class cricket, let alone Test cricket, and carried their county to a position of rarely contemplated dominance after three days of the first Test against South Africa.

Sangakkara and Jayawardene flying high

Their third-wicket union ended on 624 after almost two days together, during which Sangakkara made a career-best 287 and Jayawardene 374, the fourth highest score in test history.

The previous highest for a side batting second was the 509 South Africa achieved on the back of Graeme Smith’s 259 against England at Lord’s in 2003. All this was achieved despite the loss of both Sri Lanka’s openers in single figures: the historic partnership had begun with their team on 14 for two.

The difference between this stand and many of the other great ones in test history was that it was compiled with the match alive, Far from dwindling to a meaningless or inevitable draw, as the Khettarama Test did eight years ago when Sanath Jayasuriya (340) and Roshan Mahanama (225) posted the previous record of 576, yesterday’s heroes had to put up with a real-life, snorting and grunting Andre Nel as well as the World’s number-two ranked bowler in Makhaya Ntini.

“We knew it was the record both the Test and first-class record it’s a great feeling, to do something that nobody else has done before’, Sagakkara said. ‘That’s what records are there for, to inspire you to try to break them. Hopefully one day someone else will break this one – that’s the way cricket should go.

Jayawardene surged on, with more than enough time to challenge Brian Lara’s individual record of 400, made against England in 2004, and with the full backing of his team-mates and coach Tom Moody, At tea he was 357 not out and the lead was 551.

Sangakkara happy with partnership

Even if he had needed most of the final session everybody believed that Murali could win the game single handed in just one of the two days that remained. The remaining banks of fire-crackers were loaded

with reinforcements, and the streets of the city fell calm to watch. There may not have been many in the stadium, but there were hundred of thousand of them watching elsewhere.

But then Nel, so full of bluster, but previously devoid of form, delivered a ball that kept low and snuck under the bat. Jayawardene was gone for 374 from 572 balls having struck 44 fours and a six was it possible that the air of disappointment following innings of 287 and 374 could be as tangible as it was? Cricket’s that sort of game,’ said Sangakkara. ‘You can score a double hundred, or a triple hundred, and still be disappointed. But I was proud to be part of a partnership where Mahela batted so brilliantly everyone’s disappointed for him that he couldn’t get to the 400 mark.