Asgiriya Stadium        

Kandy, Sri Lanka

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Profile

The Asgiriya International Stadium, located in the heart of Sri Lanka's rolling hill-country, is the home ground of Trinity College, one of the most prestigious schools in Sri Lanka. Given the lack of flat space in central Sri Lanka, the ground was carved straight out of the hill behind the pavilion before being levelled by ten feet, and so the end result is one of the most beautiful venues on earth. Access is from the main town, which lies below, where the road takes a sharp jink across the Kandy to Colombo main railway line, before rising viciously and twisting to its left towards the Buddhist Research Institute that neighbours the ground. On a match-day, the outside of the ground is an incongruous mix of monks and machine-guns, as the ever-zealous police force keep an eye out for troublemakers. But once you step through the huge green gates and into the ground, tranquillity abounds. Ironically, one of the most memorable matches at Kandy was also one of the feistiest in history, as England beat Sri Lanka in March 2001 in a game that descended into near-anarchy. The pitch, with its extra bounce, can offer more assistance to the pace bowlers than any other in Sri Lanka, especially when clouds hug the surrounding hills. Andrew Miller May 2005

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Latest Articles

• How Sri Lanka's World Cup venues were chosen (Nov 13, 2009)
• Spectators hurt as stand roof blows off (Dec 5, 2007)
• The Murali story in numbers (Dec 3, 2007)
• Murali sparks delirium in Kandy (Dec 3, 2007)
• Kandy's stadium set to be replaced (Jan 15, 2007)

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Latest Photos

Dec 5, 2007

A portion of the roof fell down on to the seats below
© AFP

Dec 5, 2007

The corrugated-iron roof of a stand at Kandy falls off
© Andrew Miller

Dec 2, 2007

The covers at Kandy are dragged on
© AFP

Dec 1, 2007

A general view of the picturesque Asgiriya Stadium at Kandy
© Getty Images

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