SL cricketers favourite venue- Singhalese Sports Club grounds (14 Jan 1998)

Wednesday 14, January 1998

SL cricketers favourite venue- Singhalese Sports Club grounds

By SA'ADI THAWFEEQ

Sri Lanka have had their fair share of success at the Singhalese Sports Club grounds, venue of the second cricket Test against Zimbabwe commencing today.

Of the 10 Tests played todate since the first in 1984, Sri Lanka have won three and lost three with four ending in draws.

SSC is notorious for producing that extraordinary Test between Sri Lanka and Australia in 1992, where the tourists in deficit by 291 runs on the first innings, achieved a remarkable victory by 16 runs. It still remains as the greatest revival in Test cricket.

It was the Test that brought Australian spin wizard Shane Warne into prominence and earned him a permanent place in the team. Warne took three wickets for no runs as Sri Lanka chasing a moderate 181 for victory collapsed for 164.

The Test had many individual performances, like wicket-keeper Romesh Kaluwitharana's spectacular Test hundred on debut, the massive double century partnership between skipper Arjuna Ranatunga and Asanka Gurusinha, and Sri Lanka's highest Test total at the time. But all these memories faded into oblivion when the Test was lost.

The SSC is also reminiscent for New Zealand captain Martin Crowe standing his ground and having an upheld decision for a catch rescinded by the umpire. Crowe who was 39 at the time of the incident went onto score a century.

The SSC is also the venue for producing Sri Lanka's heaviest defeat in Test cricket - an innings and 208 runs against South Africa in 1993.

The venue has a habit of producing sporting wickets in the past, but in the two Tests played in 1997 against Pakistan and India have been very much in favour of the batsmen with no less than nine centuries being scored.

Sri Lanka vice-captain Aravinda de Silva has a special affection for the ground. His last four Test innings at SSC have been 138 (n.o.), 103 (n.o.), 146 and 120. Even Sanath Jayasuriya has taken a liking to the venue with scores of 72, 113, 22 and 199 in his last four innings there.

Source :: Daily News (https://www.lanka.net)