Sri Lanka Play 200th One Day International (18 Dec 1995)

Sri Lanka plays 200th one-day international

By Sa`adi Thawfeeq

Sri Lanka`s Benson and Hedges World Series Cup (WSC) match against West Indies at Adelaide on Friday marked the country`s 200th one-day international.

Fittingly, Sri Lanka celebrated that landmark with a four-wicket victory over West Indies, which was their 58th win overall and their fifth over the West Indies in 23 matches.

Coincidentally, Sri Lanka`s first-ever one-day international was also against the West Indies in the inaugural World Cup match played at Old Trafford in 1975. West Indies won that contest quite easily by nine wickets after bowling out Sri Lanka for 86.

Since then, Sri Lanka have come a long way and in the present context have proved they can take on the Caribbeans head on and still emerge worthy winners, as their victories in the WSC lungopener at Adelaide and in the Singer Champions trophy in Sharjah have proved.

Strangely enough, it was in the WSC tournament in Australia in 1989-90, that Sri Lanka played their 100th one-day international. Sri Lanka celebrated that occasion too with a victory. In this instance, it was Pakistan who were at the receiving end. They were beaten by three wickets at Perth.

To Arjuna Ranatunga goes the honour of leading Sri Lanka to victories in the country`s 100th and 200th one-day internationals.

Ranatunga was also captain when Sri Lanka recorded its 50th oneday international win early this year, when they beat New Zealand by 51 runs at Auckland.

The Sri Lanka captain is also three matches away from achieving a personal milestone. When Sri Lanka meet West Indies in the WSC match at Brisbane on January 5, it will be the 100th time Ranatunga will be leading his country in one-day internationals.

Whereas it took Sri Lanka 14 years to play their first 100 oneday internationals, the second 100 has come in less than six years, which is a sign of the growing popularity the game has received internationally.

The following is Sri Lanka`s record in 200 one-day internationals (all figures complete till December 16):

Country P W L NR

v England 11 3 8 0 v Australia 26 6 18 2 v South Africa 7 3 3 1 v West Indies 23 5 17 1 v New Zealand 32 8 22 2 v India 37 11 24 2 v Pakistan 54 13 40 1 v Zimbabwe 6 5 1 0 v Bangladesh 4 4 0 0

Home 47 22 18 7 Away 153 36 115 2

TOTAL 200 58 133 9

Source :: Lake House/Lanka Internet Services Ltd