R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium
Khettarama Road, Maligawatta, Colombo, Sri Lanka,
Maligawatta
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R. Premadasa Stadium is a cricket stadium on Khettarama Road, Maligawatta, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The stadium was, before June 1994, known as the Khettarama Cricket Stadium and is today one of the main venues where the Sri Lankan cricket team play, having hosted more than 100 one day international matches. It is the largest stadium in Sri Lanka with capacity of 35,000 spectators. It was also the stadium were the highest Test score was scored.HistoryEarly historyThe stadium is the brainchild of the late Sri Lankan president Ranasinghe Premadasa, who championed the development of this 40,000-seater concrete bowl, the biggest stadium in Sri Lanka. Opened on 2 February 1986 with a match between a Sri Lanka 'B' side and an England 'B' team, the stadium was built on swampland previously used by monks ferrying across to the Khettarama temple adjacent to it.Ground historyThe inaugural One Day International was played on 5 April 1986 between Sri Lanka and New Zealand. On 28 August 1992 it hosted its inaugural Test match between Sri Lanka and Australia. The venue is best remembered for holding the world record for the highest Test total – 952/6 declared by Sri Lanka against India in 1997/1998 in which former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya scored 340 and Roshan Mahanama 225, the pair sharing a partnership 576 for the second wicket, which was then the highest for any wicket in a Test Match. Since that record-breaking match, it has hosted just one Test against New Zealand. Invariably flat, the pitches are slow in pace and low in bounce.
