The Sri Lankan cricket team has arrived in the Caribbean to face the Calypso beat, as West Indies will be hosting the Lions in a 3-match Test series, starting on the 6th of June.
It has been 10 years since the Sri Lankans have visited West Indies for a bilateral Test series. Their last visit saw the 2-match Test series ending in 1-1 stalemate.
Since 1993
It wasn’t until 1993, nine years after Sri Lanka made their Test debut, that they played against West Indies. The two teams met for the first time for a solitary Test in Moratuwa. The home team was led by Arjuna Ranatunga while West Indies were captained by Richie Richardson. The game ended in a draw.
Sri Lanka vs West Indies Head to Head Test record –
- Played – 17
- Sri Lanka – 8
- West Indies – 3
- Drawn – 6
The first win for the Windies came in 1997 at St. John’s, when they beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets under the captaincy of Courtney Walsh. Batting first, the Sri Lanka were bowled out for 223, with Curtly Ambrose dismantling the visitors with his 5 for 37. But Muttiah Muralitharana got the Lions back on track with his 5 for 34, running through hosts’ batting line-up, bowling them out for 189. Ravindra Pushpakumara played second fiddle with his 3 for 62 that made early inroads through the Windies top order. In the second essay, Franklyn Rose and Ambrose combined to subdue Sri Lanka at 152 runs. They eventually chased a target of 187 runs to win the match by 6 wickets.
Sri Lanka registered their first Test win against West Indies in 2001 at Galle, when Sanath Jayasuriya and his men managed a resounding 10 wicket triumph before emerging victorious in the remaining two Tests at Kandy and SSC to secure a 3-0 series whitewash.
Recap of the Past Decade
The Lions visited the Caribbean in 2008 on a tour which included a 2-match Test series. It ended 1-1 with both teams tasting success. Sri Lanka won the first Test at Providence, Guyana by 121 runs. West Indies revived, winning the second Test at Port of Spain by 6 wickets.
The 3-match series played between the two sides in 2010 in Sri Lanka, failed to produce a result as all three matches in Galle, RPS and Pallekele were hampered by torrential rains at regular intervals.
In 2015, the Windies toured Sri Lanka, where the home team whitewashed the visitors 2-0, winning both Tests, held at Galle and P.Sara Oval.
The Caribbean Party
West Indies have hosted Sri Lanka in Tests since 1997. Sri Lanka’s only win in West Indies came in Guyana in 2008. The last time Sri Lanka played a Test in the Caribbean was in April, 2008
West Indies vs Sri Lanka Head to Head Test record in West Indies –
- Played – 6
- Sri Lanka – 1
- West indies – 3
- Drawn – 2
Port of Spain, Trinidad
The Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain has hosted a solitary Test between the two sides. At the venue, West Indies won the second Test of Sri Lanka’s tour in 2008 by 6 wickets.
West Indies’ Test record at Queen’s Park Oval –
- Played – 60
- Won – 19
- Lost – 18
- Drawn – 23
Gros Islet, St Lucia
Former Beausejour Stadium, renamed as ‘Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium’, has hosted a solitary Test between the two teams in 2003, both ended in draws.
West Indies’ Test record at Gros Islet –
- Played – 5
- Won – 1
- Lost – 1
- Drawn – 3
Bridgetown, Barbados
The Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados is yet to host a Test between Sri Lanka and West Indies.
West Indies’ Test Record at Kensington Oval –
- Played – 52
- Won – 24
- Lost – 11
- Drawn – 17
Team Records
- Highest team total – 627/9 dec. (Sri Lanka at SSC, 2001)
- Highest team total for West Indies – 580/9 dec. (Galle, 2010)
- Lowest team total – 113 all out (West Indies at SSC, 2005)
- Lowest team total for Sri Lanka – 150 all out (Kandy, 2005)
Batting Records
- Most runs – Brian Lara (1125 runs in 14 innings) (Avg. 86.53)
- Most runs (for SL) – Kumar Sangakkara (918 runs in 19 innings) (Avg. 54.00)
- Most runs in West Indies – Ramnaresh Sarwan (431 runs in 7 innings) (Avg. 61.57)
- Most runs in West Indies (for SL) – Sanath Jayasuriya (311 runs in 8 innings) (Avg. 44.42)
- Highest individual score – Chris Gayle (333 at Galle, 2010)
- Highest individual score for Sri Lanka – Hashan Tillakaratne (204* at SSC, 2001)
- Highest individual score in West Indies – Brian Lara (209 at Gros Islet, 2003)
- Highest individual score in West Indies (for SL) – Mahela Jayawardene (136 at Providence, 2008)
Bowling Records
- Most wickets – Muttiah Muralitharan (82 wickets in 22 innings) (Avg. 19.62)
- Most wickets (for WI) – Jerome Taylor (19 wickets in 11 innings) (Avg. 32.00)
- Most wickets in West Indies – Muttiah Muralitharan (37 wickets in 11 innings) (Avg. 23.00)
- Most wickets in West Indies (for WI) – Corey Collymore (14 wickets in 4 innings) (Avg. 11.35)
- Best bowling – Muttiah Muralitharan (8 for 46 at Kandy, 2005)
- Best bowling (for WI) – Corey Collymore (7 for 57 at Kingston, 2003)
