R. Premadasa Stadium

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R.Premadasa Stadium
Khettarama Stadium
Sri Lanka
Ground information
Location	Maligawatta, Colombo
Coordinates	Coordinates: 6°56′22.8″N 79°52′19.3″E/6.939667°N 79.872028°E/6.939667; 79.872028
Seating capacity	35,000
Tenants	Sri Lanka Cricket
End names	Khettarama End Scoreboard End
International information
First Test	28 August 1992: Sri Lanka v Australia
Last Test	12 September 2005: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh
First ODI	9 March 1986: Sri Lanka v Pakistan
Last ODI	8 February 2009: Sri Lanka v India
As of 28 April, 2009 Source: Cricinfo

R. Premadasa Stadium is a cricket stadium situated on Khettarama Road, Maligawatta, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The stadium was prior to June 1994 known as the Khettarama Cricket Stadium and is today one of the main venues in which Sri Lankan cricket team play.

Contents [hide] 1 Early history 2 Ground history 3 See also 4 References

[edit] Early history

The stadium is the brainchild of the late Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa, who championed the development of this 35,000-seater concrete bowl, the biggest stadium in Sri Lanka. Opened on February 2, 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 the stadium.

[edit] Ground history

The inaugural one-day international was played on April 5, 1986 between Sri Lanka and New Zealand. On August 28, 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 the highest partnership for any wicket in Test cricket with 576 for the second wicket. 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.

A new training center has been developed behind the stadium with 16 practice pitches and dormitories for the Sony Max Cricket Academy which started in 2003.