Test records : Week Ending 14th May 2006.

Test #1802 Sri Lanka in England 2006 (1st Test) at Lord's Cricket Ground, St John's Wood

In a remarkable rearguard action by the tail enders Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Kulasekara in a record 105 run 9th wicket partnership, Sri Lanka scored 537-9 while following on and held on to a draw. With some resolute batting by their captain Mahela Jayawardane, who made his 2nd test century at Lord’s in as many appearances, Sri Lanka not only saved the test but in the process also registered the highest score in the 2nd innings of a test match by any side at Lord’s. Here are some of the other statistical highlights of the test:

While recording their 2nd innings total of 537/9, seven Sri Lankan batsmen scored half centuries. This provides only the 3rd such occassion in Test history. In 1934 England did the same against Australia at Manchester for the 1st time and as recently as in the 2005-06 Karachi Test, Pakistan achieved the same against India. Sri Lanka's total of more than 500 while following on also finds a place in the history of test cricket as it is only the 10th time that a team has registered a total of 500 or more while following on. India and Pakistan are the only teams to have registered a total of more than 600. With a remarkable coincidence they both have scored 657 runs. Pakistan scored 657/8 to savage a draw against West Indies at Bridgetown, 1957-58. India made same score for the loss of 7 wickets before declaring the innings and registering a historic victory by bowling out the Aussies in 2001 Calcutta Test.

Andrew Strauss became the 234th player and 46th England batsman to aggregate 2000 runs in a test career when he reached three in his 1st innings score of 48. In the same innings, when Strauss’ teammate , Kevin Pietersen touched the 110 run mark during his swashbuckling innings of 158 he took his test career aggreaget to 1000 runs and became the 422nd player and 88th Englishman to do so. This test is the 25th for Strauss and 12th for Pietersen.

Playing in his 52nd test when Matthew Hoggard caught and bowled Farveez Maharoof in the 1st innings of Sri Lanka, he took his tally of test wickets to 200. He thus becomes the 10th Englishman and 51st overall player to have taken 200 test wickets in a career.

When Geraint Jones took the 4th catch in the 2nd innings of Sri Lanka to dismiss Jayawardane of the bowling of Flintoff became the 7th English player and 31st overall to account for 100 wicket keeping dismissals in a test career. Having already completed 1000 runs in test cricket Jones has also joined the 1000 runs & 100 dismissals wicket keepers club. Except Wally Grout of Australia and Junior Murray of West Indies all WKs who claimed 100 test victims have also aggreagated 1000 runs in a test career.


In 35 tests they played together, Muralitharan and Jayawardane produced a bowler/fielder combination for 53 dismissals thus eclipsing the previous record of 51 dismissals by Shane Warne and Mark Taylor combination. Incidentally Warne & Taylor’s record too was set in 35 tests they played together.

By making their test debuts Sajid Mahmood became the 633rd player to represent England and Chamara Kapugedera became 104th Sri Lankan to play in test cricket