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The R. Premadasa Stadium, formerly known as Khettarama Stadium, is a 35,000 capacity cricket stadium situated in on Khettarama Road, Maligawatta, Colombo, Sri Lanka. [1] 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 has capacity exceeding Lord's Cricket Ground. It is nicknamed "Home of Sri Lankan cricket". It was also the stadium where the highest Test score was scored.
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The 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.
Up to December 2015, in total the ground has been the venue for 8 Test matches, [2] 120 One-Day International matches, [3] and 23 T20 International matches. [4]
In cricket, a five-wicket haul (also known as a "five-for" or "fifer") [5] [6] refers to a bowler taking five or more wickets in a single innings. This is regarded as a notable achievement. [7]
The first Test was played at the R. Premadasa Stadium between Sri Lanka and Australia on 28 August 1992. [8] The first bowler to take a five-wicket haul in a Test match at R. Premadasa Stadium was Paul Strang, who took 5/106 in 1996 for Zimbabwe against host Sri Lanka in the first Test of the series. [9] The best bowling figures to date in Tests at R. Premadasa Stadium is by Sri Lankan Rangana Herath, who took 7/89 against Bangladesh in 2013. Total of 14 Test fifer was taken by 8 players at this ground.
The first One Day International was played at the R. Premadasa Stadium between Sri Lanka and New Zealand on 5 April 1986. [10] The first five-wicket haul was achieved by Saqlain Mushtaq who took 5/38 for Pakistan against Bangladesh in 1997. [11] Up to date, 6 for 20 by Sri Lankan Angelo Mathews stands as the best bowling figures for an ODI at the R. Premadasa. Total of 15 ODI fifer was taken by 15 players at this ground.
The first T20 International was played at the R. Premadasa Stadium on 10 February 2009 by host Sri Lanka against India. [12] and, to date, no any bowler was able to take T20I fifer at the ground.
