There have been many significant days in Sri Lanka's cricket history since 17 March 1996, when they won the World Cup, but only two that will live long in the memory of those who witnessed them. Yesterday, at the Sinhalese Sports Club, was one of them.
Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, captain and vice-captain and also best friends, completed the highest partnership ever seen in first-class cricket, let alone Test cricket, and carried their country to a position of rarely contemplated dominance after three days of the first Test against South Africa.
Their third-wicket union ended on 624 after almost two days together, during which Sangakkara made a career-best 287 and Jayawardene 374, the fourth highest score in Test history. Having dismissed South Africa with the aid of four wickets apiece for Muttiah Muralitharan and Dilhara Fernando by tea on the first day, the Sri Lanka total of 756 for five declared was good enough to earn a first innings lead of 587, yet another record. The previous highest for a side batting second was the 509 South Africa achieved on the back of Graeme Smith's 259 against England at Lord's in 2003. All this was achieved despite the loss of both Sri Lanka's openers in single figures:
The historic partnership had begun with their team on 14 for two.
The difference between this stand and many of the other great ones in Test history was that it was compiled with the match alive. Far from dwindling to a meaningless or inevitable draw, as the Khettarama Test did eight years ago when Sanath Jayasuriya (340) and Roshan Mahanama (225) posted the previous record of 576, yesterday's heroes had to put up with a real-life, snorting and grunting Andre Nel as well as the world's number-two ranked bowler in Makhaya Ntini.
Tension mounted appreciably as the partnership record approached and a decent crowd of several thousand lowered their tone. But when the runs came, with four byes down the leg side off spinner Nicky Boje, they erupted. At least, they probably did, but nobody could hear anything above the thunderous noise of a fire-cracker display organized by the SSC administrators, which terrified the wits out of everybody unused to such celebrations.
'We knew it was the record - both the Test and first-class record - it's a great feeling, to do something that nobody else has done before,' Sangakkara said. 'That's what records are there for, to inspire you to try to break them. Hopefully one day someone else will break this one - that's the way cricket should go. '
As the South Africans attempted to regain their composure and see through the smoke that added to an already humid and debilitating atmosphere, they finally claimed their first wicket for 157 overs when Sangakkara edged an innocuous delivery from Andrew Hall to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.
Jayawardene surged on, however, with more than enough time to challenge Brian Lara's individual record of 400, made against England in 2004, and with the full backing of his team-mates and coach Tom Moody. At tea he was 357 not out and the lead was 551.
Even if he had needed most of the final session everybody believed that Murali could win the game singlehanded in just one of the two days that remained. The remaining banks of fire-crackers were loaded with reinforcements, and the streets of the city fell calm to watch. There may not have been many in the stadium, but there were hundreds of thousands of them watching elsewhere.
But then Nel, so full of bluster, but previously devoid of form, delivered a ball that kept low and snuck under the bat. Jayawardene was gone for 374 from 572 balls having struck 44 fours and a six. Was it possible that the air of disappointment following innings of 287 and 374 could be as tangible as it was?
'Cricket's that sort of game,' said Sangakkara. 'You can score a double hundred, or a triple hundred, and still be disappointed. But I was proud to be part of a partnership where Mahela batted so brilliantly - everyone's disappointed for him that he could not get to the 400 mark. '
He fell one short of Lara's 1994 figure, of 375 against England, and six behind Matthew Hayden's 380, made off the Zimbabwe attack in 2003.
Barely 10 minutes after the close of play, both batsmen were presented with brand new luxury cars outside the pavilion in recognition of their partnership efforts - Jayawardene's slightly more expensive than Sangakkara's thanks to his national record.
'I'm so proud to have passed Sanath's record. He's a great cricketer and it's something everyone wants to have, 'said Jayawardene. 'I'm absolutely delighted. One day somebody will come along and break that, but right now I have it and that's a great feeling. There's a little bit of disappointment that I did not get to the 400 mark, but I'm very, very satisfied with what I have achieved. '
Big Numbers
624
Highest partnership in Test or first-class cricket. The previous best was 577 by VS Hazare and Gul Mahomed for Baroda against Holkar in 1946.
374
Jayawardene's innings is the fourth highest ever behind Brian Lara (400no and 375), Matthew Hayden (380).
287
Sangakkara's knock is the best ever Test score by a wicketkeeper, beating his own record of 270.
221
Nicky Boje conceded the second highest number of runs without taking a wicket. Khan Mohammad (0 for 259 v West Indies 1952-3) still holds the record. Boje's full figures: 65-5-221-0
357
The highest number of runs in a day without losing a wicket equals the record set by Sobers and Hunte for West Indies against Pakistan in 1958.
Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, captain and vice-captain and also best friends, completed the highest partnership ever seen in first-class cricket, let alone Test cricket, and carried their country to a position of rarely contemplated dominance after three days of the first Test against South Africa.
Their third-wicket union ended on 624 after almost two days together, during which Sangakkara made a career-best 287 and Jayawardene 374, the fourth highest score in Test history. Having dismissed South Africa with the aid of four wickets apiece for Muttiah Muralitharan and Dilhara Fernando by tea on the first day, the Sri Lanka total of 756 for five declared was good enough to earn a first innings lead of 587, yet another record. The previous highest for a side batting second was the 509 South Africa achieved on the back of Graeme Smith's 259 against England at Lord's in 2003. All this was achieved despite the loss of both Sri Lanka's openers in single figures:
The historic partnership had begun with their team on 14 for two.
The difference between this stand and many of the other great ones in Test history was that it was compiled with the match alive. Far from dwindling to a meaningless or inevitable draw, as the Khettarama Test did eight years ago when Sanath Jayasuriya (340) and Roshan Mahanama (225) posted the previous record of 576, yesterday's heroes had to put up with a real-life, snorting and grunting Andre Nel as well as the world's number-two ranked bowler in Makhaya Ntini.
Tension mounted appreciably as the partnership record approached and a decent crowd of several thousand lowered their tone. But when the runs came, with four byes down the leg side off spinner Nicky Boje, they erupted. At least, they probably did, but nobody could hear anything above the thunderous noise of a fire-cracker display organized by the SSC administrators, which terrified the wits out of everybody unused to such celebrations.
'We knew it was the record - both the Test and first-class record - it's a great feeling, to do something that nobody else has done before,' Sangakkara said. 'That's what records are there for, to inspire you to try to break them. Hopefully one day someone else will break this one - that's the way cricket should go. '
As the South Africans attempted to regain their composure and see through the smoke that added to an already humid and debilitating atmosphere, they finally claimed their first wicket for 157 overs when Sangakkara edged an innocuous delivery from Andrew Hall to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.
Jayawardene surged on, however, with more than enough time to challenge Brian Lara's individual record of 400, made against England in 2004, and with the full backing of his team-mates and coach Tom Moody. At tea he was 357 not out and the lead was 551.
Even if he had needed most of the final session everybody believed that Murali could win the game singlehanded in just one of the two days that remained. The remaining banks of fire-crackers were loaded with reinforcements, and the streets of the city fell calm to watch. There may not have been many in the stadium, but there were hundreds of thousands of them watching elsewhere.
But then Nel, so full of bluster, but previously devoid of form, delivered a ball that kept low and snuck under the bat. Jayawardene was gone for 374 from 572 balls having struck 44 fours and a six. Was it possible that the air of disappointment following innings of 287 and 374 could be as tangible as it was?
'Cricket's that sort of game,' said Sangakkara. 'You can score a double hundred, or a triple hundred, and still be disappointed. But I was proud to be part of a partnership where Mahela batted so brilliantly - everyone's disappointed for him that he could not get to the 400 mark. '
He fell one short of Lara's 1994 figure, of 375 against England, and six behind Matthew Hayden's 380, made off the Zimbabwe attack in 2003.
Barely 10 minutes after the close of play, both batsmen were presented with brand new luxury cars outside the pavilion in recognition of their partnership efforts - Jayawardene's slightly more expensive than Sangakkara's thanks to his national record.
'I'm so proud to have passed Sanath's record. He's a great cricketer and it's something everyone wants to have, 'said Jayawardene. 'I'm absolutely delighted. One day somebody will come along and break that, but right now I have it and that's a great feeling. There's a little bit of disappointment that I did not get to the 400 mark, but I'm very, very satisfied with what I have achieved. '
Big Numbers
624
Highest partnership in Test or first-class cricket. The previous best was 577 by VS Hazare and Gul Mahomed for Baroda against Holkar in 1946.
374
Jayawardene's innings is the fourth highest ever behind Brian Lara (400no and 375), Matthew Hayden (380).
287
Sangakkara's knock is the best ever Test score by a wicketkeeper, beating his own record of 270.
221
Nicky Boje conceded the second highest number of runs without taking a wicket. Khan Mohammad (0 for 259 v West Indies 1952-3) still holds the record. Boje's full figures: 65-5-221-0
357
The highest number of runs in a day without losing a wicket equals the record set by Sobers and Hunte for West Indies against Pakistan in 1958.
In Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan batsmen
are as big a force as there is any batting lineup at home. clear example of
this is first two rows in following list in which first two biggest
partnerships in test cricket are held by Lankan batters.
624 = Kumar Sangakkara + Mahela
Jayawardene. Electing to bat first, visiting South African batsmen were bowled
out for only 169 runs in 50.2 overs. Lankans too lost both their openers inside
first 4 overs but what followed after that, is a nightmare Proteas bowlers
would love to forget. Kumar Sangakkara and captain Mahela Jayawardene batted
out first day, were unsaperated on day 2 and absorbed quite a bit of day 3
during their marathon partnership of 624, from 157 overs. final total = 756/5
declared.
Sri Lanka won the test by an
innings and 153 runs, despite 4 fighting half centuries from visitors.
576 = Sanath Jayasuriya + Roshan
Mahanama. made against India which stood as biggest partnership in test cricket
for almost a decade. Jayasuriya and Mahanama's partnership had helped Srilanka
not only to save that test match after India's solid 556/7 dec in first innings
but also score the biggest test match team total = 952 / 6d which is still the
largest by any team and only the second over 900 total in longest format of
cricket.
For opening wicket, Neil McKenzie
and Graeme Smith of South Africa hold the record for their 415 runs versus
Bangladesh back in February 2008, while Gorden Greenidge + Desmond Haynes of
West Indies hold the record of most runs between a opening pair in test cricket
= 6482 runs from 148 innings together.
Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid
of India have had most century partnerships between them = 16, equal with
Mathew Hayden + Ricky Ponting of Australia and Greenidge + Haynes for West
Indies.
