Pallekele International Cricket Stadium

Pallekele International Cricket Stadium

Ground information
Location	Pallekele, Kandy District, Central Province
Coordinates	7°16′49″N 80°43′20″E / 7.28028°N 80.72222°E / 7.28028; 80.72222Coordinates: 7°16′49″N 80°43′20″E / 7.28028°N 80.72222°E / 7.28028; 80.72222
Establishment	November 27, 2009
Capacity	35,000
Owner	Sri Lanka Cricket
Operator	Sri Lanka Cricket
Tenants	Inter-Provincial Limited Over Tournament Inter-Provincial Twenty20 2011 Cricket World Cup
End names
Hunnasgiriya End Rikillagaskada End
International information
First Test	1 December 2010: Sri Lanka v West Indies
Last Test	7 September 2011: Sri Lanka v Australia
First ODI	8 March[1] 2011: Pakistan v New Zealand
Last ODI	10 August 2011: Sri Lanka v Australia
First T20I	6 August 2011: Sri Lanka v Australia
Last T20I	8 August 2011: Sri Lanka v Australia
Domestic team information
Kandurata cricket team (2009 – present)
As of 8 September 2011 Source: Cricinfo

Pallekele International Cricket Stadium (PICS), also known as Muttiah Muralitharan International Cricket Stadium, is one of the newest cricket stadiums in Sri Lanka and the newest in the city of Kandy. The stadium has been renamed as the Muttiah Muralitharan International Cricket Stadium. In July 2010, The Central Provincial Council in Kandy unanimously made the renaming decision to honor the legendary Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan.^[2]

The stadium was declared opened on November 27, 2009.^[3] Muttiah Muralitharan International Cricket Stadium became the 104th Test venue in the world in December 2010.^[4] The first Test was played between Sri Lanka and the West Indies from 1–5 December. The stadium is Sri Lanka's eighth Test venue.

Location and background

The stadium is located about a half-hour drive from Kandy.^[5] The Pallekele stadium is wholly owned by Sri Lanka Cricket and is set to displace the Asgiriya Stadium, which has hosted Tests from 1983 to 2007, as the international venue of choice around Kandy. The stadium was built by the State Engineering Corporation of Sri Lanka along the lines of SuperSport Park in Centurion, South Africa.

Ground statistics

Facts about the Pallekele Cricket Stadium:^[6]

• Length of the stadium: 243 meters
• Width of the stadium: 189 meters
• Height of the stadium: 22 meters
• Radius of the round from the boundary line: 100 meters
• Length of the pitch: 90 meters
• Width of the pitch: 10 meters
• Outfield of the ground would be covered with Australian synthetic grass
• Infield of the ground would be covered with Blue grass

History

The stadium has been built for the 2011 Cricket World Cup along with Hambantota International Cricket Stadium. The first Test Cricket match scheduled be played at the stadium will be between Sri Lanka and the West Indies from December 1 to December 5, 2010. The first One Day International match at the venue was played between New Zealand and Pakistan on 8 March 2011. Pallekele is also the host for the Kandurata cricket team.^[7][8][9]

On 21 September 2011, it was announced that Pallekele International Cricket stadium will host nine 2012 ICC World Twenty20 matches.^[10]

World Cup Cricket

The following 2011 Cricket World Cup matches were played in Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in the month of March, 2011. The first official international match was between Pakistan and New Zealand on 8 March 2011.^[1] A total of three matches were played at the venue during the 2011 World Cup.

2011 Cricket World Cup

Main article: 2011 Cricket World Cup

8 March 2011 (D/N) Scorecard	Pakistan  192/10 (41.4 overs)	v	New Zealand 302/7 (50 overs)	New Zealand won by 110 runs Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy, Sri Lanka Umpires: Daryl Harper and Nigel Llong Player of the match: Ross Taylor (NZ)
	Abdul Razzaq 62 (74) Tim Southee 3/25 (8 overs)		Ross Taylor 131* (124) Umar Gul 3/32 (10 overs)
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat first.

10 March 2011 (D/N) Scorecard	Sri Lanka  327/6 (50 overs)	v	Zimbabwe 188/10 (39 overs)	Sri Lanka won by 139 runs Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy, Sri Lanka Umpires: Marais Erasmus and Nigel Llong Player of the match: Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri)
	Tillakaratne Dilshan 144 (131) Chris Mpofu 4/62 (7 overs)		Brendan Taylor 80 (72) Tillakaratne Dilshan 4/4 (3 overs)
Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to ball first.

14 March 2011 (D/N) Scorecard	Zimbabwe  151/10 (39.4 overs)	v	Pakistan 164/3 (34.1 /38 overs)	Pakistan won by 7 wickets (D/L). Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy, Sri Lanka Umpires: Tony Hill and Nigel Llong Player of the match: Umar Gul (Pak)
	Craig Ervine 52 (82) Umar Gul 3/36 (7.4 overs)		Asad Shafiq* 78 (97) Ray Price 2/21 (8 overs)
Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat first.

ICC World Twenty20

Sri Lanka will host the 2012 ICC World Twenty20. Nine matches are due to play in Pallekele International Cricket Stadium. Other matches will be played in R. Premadasa Stadium and Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium

2012 ICC World Twenty20

Main article: 2012 ICC World Twenty20

Group matches

21 September 2012 (D/N)	New Zealand	v	Bangladesh	Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele, Sri Lanka

23 September 2012 (D/N)	Pakistan	v	New Zealand	Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele, Sri Lanka

25 September 2012 (D/N)	Pakistan	v	Bangladesh	Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele, Sri Lanka

Super 8s

27 September 2012 (D/N)	C1	v	D2	Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele, Sri Lanka

27 September 2012 (D/N)	A1	v	B2	Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele, Sri Lanka

29 September 2012 (D/N)	A1	v	D2	Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele, Sri Lanka

29 September 2012 (D/N)	C1	v	B2	Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele, Sri Lanka

1 October 2012 (D/N)	B2	v	D2	Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele, Sri Lanka

1 October 2012 (D/N)	A1	v	C1	Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele, Sri Lanka

Trivia

• By dismissing Chris Gayle of West Indies, Sri Lanka's Suranga Lakmal became the third bowler to take a wicket with the first ball bowled in a test match at a new venue, joining Kapil Dev of India and Imran Khan of Pakistan.^[11]

• T.Dilshan and Upul Tharanga ahd a 282 run partnership for the first wicket in March 2010 vs Zimbabwe.This is the highest opening partnership for a Cricket World Cup game.

• Shaun Marsh scored a 142 in his debut test inning,the 16th Australian to do so and 2nd Australian Number three batsman.

• Shaun Marsh and Mike Hussey built a 258 run partnership for the 4th wicket vs Sri Lanka at Pallekele, the highest fourth wicket partnership in Sri Lanka vs Australia Test Matches.^[12]

• 

  Rain Interrups play.SL v AUS,09/10/2011 : Courtesy Peter Lalor

See also

• List of international cricket grounds in Sri Lanka

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Sheringham, Sam. "Cricket World Cup: Ross Taylor blitz sets up NZ victory". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/9418621.stm. Retrieved 2010-03-09. 
2. ^ Cyril Wimalasurendre (July 27, 2010). "Pallekele Stadium to be named after Muralitharan". ISLAND CRICKET. http://www.islandcricket.lk/news/65160727/pallekele_stadium_be_named_after_muralitharan. Retrieved November 27, 2010. 
3. ^ "New Pallekele International Cricket stadium opens today". Lankapuvath – National News Agency of Sri Lanka. 2009-11-27. 
4. ^ Siddhartha Talya (2010-11-30). "Pallekele awaits its Test debut". ESPN Cricinfo. http://www.espncricinfo.com/sri-lanka-v-west-indies-2010/content/story/489804.html. Retrieved 2010-12-05. 
5. ^ Siddarth Ravindran (2010-08-23). "Pallekele readies itself for the big day". ESPN Cricinfo. http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc-cricket-world-cup-2011/content/story/473857.html. Retrieved 2010-12-05. 
6. ^ Facts about the stadium Source: Sri Lanka Cricket. On Facebook. Retrieved on 7 June 2010
7. ^ How Sri Lanka's World Cup venues were chosen Cricinfo. Retrieved on 6 June 2010
8. ^ ICC happy with state of progress of Sri Lanka venues Cricinfo. Retrieved on 6 June 2010
9. ^ Sri Lanka World Cup venues on track – ICC Cricinfo. Retrieved on 6 June 2010
10. ^ "England to start ICC World Twenty20 title defence against qualifier". http://icc-cricket.yahoo.net/events_and_awards/twenty20/newsdetails.php?newsId=17175_1316627340. Retrieved 21 September 2011. 
11. ^ "Bravo’s 50 lifts WI to 134–2". BangaloreMirror.com. 2010-12-01. http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/71/201012022010120207381857e81afddf/Bravo%E2%80%99s-50-lifts-WI-to-1342-.html. Retrieved 2010-12-05. 
12. ^ {{cite web|url=http://m.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/marsh-posts-century-on-test-debut-20110910-1k2ul.html)

External links

• Cricinfo profile on Pallekele