The triple century makers – Chandimal becomes the 10th

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

By scoring an unbeaten 354 for Sri Lanka Army SC against Saracens SC in the Major League Super Eight match played at the FTZ grounds, Katunayake last week, former Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal became only the tenth Sri Lankan cricketer to complete a triple 100 in first-class cricket.

It was also the second highest score behind another former Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene’s classic innings of 374 against South Africa in the first Test at the SSC grounds in 2006. In fact Chandimal’s knock surpassed Kithuruwan Vithanage’s 351 for Tamil Union v SL Air Force at Katunayake in 2015 as the highest score made in a domestic first-class match.

Former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya was the first Sri Lankan batsman to score a triple century in first-class cricket when he compiled that massive 340 against India in the first Test at the R Premadasa Stadium in 1997. It was in this Test that Mahela Jayawardene made his Test debut at the age of 20 and created an immediate impact with a stylish half century (66).

Jayasuriya’s record stood for nine years as the highest score by a Sri Lankan in first-class cricket until Jayawardene surpassed it in 2006. Between then and now eight players have crossed the 300-run mark.

Minod Bhanuka, the wicket-keeper/left-handed batsman from Maliyadeva College, Kurunegala who plays for SSC in the Premier League is the youngest Sri Lankan to score a triple hundred in first-class cricket. He made 342 for SSC against Badureliya CC at Maggona in 2016 at the age of 20.

Another former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara is the oldest in the list to score a triple century. He was 36 when he made 319 against Bangladesh in the second Test played at Chittagong in 2014.  

Getting to record breaking figures is one thing but if the effort is not converted into a win the joy is lost.

In the list of 10 Sri Lankans who have got to the triple century mark, only four of the matches have produced a winning result – Jayawardene’s 374 for Sri Lanka against South Africa, Vithanage’s 351 for Tamil Union against SL Air Force, Bhanuka’s 342 for SSC against Badureliya CC and Kusal Perera’s 336 for Colts against Saracens. The rest of the matches have ended in draws.

There has been three occasions where two batsmen have hit a triple century in one season – in 2013 (Thilina Kandamby and Kusal Perera), in 2016 (Minod Bhanuka and Udara Jayasundera) and in 2020 (Dinesh Chandimal and Ramesh Mendis).  

Triple centuries have been scored in a Test match on three occasions by Jayasuriya, Jayawardene and Sangakkara.

Triple centuries in first-class cricket by Sri Lankans

374 – Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka v South Africa, SSC grounds, 2006

354*- Dinesh Chandimal, SL Army v Saracens, Katunayake, 2020

351 – Kithuruwan Vithanage, Tamil Union v SL Air Force, Katunayake, 2015

342 – Minod Bhanuka, SSC v Badureliya CC, Maggona, 2016

340* - Thilina Kandamby, SSC v Tamil Union, SSC grounds, 2013  

340 – Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka v India, R Premadasa Stadium, 1997

336 – Kusal Perera, Colts v Saracens, Colts grounds, 2013

319 – Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka v Bangladesh, Chittagong, 2014

318 – Udara Jayasundera, Ragama v SSC, R Premadasa Stadium, 2016

300* - Ramesh Mendis, Moors v Negombo, Moors grounds, 2020

*Denotes Not Out