Sri Lanka are currently making their seventh cricket tour of England under Arjuna Ranatunga.
On the previous tours, Sri Lanka made use of them to convince the International Cricket Council (ICC) that they were worth of being granted Test status.
The first two tours to England in 1979 and 1981, proved the standard of Sri Lanka cricket and it was during the latter tour that they were elevated to that of a Test-playing nation.
Sri Lanka didn't disappoint the English cricketing public when they made their first ever Test appearance at Lord's in 1984. They amassed a total of 491 for seven declared with Sidath Wettimuny going on to cover himself with glory by scoring a monumental 190 and skipper Duleep Mendis powering his way to a rapid century that had England on their knees. Wicket-keeper and opening bat Amal Silva also joined the run parade by scoring a century in the second innings of a drawn Test in which Sri Lanka took all the honours.
On the strength of his century, Wettimuny became the first Sri Lankan cricketer to be honoured by 'Wisden Cricketers' Almanac' when it picked him as one of its Five Cricketers of the Year in 1985.
The next two Test tours to England saw, Sri Lanka unable to hold its own in English conditions and succumb to defeat.
Thus, Sri Lanka are making a tour of England after a gap of seven years, the last tour having taken place in 1991.
Sri Lankan Tours to England 1979-1991
Tests FC Matches ODI's
Year Captain P W L D P W L D P W L NR
1979 A.P.B. Tennekoon - - - - 9 1 1 7 - - - -
1981 B. Warnapura - - - - 13 1 1 11 - - - -
1984 L.R.D. Mendis 1 0 0 1 8 0 1 7 - - - -
1988 R.S. Madugalle 1 0 1 0 8 0 0 8 1 0 1 0
1990 P.A. de Silva - - - - 6 1 0 5 - - - -
1991 P.A. de Silva 1 0 1 0 6 1 2 3 - - - -
Total 3 0 2 1 50 4 5 41 1 0 1 0
Individual Performances in England
BATTING
M I NO HS Runs Avg 100s 50s
M.S. Atapattu 11 14 6 94* 373 46.62 0 3
P.A. de Silva 24 36 8 221* 1330 47.50 2 8
U.C. Hathurusingha 11 21 1 136 696 34.80 1 4
S.T. Jayasuriya 12 20 4 105* 827 51.68 2 5
R.S. Kaluwitharana 3 5 0 34 73 14.60 2 0
M. Muralitharan 3 4 1 22* 27 9.00 0 0
A. Ranatunga 16 20 2 118 690 38.33 1 5
H.P. Tillekeratne 15 21 4 109* 625 36.76 2 2
G.P. Wickremasinghe 3 2 0 17 17 8.50 0 0
BOWLING
O M R W Best Avg 5wI 10wM
M.S. Atapattu 4 0 21 0 - --.-- - -
P.A. de Silva 52 10 169 3 2/25 56.33 0 0
U.C. Hathurusingha 60.4 18 168 6 2/3 28.00 0 0
S.T. Jayasuriya 19.5 3 71 1 1/14 71.00 0 0
M. Muralitharan 70.1 8 209 0 - --.-- 0 0
A. Ranatunga 119.4 23 380 8 2/44 47.50 0 0
H.P. Tillekeratne 9 1 35 1 1/14 35.00 0 0
G.P. Wickremasinghe 79 17 251 6 3/95 41.83 0 0
CENTURIES (22)
221* - P.A. de Silva v Hampshire (Southampton) 1990
190 - S. Wettimuny v England (Lord's) 1984
161* - S.A.R. Silva v Warwickshire (Birmingham) 1984
158 - D.S.B.P. Kuruppu v Nottinghamshire (Nottingham) 1988
136 - U.C. Hathurusingha v Sussex (Hove) 1990
127 - R.L. Dias v Leicestershire (Leicester) 1981
124 - L.R.D. Mendis v Surrey (Oval) 1988
123* - S. Wettimuny v Gloucestershire (Cheltenham) 1984
118 - A. Ranatunga v Kent (Canterbury) 1984
117* - P.A. de Silva v Warwickshire (Birmingham) 1988
114 - R.S. Mahanama v Nottinghamshire (Cleethorpes) 1990
112 - S.A.R. Silva v Yorkshire (Leeds) 1988
112 - A.P.B. Tennekoon v Kent (Canterbury) 1979
111 - L.R.D. Mendis v England (Lord's) 1984
109* - H.P. Tillekeratne v Warwickshire (Birmingham) 1990
105* - S.T. Jayasuriya v Lancashire (Manchester) 1990
104 - M.A.R. Samarasekera v Surrey (Oval) 1988
103 - R.S. Mahanama v Lancashire (Manchester) 1990
102* - S.A.R. Silva v England (Lord's) 1984
101* - S.P. Pasqual v Ireland (Eglinton) 1979
100* - S.T. Jayasuriya v Sussex (Hove) 1991
100 - H.P. Tillekeratne v Hampshire (Southampton) 1990
Note: There has been 41 centuries scored against Sri Lanka, the
highest being 221* by D.G. Aslett for Kent (Canterbury) 1984.
LEADING RUN-GETTERS ON TOURS
607 runs (avg. 40.46) from 11 matches - R.L. Dias, 1981
563 runs (avg. 70.37) from 6 matches - P.A. de Silva, 1990
558 runs (avg. 62.00) from 7 matches - S.A.R. Silva, 1984
545 runs (avg. 45.41) from 11 matches - L.R.D. Mendis, 1981
527 runs (avg. 43.91) from 10 matches - S. Wettimuny, 1981
505 runs (avg. 50.50) from 7 matches - S. Wettimuny, 1984
LEADING CENTURY PARTNERSHIPS
263 for 4th wkt - P.A. de Silva/H.P. Tillekeratne v Hampshire (Southampton) 1990
210 for 1st wkt - R.S. Mahanama/U.C. Hathurusingha v Notinghamshire (Cleethorpes) 1990
190 for 1st wkt - S. Wettimuny/S.A.R. Silva v Gloucestershire (Cheltenham) 1984
168 for 3rd wkt - R.S.Mahanama/P.A. de Silva v Lancashire (Manchester) 1990
165 for 4th wkt - D.S.B.P. Kuruppu/R.S. Madugalle v Nottinghamshire (Nottingham) 1988
164* for 2nd wkt - A.P.B. Tennekoon/R.S.A. Jayasekera v Worcestershire (Worcester) 1979
163* for 5th wkt - H.P. Tillekeratne/S.T. Jayasuriya v Warwickshire (Birmingham) 1990
163 for 1st wkt - S.A.R. Silva/D.M. von Hagt v Warwickshire (Birmingham) 1984
159 for 8th wkt - D.S. de Silva/A.L.F. de Mel v Gloucestershire (Bristol) 1981
150 for 5th wkt - S. Wetimuny.L.R.D. Mendis v England (Lord's) 1984
Note: The highest century partnership against Sri Lanka is 237 for 2nd
wkt between M.D. Moxon/K.Sharp for Yorkshire (Leeds) 1988.
TEN WICKETS OR MORE IN A MATCH (2)
12/59 - D.S. de Silva v Oxford University (Guidlford) 1979
10/188 - D.S. de Silva v Sussex (Horsham) 1979
Note: The best match figures against Sri Lanka is 10/60 by M.J.
Gerrard for Gloucestershire (Bristol) 1981.
FIVE WICKETS OR MORE IN AN INNINGS (17)
8/46 - D.S. de Silva v Oxford University (Guildford) 1979
7/55 - D.S. de Silva v Lancashire (Manchester) 1981
6/30 - G.R.A. de Silva v Oxford University (Guildford) 1979
6/61 - G.F. Labrooy v Yorkshire (Leeds) 1988
6/97 - R.J. Ratnayake v Gloucestershire (Bristol) 1991
6/100 - D.S. de Silva v Worcestershire (Worcester) 1981
5/34 - L.W. Kaluperuma v Glamorgan (Cardiff) 1981
5/35 - R.G.C.E. Wijesuriya v Oxford/Cambridge Univ (Oxford) 1981
5/39 - D.S. de Silva v Kent (Canterbury) 1984
5/50 - V.B. John v Kent (Canterbury)1984
5/57 - D.S. de Silva v Sussex (Horsham) 1979
5/65 - A.N. Ranasinghe v Oxford/Cambridge Univ (Oxford) 1981
5/69 - R.J. Ratnayake v England (Lord's) 1991
5/89 - V.B. John v Surrey (Oval) 1984
5/97 - G.F. Labrooy v Glamorgan (Ebb Vale) 1990
5/108 - A.W.R. Madurasinghe v Lancashire (Manchester) 1990
5/131 - D.S. de Silva v Sussex (Horsham) 1979
Note: There has been 14 instances of bowlers taking five wickets or
more against Sri Lanka. The best figures are 7/47 by E.E. Hemmings for
Notinghamshire (Cleethorpes) 1984
LEADING WICKET-TAKERS ON TOURS
35 wkts (avg. 22.31) from 6 matches - D.S. de Silva, 1979
31 wkts (avg. 33.70) from 11 matches - L.W. Kaluperuma, 1981
30 wkts (avg. 23.30) from 7 matches - G.R.A. de Silva, 1979
26 wkts (avg. 23.19) from 5 matches - V.B. John, 1984
26 wkts (avg. 24.840 from 8 matches - G.R.A. de Silva, 1981
25 wkts (avg. 27.24) from 6 matches - D.S. de Silva, 1981
HIGHEST INNINGS TOTALS
Sri Lanka
506/7 decl v Hampshire (Southampton) 1990
491/7 decl v England (Lord's) 1984
Opponents
429 by England (Lord's) 1988
420/5 decl by Kent (Canterbury) 1984
LOWEST INNINGS TOTAL
Sri Lanka
97 v Gloucestershire (Bristol) 1991
105 v Surrey (Oval) 1984
114 v Scotland (Glasgow) 1979
118 v Hampshire (Southampton) 1990
Opponents
63 by Oxford University (Guildford) 1979
82 by Oxford/Cambridge Univ (Oxford) 1981.