Angelo Mathews' top 3 hundreds in overseas Tests
At a time when the country's cricket has been on a steady decline, Angelo Mathews has been one of the few rays of hope for Sri Lanka.
Mathews, who made his first international appearance back in 2008, has represented his country in 101 Tests, 218 ODIs, and 78 T20Is. He has scored 14098 runs, including 17 centuries and 83 fifties.
Mathews has been an incredible player for Sri Lanka over the years, and yet he doesn't get enough credit for his performances. He has an average of more than 45 in Tests and more than 40 in ODIs, which is remarkable considering that Sri Lanka have been quite off-color in recent times.
The all-rounder has also put up some magnificent performances in tough and trying conditions outside of Sri Lanka. Here, we look at Angelo Mathews' top three hundreds in overseas Tests.
#1 102 vs New Zealand (Christchurch, 2023)
Test century 14 for Angelo Matthews 👏
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In the recently concluded Test match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka in Christchurch, the hosts won the toss and opted to bowl first to make the most of the conditions on offer. Sri Lanka made 355 in the first innings, with Mathews scoring 47. New Zealand responded with 373 runs, taking a lead of 18 runs.
Sri Lanka were in a tricky position at 95-4 in the second innings when Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal joined forces. Mathews went on to score a fantastic century against a potent bowling line-up comprising Tim Southee, Matt Henry, and Neil Wagner.
His efforts helped Sri Lanka put 302 runs on the board, setting the Kiwis a target of 286. In what was a thriller of a game, the hosts won the match on the last delivery of Day 5, but it was Mathews' ton that really gave the Lankan Lions a chance.
#2 160 vs England (Leeds, 2014)
In the 2014 Test match between hosts England and Sri Lanka in Leeds, Sri Lanka posted only 257 runs on the board in the first innings. England made 365 runs during their innings, taking a sizable lead of 108 runs. A win for England seemed like a likely result, but Mathews had other plans.
Batting at number 6, the then-youngster scored 160 in the second innings off 249 deliveries. His phenomenal knock took Sri Lanka to a formidable score of 457 and set England a target of 360 runs.
England were bowled out for 249, handing the Lankans a memorable 100-run victory. Mathews was adjudged the player of the match as well as the player of the series.
#3 120* vs New Zealand (Wellington, 2018)
In a Test match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand back in 2018, Angelo Mathews produced the innings of a lifetime, helping his side draw a game that was really gone.
Batting first, Sri Lanka could only manage to make 282 runs, thanks to half centuries from Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews, and Niroshan Dickwella. The Kiwis made a massive reply of 578, which meant that the visitors were behind by 296 runs.
No one gave the Lankans a chance to save the game, more so when they were reduced to 13-3 by the hosts. However, Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis stepped up for the team, battling hard and long to deny New Zealand a win. Mathews scored 120 runs off 323 balls to add to his 83 in the first innings.