5 lesser known facts about Sri Lankan cricket

Sri Lanka is the youngest dominant cricket team in the world at the moment. Having been awarded Test status only in 1981, Sri Lanka already have a World Cup and a World T20 title under their belt.Here are 5 facts about Sri Lankan cricket that are not known to many:

#1 Sri Lanka has the only school in the world that owns an international cricket stadium

Sri Lanka’s second Test venue - Asgiriya Stadium, Kandy is the only Test ground in the world to be owned by a secondary school. The ground belongs to Trinity College, the school which Kumar Sangakkara hails from.

The stadium was carved out of a hill, due to the lack of flat space in the central hills. Being one of the most beautiful cricket stadiums in the world, Asgiriya Stadium was promoted to international standards by Gamini Dissanayake, former chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket and an alumnus of Trinity, citing the need to improve cricket infrastructure in the isle to attain Test status.

It was here in Asgiriya that Sri Lanka won its first and only Test match against Australia. Surrounded by hills and being snuggled by clouds the ground favours seam bowlers, contrary to other stadiums in the island. Asgiriya Stadium fell down the pecking order after the construction of Pallekele Cricket Stadium in Kandy. The stadium last hosted a match in 2007.