This will be the second series of three Tests between the two countries to be played in Sri Lanka. The first took place in 1983-84 which New Zealand under Geoff Howarth, won quite convincingly by a margin of 2-0 (1 drawn). The architect of that New Zealand win was undoubtedly fast bowler Richard Hadlee, who made use of the humid conditions to maximum use to gain enough movement off the seam and put the Sri Lankan batsmen in two minds. Hadlee had a wonderful series ending with a rich haul of 23 wickets at a cost of just 10 runs apiece!
When he returned three years later, Hadlee showed his class as a batsman making a career best 151 not out at the CCC grounds and sharing in a record unfinished sixth wicket stand of 246 with his captain Jeff Crowe, who made 120 not out.
Three Tests were down to be played during the series, but following the Pettah bomb blast on the final day of the first Test, the New Zealand cricketers aborted the tour and returned home.
A repetition of this series nearly took place when New Zealand returned for their third tour to Sri Lanka in 1992-93. The assassination of the Navy Commander by a suicide bomber in front of the team hotel, almost cancelled the tour even before the series had begun. However, with a lot persuasion from the New Zealand cricket authorities the team stayed back (minus half a dozen key players who returned home and were replaced) to play a shortened series of two Tests.
New Zealand under Martin Crowe did well to draw the first at Moratuwa, but lost the second played at the SSC to concede the series.
Thus, one couldn't blame the Kiwis if they had showed some apprehensions before coming to Sri Lanka on the present tour, because they had been through rough times on their past two tours to this country.
The two countries have enjoyed a good relationship over the years and regardless of the results obtained on the field, a good bonhomie exists amongst the players from both sides. In comparison to some of the other cricket-playing nations, New Zealand have always obliged Sri Lanka with a Test series. Apart from Asian neighbours India and Pakistan who have each played 19 Tests with Sri Lanka, New Zealand have the second best record with 15.
SRI LANKA - NEW ZEALAND SERIES BY SERIES
Year SL Captain NZ Captain Venue P SLW NZW D1982-83 D.S. de Silva H.J. Howarth NZ 2 0 2 0 1983-84 L.R.D. Mendis H.J. Howarth SL 3 0 2 1 1986-87 L.R.D. Mendis J.J. Crowe SL 1 0 0 1 1990-91 A. Ranatunga M.D. Crowe NZ 3 0 0 3 1992-93 A. Ranatunga M.D. Crowe SL 2 1 0 1 1994-95 A. Ranatunga K.R. Rutherford NZ 2 1 0 1 1996-97 A. Ranatunga S.P. Fleming NZ 2 0 2 0
Totals: In New Zealand 9 1 4 4 In Sri Lanka 6 1 2 3
Aggregate 15 2 6 7
SRI LANKA - NEW ZEALAND TEST SERIES 1983 - 1997
LEADING BATSMEN (qualif. 200 runs)
SRI LANKA
Runs Batsman T I NO HS Avg 100s 50s
662 A. Ranatunga 13 22 1 90 31.52 0 6 660 P.A. de Silva 9 15 0 267 44.00 2 3 636 A.P. Gurusinha 8 13 1 127 53.00 3 2 489 H.P. Tillekeratne 9 15 1 108 34.92 1 3 464 R.S. Mahanama 6 8 0 153 58.00 2 1 451 R.S. Madugalle 6 11 2 89* 50.11 0 3 254 U.C. Hathurusingha 4 7 1 81 42.33 0 2 218 W.P.U.J.C. Vaas 4 8 1 57 31.14 0 2 201 D.S.B.P. Kuruppu 1 1 1 201* 00.00 1 0
NEW ZEALAND
Runs Batsman T I NO HS Avg 100s 50s
627 M.D. Crowe 8 13 1 299 52.25 2 0 625 A.H. Jones 6 11 1 186 62.50 3 1 624 J.G. Wright 10 17 0 101 36.70 1 3 433 B.A. Young 4 7 2 267* 86.60 1 2 311 K.R. Rutherford 8 12 0 105 25.91 1 0 292 J.J. Crowe 6 9 1 120* 36.50 1 1 285 R.J. Hadlee 6 8 2 151* 47.50 1 0 273 J.V. Coney 5 8 2 92 45.50 0 2 243 J.F. Reid 3 5 0 180 48.60 1 0 213 S.P. Fleming 4 6 0 66 35.50 0 3 200 G.P. Howarth 5 8 0 62 25.00 0 2 (*) Signifies Not Out.
LEADING BOWLERS (qualif. 10 wickets)
SRI LANKA
Wkts Bowler T O M R Avg Best 5wI 10wM S/R
24 V.B. John 5 174.2 41 516 21.50 5/60 2 0 44 22 W.P.U.J.C. Vaas 4 148.2 41 387 17.59 6/87 3 1 40 22 R.J. Ratnayake 7 277 51 796 36.18 5/77 1 0 76 20 M. Muralitharan 5 219.1 61 538 26.90 5/64 1 0 66 14 J.R. Ratnayeke 5 172.1 50 447 31.92 5/42 1 0 74 14 H.C.P. Ramanayake 4 189 41 552 39.42 2/27 0 0 81 13 G.F. Labrooy 3 131.3 26 357 27.46 4/42 0 0 60 11 D.S. de Silva 5 163.2 44 365 33.18 3/59 0 0 89
NEW ZEALAND
Wkts Bowler T O M R Avg Best 5wI 10wM S/R
37 R.J. Hadlee 6 234.1 85 473 12.78 5/29 2 1 38 22 E.J. Chatfield 5 188.4 53 448 20.36 5/63 1 0 51 20 D.K. Morrison 4 180.3 33 577 28.85 5/153 1 0 54 15 B.L. Cairns 4 130.5 33 360 24.00 4/47 0 0 52 14 D.N. Patel 5 215 62 558 39.85 4/96 0 0 92 12 S.B. Doull 2 69.5 18 193 16.08 5/58 1 0 35 12 W. Watson 3 150.4 38 365 30.41 4/121 0 0 75 11 D.L. Vettori 2 82.2 24 221 20.09 5/84 1 0 45 11 S.L. Boock 3 121.3 40 257 23.36 5/28 1 0 66 10 H.T. Davis 2 78.2 15 211 21.10 5/63 1 0 47
CENTURIES (22)
Sri Lanka (11) 267 - P.A. de Silva (Wellington) 1990-91 201* - D.S.B.P. Kuruppu (CCC) 1986-87 153 - R.S. Mahanama (Moratuwa) 1992-93 127 - A.P. Gurusinha (Dunedin) 1994-95 123 - P.A. de Silva (Auckland) 1990-91 119 - A.P. Gurusinha (Hamilton) 1990-91 109 - R.S. Mahanama (SSC) 1992-93 108 - R.L. Dias (SSC) 1983-84 108 - H.P. Tillekeratne (Dunedin) 1994-95 103 - R.S. Kaluwitharana (Dunedin) 1996-97 102 - A.P. Gurusinha (Hamilton) 1990-91
New Zealand (11) 299 - M.D. Crowe (Wellington) 1990-91 267* - B.A. Young (Dunedin) 1996-97 186 - A.H. Jones (Wellington) 1990-91 180 - J.F. Reid (CCC) 1983-84 151* - R.J. Hadlee (CCC) 1986-87 122 - A.H. Jones (Hamilton) 1990-91 120* - J.J. Crowe (CCC) 1986-87 107 - M.D. Crowe (SSC) 1992-93 105 - K.R. Rutherford (Moratuwa) 1992-93 101 - J.G. Wright (Hamilton) 1990-91 100* - A.H. Jones (Hamilton) 1990-91
CENTURY IN EACH INNINGS OF A TEST (2)
Sri Lanka (1) 119 & 102 - A.P. Gurusinha (Hamilton) 1990-91 New Zealand (1) 122 & 100* - A.H. Jones (Hamilton) 1990-91
HIGHEST AGGREGATE RUNS IN A SERIES
Sri Lanka - 493 runs (avg. 98.60) in 3 Tests (5 inns) by P.A. de Silva, 1990-91 New Zealand - 513 runs (avg. 102.60) in 3 Tests (6 inns) by A.H. Jones, 1990-91
RECORD PARTNERSHIPS FOR EACH WICKET
Sri Lanka 1st wkt - 102 - R.S. Mahanama/U.C. Hathurusingha (SSC) 1992-93 2nd wkt - 138 - R.S. Mahanama/A.P. Gurusinha (Moratuwa) 1992-93 3rd wkt - 159* - S. Wettimuny/R.L. Dias (SSC) 1983-84 4th wkt - 192 - A.P. Gurusinha/H.P. Tillekeratne (Dunedin) 1994-95 5th wkt - 130 - R.S. Madugalle/D.S. de Silva (Wellington) 1982-83 6th wkt - 109* - R.S. Madugalle/A. Ranatunga (CCC) 1983-84 7th wkt - 137 - R.S. Kaluwitharana/W.P.U.J.C. Vaas (Dunedin) 1996-97 8th wkt - 73 - H.P. Tillekeratne/G.P. Wickremasinghe (Dunedin) 1996-97 9th wkt - 31 - G.F. Labrooy/R.J. Ratnayake (Auckland) 1990-91 31 - S.T. Jayasuriya/R.J. Ratnayake (Auckland) 1990-91 10th wkt - 60 - V.B. John/A.M.G.J. Amerasinghe (Kandy) 1983-84
New Zealand 1st wkt - 161 - T.J. Franklin/J.G. Wright (Hamilton) 1990-91 2nd wkt - 140 - B.A. Young/M.J. Horne (Dunedin) 1996-97 3rd wkt - 467 - A.H. Jones/M.D. Crowe (Wellington) 1990-91 4th wkt - 82 - J.F. Reid/S.L. Boock (CCC) 1983-84 5th wkt - 151 - K.R. Rutherford/C.Z. Harris (Moratuwa) 1992-93 6th wkt - 246* - J.J. Crowe/R.J. Hadlee (CCC) 1986-87 7th wkt - 47 - D.N. Patel/M.L. Su'a (Dunedin) 1994-95 8th wkt - 79 - J.V. Coney/W.K. Lees (Christchurch) 1982-83 9th wkt - 42 - W.K. Lees/M.C. Snedden (Christchurch) 1982-83 10th wkt - 52 - W.K. Lees/E.J. Chatfield (Christchurch) 1982-83
Note: 163 runs were added for the third wicket for Sri Lanka in two separate partnerships. S. Wettimuny retired hurt and was replaced by L.R.D.Mendis when 159 had been added. Also, 119 were added for the sixth wicket for Sri Lanka in two separate partnerships. R.S. Madugalle retired hurt and was replaced by D.S. de Silva when 109 had been added.
TEN OR MORE WICKETS IN A MATCH (2)
Sri Lanka (1) 10/90 - W.P.U.J.C. Vaas (Napier) 1994-95 New Zealand (1) 10/102 - R.J. Hadlee (CCC) 1983-84
FIVE OR MORE WICKETS IN AN INNINGS (17)
Sri Lanka (8) 6/87 - W.P.U.J.C. Vaas (Dunedin) 1994-95 5/42 - J.R. Ratnayeke (SSC) 1983-84 5/43 - W.P.U.J.C. Vaas (Napier) 1994-95 5/47 - W.P.U.J.C. Vaas (Napier) 1994-95 5/60 - V.B. John (Wellington) 1982-83 5/64 - M. Muralitharan (Napier) 1994-95 5/77 - R.J. Ratnayake (Hamilton) 1990-91 5/86 - V.B. John (Kandy) 1983-84
New Zealand (9) 5/28 - S.L. Boock (Kandy) 1983-84 5/29 - R.J. Hadlee (CCC) 1983-84 5/58 - S.B. Doull (Dunedin) 1996-97 5/63 - E.W. Chatfield (CCC) 1983-84 5/63 - H.T. Davis (Hamilton) 1996-97 5/73 - R.J. Hadlee (CCC) 1983-84 5/75 - C.L. Cairns (Auckland) 1990-91 5/84 - D.L. Vettori (Hamilton) 1996-97 5/153 - D.K. Morrison (Wellington) 1990-91
HIGHEST AGGREGATE WICKETS IN A SERIES
Sri Lanka - 16 wkts (avg. 11.06) in 2 Tests (4 inns) by W.P.U.J.C. Vaas, 1994-95, 16 wkts (avg. 23.31) in 3 Tests (5 inns) by V.B. John, 1983-84 New Zealand - 23 wkts (avg. 10.00) in 3 Tests (6 inns) by R.J. Hadlee, 1983-84
FIELDING - MOST CATCHES
Sri Lanka - 10 (6 Tests) by R.S. Mahanama New Zealand - 10 (4 Tests) by B.A. Young
Note: H.P. Tillekeratne had the most number of dismissals for Sri Lanka with 28 catches, but a majority of them were held while keeping wickets.
WICKET-KEEPING - MOST DISMISSALS
Sri Lanka - 10 (9ct 1st ) in 4 Tests by R.G. de Alwis New Zealand - 27 (all ct) in 7 Tests by I.D.S. Smith
HIGHEST INNINGS TOTALS
Sri Lanka - 497 (Wellington) 1990-91 New Zealand - 671-4 (Wellington) 1990-91
Note: The highest totals for both countries in Sri Lanka are : 397-9 decl. by Sri Lanka (CCC) 1986-87, and 459 by New Zealand (CCC) 1986-87.
LOWEST INNINGS TOTALS
Sri Lanka - 93 (Wellington) 1982-83 New Zealand - 102 (SSC) 1992-93
Note: Sri Lanka's lowest at home is 97 (Kandy) 1983-84.