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Statistical Highlights 1st match: Sri Lanka v Australia at Galle on 22-8-99

Mohandas Menon

• This match was the 1485th in limited overs international (LOI) history.

• This match was Sri Lanka's 303rd and Australia's 436th in LOIs.

• Australia has now played in maximum LOIs than any other country, just one more than Pakistan's 435 matches.

• This match was the 41st LOI between the two sides.

• The Galle International Stadium (formerly known as the Esplanade ground) which has been a first-class ground since 1983-84 was hosting its first ever LOI match. It has now become the 118th city and the 132nd ground to host a LOI match. Galle also became the fourth city in Sri Lanka after Colombo, Moratuwa and Kandy to host a LOI. It also became the sixth Sri Lankan LOI ground with Colombo hosting matches at three different venues. Incidentally last year, three matches were scheduled to be played at Galle on 25 June, 1998 (India v Sri Lanka), 27 June, 1998 (Sri Lanka v New Zealand) and 29 June, 1998 (India v New Zealand). However all the three matches were abandoned due to rain without a ball being bowled.

• Just for the record, only one Test was staged at this ground - that was between Sri Lanka and New Zealand from 3-7 June, 1998.

• Former Sri Lankan leg-spinner Ashoka DeSilva was umpiring in his first LOI match, while Peter Manuel was officiating in his 23rd match.

• Indika de Saram (aged 25 years), a right handed batsman, who also keeps wickets for Tamil Union Cricket and Athletic Club, became the 100th Sri Lankan to appear in LOIs.

• Andrew Symonds was appearing in his only second LOI match. He last appeared against Pakistan at Lahore on 10-11-1998 - without getting an opportunity to bat. In between he has missed 29 matches for Australia.

• Jason Gillespie playing in his 15th match was also making a come-back in LOIs to the Australian side. He last appeared more than two years ago - against England at Lord's on 25-5-1997. Since then he has missed 58 matches for Australia.

• Steve Waugh was appearing in his 50th match as captain. He becomes the third Australian, after Allan Border (178 matches) and Mark Taylor (67), and the 19th in LOIs to reach this milestone. while Sanath Jayasuriya was in his 2nd match as captain. He led Sri Lanka once before against Zimbabwe at Colombo (SSC) on 26-1-1998.

• Jayasuriya's third wicket of Ponting was his 158th of his career in 184 matches, which makes him the top wicket-taker for Sri Lanka in LOIs. He went past Muralitharan's tally of 157 wickets in 116 matches. At the end of the innings, Jayasuriya has 160 wickets to his credit.

• Kaluwitharana's stumping of Ponting was his 50th of his career. He becomes the first keeper in LOI history to do so. He was playing in his 118th match.

• Later in the innings, Kaluwitharana's stumping of Jason Gillespie was his third of his innings which equals the LOI record for the maximum stumpings in an innings. Australian Ian Healy (on two occasions) and Pakistanis Salim Yousuf and Moin Khan are the others to do so.

• Jayasuriya's 5-28 was the best bowling figures by a Sri Lankan against Australia. The previous best being the 4-35 by Upul Chandana at Colombo (Premadasa) on 7-9-96.

• Jayasuriya became the sixth captain in LOIs to capture five or more wickets in a match. Australian Greg Chappell, West Indian Viv Richards, Pakistani Wasim Akram - all on two occasions, Indian Kapil Dev and Kenyan Aasif Karim are the other captains to do so.

• Jayasuriya's figures are also the best by a Sri Lankan captain, bettering the 4-23 by Ravi Ratnayeke against Bangladesh at Dhaka on 2-11-1988.

• It was Jayasuriya's third five-plus wicket haul in a LOI match. This tally was the maximum by a Sri Lankan in LOIs. Asantha deMel and Muralitharan have two each.

• Sri Lanka's total of 160 in 37.4 overs was its lowest against Australia at home.