From a hill to a cricket ground – The Asgiriya stadium

“A magnificent work of engineering” would be the most appropriate way to describe the Asgiriya Cricket Stadium, where some unprecedented milestones have been achieved for Sri Lanka Cricket, considering the hilly nature of Kandy.

The ground had to be carved straight out of the hill behind the pavilion before being levelled by ten feet, so that the end result would be one of the most alluring venues for sports in Sri Lanka. A special feature of this famous ground is the fact that it supports pace bowlers who are more commonly known as fast bowlers.

The Asgiriya Stadium 1915.

During the period of Trinity’s legendary Principal Rev. A. G. Fraser in 1915 the stadium was opened by the Governor, Sir Robert Chalmers. however, the conversion of the stadium to an international one was done under the guidance of Hon. Gamini Dissanayake, a prominent past pupil of Trinity College, in 1982. The then President of the country Hon. J R Jayawardane opened the stadium as the 2nd international cricket playing venue in Sri Lanka

Along with the forthcoming 41st limited overs encounter with St. Anthony’s College Kandy, this picturesque stadium will also celebrate the 40th anniversary of its first international test match which was played against Australia on the 22nd of April, 1983. Despite complete domination by the mighty Aussies in the above-said match, several promising cricketers such as Duleep Mendis, Arjuna Ranatunga and Sidath Weththamuny whom would later be named as Sri Lankan cricket legends scored several gritty innings.

First international test match at the Asgiriya Stadium in 1983

Asgiriya also hosted a fixture in the 1996 ODI World Cup where Sri Lanka scored the highest-ever score in an innings at that time, 398 runs against Kenya.

However Arguably the most remarkable match which was ever hosted here would be the record-breaking test match against England in 2007, where several milestones were achieved. The most prominent being Muttiah Muralitharan becoming the bowler with the most wickets in test match history with the dismissal of Paul Collingwood. Although Muralitharan is an Antonian, he would be sure to have delightful memories at Asgiriya.

A general view of the picturesque Asgiriya Stadium at Kandy, Sri Lanka v England, 1st Test, Kandy, December 1, 2007

This significant test match also was the 100th test match of Chaminda Vaas, one of Sri Lanka’s greatest pace bowlers. Another highlight was the magnificent retirement to Sanath Jayasooriya’s test career where he smashed James Anderson for 6 boundaries in one over. Trinity’s own stalwart Kumar Sangakkara was the player of the match with a magnificent century, Sri Lanka won the game by 88 runs which was significant and well deserved for the last match to be played at this historic stadium.

Many Trinitians have represented Sri Lanka at the international level such as Ravi Ratnayake, Nilantha Rathnayake, Kumar Sangakkara, Ranjan Madugalle who incidentally is the only match referee in the world to officiate in 500+ matches and more recently Niroshan Dickwella and Matheesa Pathirana, Hasitha Boyagoda all of whom have been groomed and coached at this historic stadium.

The Asgiriya Stadium Today

The 41st one day encounter which is scheduled to be held on the 29th of April for Sir Richard Aluvihare trophy, will also be played at this historic venue where the lions will be looking forward to grabbing their final victory of their winning streak, which includes the all-island schools one day championship, all island schools two-day championship and the John Halangoda Trophy.

An Article by Chaniru Senhas, Nimuthu Pathiraja and Rehan Anandakumar

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Master Shafiullah Akram has made history by emerging as the Champion at the 78th Table Tennis Nationals Tournament! This remarkable achievement marks the first-ever national title won by a Trinitian in Table Tennis, highlighting his exceptional skill, dedication, and perseverance.

Congratulations, Shafiullah! Your hard work and passion have brought immense pride to Trinity College. Wishing you continued success in your journey ahead! 🔥👏

#TrinityCollegeLK #TrinityCollegeKandy #TableTennisChampion #HistoricVictory #TCKPride #NationalChampion #BreakingRecords #TCKSports #TableTennis #ChampionsAreMade #GloryToTrinity
Historic Victory for Trinity College Table Tennis! 🏆🏓 Master Shafiullah Akram has made history by emerging as the Champion at the 78th Table Tennis Nationals Tournament! This remarkable achievement marks the first-ever national title won by a Trinitian in Table Tennis, highlighting his exceptional skill, dedication, and perseverance. Congratulations, Shafiullah! Your hard work and passion have brought immense pride to Trinity College. Wishing you continued success in your journey ahead! 🔥👏 #TrinityCollegeLK #TrinityCollegeKandy #TableTennisChampion #HistoricVictory #TCKPride #NationalChampion #BreakingRecords #TCKSports #TableTennis #ChampionsAreMade #GloryToTrinity
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Your dedication and hard work continue to make Trinity College proud! 

#TrinityCollegeLK #SwimmingChampion #NationalChampion #ProudTrinity #TrinitySwimmers #Backstroke #GoldMedalist #Determination #Success #SriLankaSwimming #ShortCourseChampionships #TrinityPride #Victory
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Announcing the Trinity College Athletics Team Leadership for 2025! 🏃‍♂️ 

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Announcing the Trinity College Athletics Team Leadership for 2025! 🏃‍♂️ 

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