Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground

The Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground (SSC Cricket Ground) (Sinhala: සිංහල ක්‍රිඩා සමාජ ක්‍රීඩාංගනය; Tamil: சிங்களவர் விளையாட்டுக் கழக அரங்கம்) is one of the most famous cricket grounds in Sri Lanka, and the headquarters of Sri Lanka Cricket, the controlling body of cricket in Sri Lanka. The ground is sometimes described as "the Lord's of Sri Lanka", It hosts the most domestic finals and is an important international cricket venue. The ground staged its first Test in 1984 against New Zealand and its first One Day International in 1982 against England. The Sri Lankan team has an impressive record here. Out of 38 Tests played at the SSC as of January 2015, Sri Lanka has won 18 matches, and drawn 14, with only 6 losses. History In 1899, a combined school cricket team, composed mainly of cricketers from Royal College, S. Thomas' College and Wesley College beat Colts Cricket Club by a one run. A decision was made to form an all-Sinhalese club, and thus Singhalese Sports Club was founded. The club leased land in Victoria Park with sandy soil and covered with cinnamon trees. In 1952 the club leased another 20 acres (81,000 m2) and moved to its present location in Maitland Place, which had been used as an aerodrome by the allied forces in World War II. Ground The pavilion of the ground was built in 1956 with the sponsorship of Donovan Andree, a leading nightclub entrepreneur. A giant scoreboard and sightscreens were built in the mid-70s. Later the current scoreboard was built. The ground also has a media center and commentary box with modern facilities. Various sponsors including Lankabell, Seylan Bank and HSBC have built stands bearing their brands. There are two grass embankments for the spectators. The SSC Stadium underwent a reconstruction project in preparation to host 5 matches for the 2026 Men's T20 World Cup at the cost of Rs. 1.8 billion. As stated by SLC, the upgraded lighting system employs state-of-the-art LED technology that complies with international sports and broadcasting requirements. It incorporates high-performance LED fixtures with a 5,700 Kelvin correlated color temperature and a color rendering index of 90, delivering superior visibility for players, match officials, and spectators. The floodlighting setup includes 630 LED fixtures on six high-mast towers, providing consistent illumination with reduced glare. A smart control system offers multiple lighting modes to enhance the viewing experience. Additional developments at the SSC include the refurbishment of players’ dressing rooms to better align with international standards, the construction of new office spaces for match referees, third umpires, and anti-corruption officials, as well as upgrades to overall stadium facilities. And spectator capacity of the stadium will be increased gradually as part of the long-term development plan for the venue. Highlights In 1992 Australian tour of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka lost the SSC Test match to Australia by 16 runs after being set a target of only 181 runs. This is one of Sri Lanka's narrowest defeats in Test cricket. Shane Warne took three wickets in thirteen balls; this was his first notable performance in Test cricket. In the 2001–02 Asian Test Championship, Mohammed Ashraful of Bangladesh become the youngest cricketer to score a Test hundred, one day before his 17th birthday. However Bangladesh went on to lose the match by an innings and 137 runs. Chaminda Vaas took 8 wickets for 19 runs in 2001–02 against Zimbabwe, the best bowling performance in a One Day International match. The Zimbabwean total of 38 was the lowest team innings total in ODIs at that point of time. Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene shared a partnership of 624 runs against South Africa in 2006–07 season, the highest partnership for any wicket in Test and first class cricket. In 2026, the ground was selected as a venue for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, marking a significant return to hosting major global tournaments following extensive infrastructure upgrades. Ground Figures Key P Matches Played H Matches Won by Home Side T Matches Won by Touring Side N Matches Won by Neutral Side D/N/T Matches Drawn/No Result/Tied Updated 5 February 2024 Cricket World Cup matches 1996 Cricket World Cup ICC Champions Trophy matches The 2002 ICC Champions Trophy was held in Sri Lanka. Six group matches played in SSC. Other matches played in R. Premadasa Stadium. 2002 ICC Champions Trophy See also List of Test cricket grounds List of international cricket five-wicket hauls at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground References External links Cricinfo SSC ground profile SSC website CricketArchive T20 World Cup 2026