Bangladesh To Play 100th Test Against Sri Lanka In March
Feb 18, 2017 at 12:50 PM
Bangladesh team will play its 100th Test match in Colombo against Sri Lanka on March 15 after Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the tour schedule, which kick-starts with a two-day warm-up game on March 2 in Moratuwa.
Going by the itinerary, Bangladesh’s tour to Sri Lanka comprises of two Tests, three One-day Internationals and two Twenty20 Internationals.
The first Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be played in Galle on March 7.
However, while playing Test cricket for over 16 years now, Bangladesh will be the last of International Cricket Council’s (ICC) full-members to complete their triple figure mark in Tests. They earned their Test status in 2000 and played their first ever five-day match against India in Dhaka in November 2000, which they lost by nine wickets.
Before the start of the limited-overs series, Bangladesh will play a practice game on March 22.
The first and second ODI will be played on March 25 and 28 in Dambulla followed by the third ODI in Sinhalese Sports Club on April 1.
SLC has not hosted a game since 2011 at the SSC because it’s a low capacity stadium.
“The reason we don’t host one-day games at SSC when we play other teams, is because we feel we won’t be able to accommodate the crowds there – the capacity is very limited at SSC,” Sri Lanka Cricket CEO Ashley de Silva was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
The two Twenty20 games, which will conclude the tour, will be played at the R Premadasa Stadium on April 4 and 6. .
Interestingly, it’ll be the Tigers’ first bilateral tour to Sri Lanka since 2013. The three-match ODI series levelled at 1-1 after the drawn Galle Test.
“But when we play against Bangladesh, though there will be crowds, it will not exceed the capacity which can be accommodated as SSC, I’m sure,” de silva added.
BCB is likely to announce the squad on February 22 and the team’s fitness camp is expected to be held in Mirpur on February 24, before leaving for Sri Lanka (Colombo) on February 27.
Here’s the full schedule according to the BCB press release:
March 2-3, 2017: Two-day warm-up match, Moratuwa Cricket Stadium
March 7-11, 2017: First Test, Galle International Stadium
March 15-19, 2017: Second Test, P Sara International Stadium
March 22, 2017: One-day warm-up match, Colombo
March 25, 2017: First ODI, Dambulla International Stadium (D/N)
March 28, 2017: Second ODI, Dambulla International Stadium (D/N)
April 1, 2017: Third ODI, Sinhalese Sports Club
April 4, 2017: First T20I, R Premadasa (Khettarama) International Stadium
April 6, 2017: Second T20I, R Premadasa (Khettarama) International Stadium