Record Breaking Day for Jayawardene
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Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara set the World Record for the highest partnership in Test Cricket history, as they scored 624 runs for the third wicket.
Coming together at 14 for 2, the partnership ended when Sangkkara was dismissed on 287 - the score advaned to 638 for 3.
This beat the record set in 1996/7, when Sri Lankan's Sanath Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama scored 576. It also beat the 60 year old first-class record of 577.
With Jayawardene and Sangakkara sure of one record, Jayaweredene went after the record innings score of 400 not out set by Brian Lara in 2004.
Sadly, Jayawardene was dismissed for 374, 26 short of Lara. This was still the fourth highest score in the History of Test Cricket, behind Lara, who scored both 375 and 400 not out, and Matthew Hayden, who scored 380. All of the top 4 have come in the last ten years, with Virender Sehwag of India passing 300 twice in the same period. Jayawardene, however, beat Jayasuriya's 340 - the previous record Sri Lankan score - both set during the gargantuan partnerships.
Sri Lanka declared at the fall of Jayasuriya with the score at 756 for 5 - a lead of 587 over South Africa.
Jayawardene was traditionally nonchalant upon the records, claiming his only delight, was that it put the team in a winning position.
Source
Date
Sat 07/29/06, 8:37 am EST
