Established: 1915
Capacity: 10,000
Floodlights: No
Ends: Tennis Courts End, South End
Home Team: Sinhalese Sports Club
Test History: 32 Tests; 16 home wins; 6 away wins; 10 draws
Last 10 Tests: 6 home wins; 1 away win; 3 draws
Last 10 tosses: 7 batted first (3 wins, 3 losses, 1 draw); 3 bowled first ( 2 draws, 1 win)

Overview

The SSC, while now overhauled by the Premadasa as Colombo's main Test venue, remains the headquarters of Sri Lanka Cricket.

The ground still features many of the original grass banks for spectators, although the giant scoreboard and sightscreens are the most striking sights on the ground.

The ground has been owned by the SSC since 1952, having been used as an Allied air base during the Second World War.

The latest addition is the large media centre that dominates one end of the ground.

Original club membership was limited to Sinhalese men, who imitated traditional British clubs in terms of dress, grammar and table manners as they drank fine scotch and held ballroom dancing evenings.

Last Time Out

After chucking away match-winning positions in the first two Tests, Pakistan saved face by playing out a draw in the final game.

The visitors were cruising along at 203 for three with rookie opener Khurram Manzoor and veteran Mohammad Yousuf both in the 90s, when they suffered their umpteenth batting collapse of the series. They lost their remaining seven wickets for just 96 runs as Thilan Thushara picked up career-best figures of five for 83 and Nuwan Kulasekara chipped in with three scalps.

The hosts didn't fare much better and only Mahela Jayawardene scored a half-century in their effort of 233. Danish Kaneria was the chief destroyer with five for 62.

Runs were much easier to come by the second time of asking as Pakistan hit 425 with the under-pressure Shoaib Malik getting a ton and Rangana Herath getting a five-for. Captain Kumar Sangakkara then scored an unbeaten 131 as Sri Lanka batted out the stalemate.

They Said

"England has Lord's, Australia has the MCG, and Sri Lanka has the Sinhalese Sports Club, the SSC. The history is not as long, and the names that figure in the annals of the ground's history are fewer - but for Sri Lankans, the SSC is the home of cricket." - Kumar Sangakkara sums up the SCC's significance in Ground Rules: A Celebration of Test Cricket.

"The pitch was not that difficult to bat but the spinners bowled really well they created a bit of pressure on us and we lost a few wickets in the middle session when they got on top of us. We did pretty well to get to 233 the main thing was not to give them a bigger lead. Disappointed that we didn't bat to our potential and got more runs on a very good wicket." - Mahela Jayawardene after Sri Lanka were bowled out cheaply by Pakistan.

"The wicket has got a bit easier but the odd ball does turn. It's not a wicket where you can flight the ball, you need to push the ball through the air and then you'll get a little bit of turn." - Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam after day four of the Test.

"In the sub-continent you expect a wicket like this to get slower and slower. I'm surprised why Sri Lanka didn't go after the target. You can't blame them because they had already won the series. Everybody knew if we could have grabbed one or two wickets, we could have put them under pressure." - Pakistan captain Younus Khan after the 2009 Test against Sri Lanka.

Happy Hunting Ground

It was no surprise that Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara scored the bulk of Sri Lanka's runs during last month's Test against Pakistan. The duo just love batting at the SSC and their world-record stand of 624 came at this ground in July 2006. Sangakkara eventually fell for 287 and Jayawardene agonisingly short of Brian Lara's world record on 374.

Jayawardene's average at the venue now stands at 78.58, while Sangakkara's is a healthy 65.63.

On the bowling front, Muttiah Muralitharan leads the way with 160 Test wickets. After missing last month's Tests against Pakistan due to injury, Muralitharan will be eager to make up for lost time. His spin twin Ajantha Mendis also didn't feature due to poor form, but Rangana Herath helped himself to five wickets.

Weather Forecast:

With the south-west monsoon season in full swing, it will be another stop-start affair, much like the first Test and thunderstorms are expected every day. Hopefully there will still be plenty of playing time despite the showers and we can get a good game, just like the series opener.

Conclusion

After struggling with both bat and ball in Galle, the New Zealanders can expect more of the same in Colombo. Sri Lanka have a formidable record at the SSC.

As usual, the track will provide plenty of runs for the batsmen if they apply themselves while spinners Muralitharan, Mendis, Daniel Vettori and Jeetan Patel (if he gets selected after his Galle horror show) should find joy.

The fact that the pitch tends to flatten out over time allied with the weather forecast makes the draw an attractive prediction, but an improved showing from New Zealand would also be required.