Malinda Pushpakumara became the fourth Sri Lankan cricketer to the 1,000-wicket mark in first-class cricket.
Pushpakumara went into the match at the Colts Cricket Club Ground with 998 wickets under his belt. Badureliya Sports Club captain Geeth Kumara won the toss, opted to bat, and scored 185 to help his side post 486 as Chanuka Dilshan returned 5-81.
Moors Sports Club finished the second day on 159-4. Having snared wicketkeeper Sohan de Livera, Pushpakumara had moved on to 999. On the third morning, he bowled Pasindu Sooriyabandara to become the 218th bowler and fourth Sri Lankan, after Muttiah Muralidaran (1,374), Rangana Herath (1,080), and Dinuka Hettiarachchi (1,001), to reach the 1,000-wicket milestone.
A salient feature of Pushpakumara’s career is the fact that he never played first-class in England: in this, he is only the second player from any country to take 1,000 wickets, after Hettiarachchi.
Most first-class wickets for Sri Lanka Numbers updated until Pushpakumara’s 1,000 wickets Bowler Wickets Average Strike rate 5WIs 10WMs Muttiah Muralidaran 1,374 19.64 48.7 119 34 Rangana Herath 1,080 25.15 55.2 70 14 Dinuka Hettiarachchi 1,001 23.51 46.4 72 18 Malinda Pushpakumara 1,000 20.06 38.3 86 28
Pushpakumara also has one of the best strike rates in the 1,000-wicket club. When he reached the milestone, he was 11th on the all-time list. None of the bowlers with better strike rates than him played played after the First World War.
1,000 first-class wickets at sub-40 strike rate Numbers updated until Pushpakumara’s 1,000 wickets Bowler Wickets Average SR 5wI 10wM William Lillywhite 1576 10.36 9.7 155 55 William Hillyer 1482 10.91 15.0 149 54 Alfred Mynn 1038 10.33 16.1 93 34 James Dean 1144 13.8 20.8 86 18 John Wisden 1109 10.32 21.8 111 39 James Grundy 1137 12.81 32.2 84 24 Arthur Mold 1673 15.54 37.2 152 56 Tom Richardson 2104 18.43 37.5 200 72 Bill Lockwood 1376 18.34 37.9 121 29 Tom Emmett 1572 13.55 38.3 122 29 Malinda Pushpakumara 1000 20.06 38.3 86 28 George Lohmann 1841 13.73 39.1 176 57 Schofield Haigh 2012 15.94 39.2 135 30 Cecil Parkin 1048 17.58 39.4 93 27 Sammy Woods 1040 20.82 39.6 77 21
Pushpakumara also holds the best first-class figures on Sri Lankan soil when in 2018/19, he became the second bowler (after Pramodya Wickramasinghe) to take all ten wickets in an innings.
All ten wickets in a first-class innings in Sri Lanka Figures Player Team Opposition Venue Season 10-37 Malinda Pushpakumara Colombo CC Saracens SC Moratuwa 2018/19 10-41 Pramodya Wickramasinghe Sinhalese SC Kalutara PCC Colombo (SSC) 1991/92
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