| Maitland Place | |||||
 A Test match in March 2001 between Sri Lanka and England | |||||
 Interactive map ofSinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground | |||||
| Ground information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Cinnamon Gardens,Colombo | ||||
| Country | Sri Lanka | ||||
| Coordinates | 6°54′21.32″N79°52′09.85″E / 6.9059222°N 79.8694028°E /6.9059222; 79.8694028 | ||||
| Establishment | 1952; 74 years ago (1952) | ||||
| Capacity | 10,000 | ||||
| Owner | Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) | ||||
| Tenants | Sri Lanka Cricket | ||||
| End names | |||||
| Tennis Courts End South End | |||||
| International information | |||||
| First Test | 16–21 March 1984: Sri Lanka v New Zealand | ||||
| Last Test | 25–28 June 2025: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh | ||||
| First ODI | 13 February 1982: Sri Lanka v England | ||||
| Last ODI | 22 February 2020: Sri Lanka v West Indies | ||||
| First T20I | 3 February 2010: Canada v Ireland | ||||
| Last T20I | 14 February 2026: Ireland v Oman | ||||
| First WODI | 25 November 1997: Sri Lanka v Netherlands | ||||
| Last WODI | 4 May 2023: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh | ||||
| First WT20I | 24 April 2011: Sri Lanka v Netherlands | ||||
| Last WT20I | 12 May 2023: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh | ||||
| Team information | |||||
| |||||
| As of 17 February 2026 Source:Cricinfo | |||||
TheSinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground (SSC Cricket Ground) (Sinhala:සිංහල ක්රිඩා සමාජ ක්රීඩාංගනය;Tamil:சிங்களவர் விளையாட்டுக் கழக அரங்கம்) is one of the most famouscricket grounds inSri Lanka, and the headquarters ofSri Lanka Cricket, the controlling body ofcricket in Sri Lanka.[1][2] The ground is sometimes described as "theLord's of Sri Lanka",[3] It hosts the most domestic finals and is an important international cricket venue. The ground staged its firstTest in 1984 againstNew Zealand and its firstOne Day International in 1982 againstEngland.[2] TheSri Lankan team has an impressive record here. Out of 38 Tests played at the SSC as of January 2015[update], Sri Lanka has won 18 matches, and drawn 14, with only 6 losses.[4]
In 1899, a combined school cricket team, composed mainly of cricketers fromRoyal College,S. Thomas' College andWesley College beatColts Cricket Club by a one run. A decision was made to form an all-Sinhalese club, and thusSinghalese Sports Club was founded.[5] The club leased land inVictoria Park with sandy soil and covered withcinnamon trees.[6]
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 anaerodrome by theallied forces inWorld War II.[2]
The pavilion of the ground was built in 1956 with the sponsorship of Donovan Andree, a leading nightclub entrepreneur.[6] A giantscoreboard 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 andHSBC 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 the2026 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.[7]
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.[8]
In 1992 Australian tour of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka lost the SSC Test match toAustralia by 16 runs after being set a target of only 181 runs.[9] This is one of Sri Lanka's narrowest defeats in Test cricket.[10]Shane Warne took three wickets in thirteen balls; this was his first notable performance in Test cricket.[11]
In the2001–02 Asian Test Championship,Mohammed Ashraful ofBangladesh become the youngest cricketer to score a Test hundred,[12] 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 againstZimbabwe, the best bowling performance in a One Day International match.[13] The Zimbabwean total of 38 was the lowest team innings total in ODIs at that point of time.[14]
Kumar Sangakkara andMahela Jayawardene shared a partnership of 624 runs againstSouth Africa in 2006–07 season, the highest partnership for any wicket in Test andfirst class cricket.[15]
In 2026, the ground was selected as a venue for theICC Men's T20 World Cup, marking a significant return to hosting major global tournaments following extensive infrastructure upgrades.[16]
| Ground Figures | ||||||
| Format | P | H | T | N | D/N/T | Inaugural Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test matches[17] | 43 | 21 | 8 | 0 | 14 | 16 March 1984 |
| One-Day Internationals[18] | 60 | 23 | 11 | 19 | 7 | 13 February 1982 |
| Twenty20 Internationals[19] | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 February 2010 |
Updated 5 February 2024
21 February 1996 scorecard |
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| Sri Lanka won by 6 wickets (with 78 balls remaining) Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground, Colombo, Sri Lanka Umpires:Steve Dunne andMahboob Shah Player of the match:Aravinda de Silva (Sri) |
The2002 ICC Champions Trophy was held inSri Lanka. Six group matches played in SSC. Other matches played inR. Premadasa Stadium.
13 September 2002 Scorecard |
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 South Africa won by 2 wicketsSinghalese Sports Club Cricket Ground, Colombo, Sri Lanka Umpires:David Shepherd andSrinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan Player of the match:Jonty Rhodes (RSA) |
15 September 2002 Scorecard |
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 Australia won by 164 runsSinghalese Sports Club Cricket Ground, Colombo, Sri Lanka Umpires:Dave Orchard andRussell Tiffin Player of the match:Glenn McGrath (Aus) |
17 September 2002 Scorecard |
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| West Indies won by 29 runs Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground, Colombo, Sri Lanka Umpires:Daryl Harper andSrinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan Player of the match:Brian Lara (WI) |
19 September 2002 Scorecard |
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| Australia won by 9 wickets Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground, Colombo, Sri Lanka Umpires:Asoka de Silva andRussell Tiffin Player of the match:Jason Gillespie (Aus) |
21 September 2002 Scorecard |
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 Pakistan won by 9 wicketsSinghalese Sports Club Cricket Ground, Colombo, Sri Lanka Umpires:Rudi Koertzen andDave Orchard Player of the match:Shahid Afridi (Pak) |
23 September 2002 Scorecard |
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| New Zealand won by 167 runs Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground, Colombo, Sri Lanka Umpires:Asoka de Silva andDavid Shepherd Player of the match:Shane Bond (NZ) |
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