Stats: Malinda Pushpakumara picks ten out of ten in Sri Lanka's domestic first-class game

Sri Lanka’s Malinda Pushpakumara created havoc on Sunday in the first-class premier tournament game for his team Colombo Cricket Club. Playing against the Saracens Sports Club in Moratuwa, Colombo CC defended the target of 349 as they bundled out the opponents to just 113 in the 4th innings. It was possible for the Colombo side on the back of a special effort from Pushpakumara who claimed all ten wickets while bowling unchanged.

Opening the innings with the ball, Pushpakumara finished with figures of 18.4-5-37-10 as Saracens were dismantled for 113 in only 37.4 overs. On winning the toss, Colombo elected to bat first and posted 238 in their first innings. The Saracens’ bowler Chamikara Edirisinghe took 9/87 in his 26 overs as this game became only the 8th in first-class cricket with two different bowlers taking 9-wicket hauls in a first-class match. The visitors made only 169 in their first innings as Pushpakumara took 6/73.

The hosts declared their innings on 279/5 on the 3rd morning aiming for an outright win. With his 10-fer, Pushpakumara became only the 2nd Sri Lankan after GP Wickramasinghe to take perfect 10 in a first-class match. Wickramasinghe took 10/41 at the Colombo SSC ground for the home team in 1991/92 season. Overall, 11 players from Asia have perfect 10 in first-class cricket and Pushpakumara’s figures of 10/37 are the 3rd best among those.

Perfect 10 by Asian players in first-class cricket:

Zulfiqar Babar was the last player to pick ten wickets in a first-class innings prior to Pushpakumara. The former Pakistan spinner took 10/143 in the 2009/10 season game for the Multan team. Only five players have taken ten out of ten in a first-class innings in the 21st century including three from the sub-continent. Pushpakumara’s match figures of 16/110 are the 2nd best by a Sri Lankan in first-class history. JU Chaturanga of Singha SC took 16/100 against Antonians SC at Gampaha in the 2010/11 season.

Perfect 10 in first-class cricket in the 21st century:

(Stats as on January 7, 2019)

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