Greatest Cricket Moments

Sidath Wettimuny's 190 at Lord's — Sri Lanka's First Big Test Innings, 1984

1984-08-23England, Sri LankaEngland v Sri Lanka, Only Test, Lord's, 19841 min readSeverity: Moderate

Summary

Opener Sidath Wettimuny made 190 over more than ten hours at Lord's in August 1984 — Sri Lanka's first big individual Test innings and the platform for their declaration at 491.

Background

Wettimuny was Sri Lanka's senior opener and had toured England as a youth in the late 1970s.

Build-Up

Sri Lanka batted first at Lord's in their first Test in England.

What Happened

Wettimuny, the 28-year-old Sri Lankan opener and son of veteran batsman C. H. Wettimuny, walked out at Lord's expecting a one-off Test that the cricket world had little interest in. He produced one of the great patient innings in Lord's history: 190 from 538 deliveries across more than 10 hours — at the time the highest individual score by a Sri Lankan in Tests, and the longest first-class innings ever played at Lord's. He fell ten short of a double hundred caught and bowled by Allan Lamb (substitute fielder). The innings provided the platform for Mendis's 111 and a Sri Lankan declaration at 491 for 7 — a score that England replied to with 370 and saved a draw. Wettimuny's 190 was widely praised by English commentators including John Arlott, who called it 'the best innings by an opener at Lord's since Hutton'.

Key Moments

1

538 balls faced, 10+ hours at the crease

2

190 — Sri Lanka's then-highest Test score

3

Caught and bowled 10 short of a double

4

Foundation for Mendis 111

5

Declaration at 491/7

Timeline

Day 1, lunch

Wettimuny 60*

Day 2, tea

Wettimuny passes 150

Day 2, late

Caught and bowled for 190

Day 3

SL 491/7 declared

Notable Quotes

“The best innings by an opener at Lord's since Hutton.”

— John Arlott (BBC commentary)

“I had a Test to save. Time was on my side.”

— Sidath Wettimuny

Aftermath

The match was drawn; Wettimuny continued as Sri Lanka's senior opener for the rest of the decade.

⚖️ The Verdict

The patient masterpiece that put Sri Lanka on the Test cricket map at Lord's, ten runs short of a double century.

Legacy & Impact

Wettimuny's 190 stood as Sri Lanka's highest Test score for nearly a decade and is still a benchmark for patient Test batting at Lord's.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many balls did Wettimuny face?▾
538 across more than 10 hours — a Lord's first-class record at the time.
Was 190 a Sri Lankan record?▾
Yes — the highest Sri Lankan Test score until Mendis or Ranatunga eventually broke it later in the decade.

Tags

#sidath-wettimuny#sri-lanka#england#lords#1984#double-century-near-miss#test-cricket#iconic-moment#duleep-mendis#lankan-cricket

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