GQEBERHA: Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews has joined an exclusive group of cricketers after surpassing the 8,000-run mark in Test cricket on Friday, December 6.
The all-rounder has now become the third Sri Lankan batter, after former legends Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, to achieve this milestone.
The right-handed batter, who made his Test debut in July 2009 against Pakistan, reached the 8,000-run mark during the second day's play of the ongoing second Test between Sri Lanka and South Africa at St George’s Park in Gqeberha.
The 37-year-old finished the day with 40 runs off 71 balls and passed the milestone when he crossed the 34-run mark during his innings.
With 8,006 runs from 205 innings in 116 Tests, he now joins Sangakkara and Jayawardene in Sri Lanka's Test cricket elite.
Sangakkara, who holds the record for most runs by a Sri Lankan in Tests, scored 12,400 runs in 134 matches, while Jayawardene follows with 11,814 runs in 149 Tests.
Most Runs for Sri Lanka in Test Cricket:
- Kumar Sangakkara – 12,400
- Mahela Jayawardene – 11,814
- Angelo Mathews – 8006*
- Dimuth Karunaratne – 7164
- Sanath Jayasuriya – 6973
As of now, Mathews holds the third position in the list of active Test run-scorers globally.
Most Test Runs (Active Batters):
- Joe Root (England) – 12,780
- Steve Smith (Australia) – 9702
- Virat Kohli (India) – 9152
- Kane Williamson (New Zealand) – 9072
- Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka) – 8006*
During his stay at the crease on Day 2 in Gqeberha, Mathews played a key role in Sri Lanka's response to South Africa's first innings total of 358 runs.
He struck six boundaries and added 43 runs from 70 balls in a crucial partnership with Kamindu Mendis, who remained unbeaten on 30 off 38 balls.
By the end of the day's play, Sri Lanka had reached 242/3 in 67 overs, with Mathews still at the crease.
The ongoing Test match is a must-win for Sri Lanka if they wish to keep their hopes alive of finishing in the top two of the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle.
After the series against South Africa, Sri Lanka will play Australia in a two-match Test series at home in January 2025.
- Angelo Mathews
