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 batsman after former legends Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene to reach this milestone.
The right-handed batsman, who made his Test debut in July 2009 against Pakistan, reached the 8,000-run milestone during the second day 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 surpassed the milestone by crossing the 34-run mark during his innings.
With 8,006 runs in 205 innings across 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, has 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 is ranked third in the list of active Test scorers across the world.
Most Tests (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 Day 2 stay at Gqeberha, Mathews played a key role in Sri Lanka’s response to South Africa’s first innings, scoring a total of 358 runs.
He hit six boundaries and added 43 runs off 70 balls in a crucial partnership with Kamindu Mendis, who remained unbeaten on 30 off 38 balls.
At the end of the day, Sri Lanka 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 are to keep alive their hopes of finishing in the top two of the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle.
After the series against South Africa, Sri Lanka will face Australia in a two-match Test series at home in January 2025.
