Mahela Jayawardene will joining us in The Green Room for the England v Sri Lanka ODI.

Big news today! For all you cricket fans out there we have a very special announcement to make. Legendary Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene will be joining us in The Green Room this summer.

“I’m always excited to visit England and I’m looking forward to joining Darren Gough and Michael Vaughan in The Green Room when England play Sri Lanka in the upcoming ODI at The Kia Oval.

– Mahela Jayawardene

Alongside Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene is one of the greatest Sri Lankan players of his generation. Furthermore, judging by his quite incredible stats, he is not only one of the best Sri Lankans but is one of the best batsmen ever to have graced the game.

In a long career that spanned 1997-2015, Jayawardene captained Sri Lanka at various stages between 2006 and 2012 and amassed a staggering 25,957 international runs. With 12,650 runs he sits fifth in the all-time ODI run-scorers list, with only legends like Tendulkar, Sangakkara, Ponting and Jayasuriya ahead of him. In addition, he is one of only 13 players in the history of international cricket to score centuries against all Test-playing nations, and in the first Test of the 2006 Series against South Africa, Jayawardene shared a world record partnership of 624 runs alongside Kumar Sangakkara. This partnership is the highest for any wicket in first-class cricket history, and the first instance of a partnership of 600 or more in a first-class or Test match innings.

Known for his stylish yet devastating batting, Jayawardene was also awarded the Spirit of Cricket award in 2013. Presented by the MCC to players that have best epitomised the principles of playing hard but fair, Jayawardene’s honesty during a Test match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand at Galle in 2012, earned him the nomination from his Kiwi counterparts. Batting on 91, with Sri Lanka on 229/7, Jayawardene gloved one to the keeper and walked off before the umpire raised his finger. It took place at a very crucial stage of the match, but Jayawardene showed true sportsmanship and walked without even waiting for the umpire’s decision.

A true great of the modern game, we can’t wait to welcome Mahela Jayawardene to The Green Room when England take on Sri Lanka in ODI action on Thursday 1 July. Check out more details on the website here or contact a member of our team on 0844 247 8998 or enquiries@hospitalityfinder.co.uk