Asgiriya International Stadium is a venue in Kandy, which has hosted international cricket matches, along with many domestic and school games.
It is the home of Trinity College. It has hosted international cricket matches since 1983 until 2007.
The ground was carved straight out of the hill behind the pavilion before being leveled by ten feet, which resulted the creation of a most picturesque cricket venues in the world.
This grounds has helped CRICKET in a big way internationally or domestically as most of the world’s great cricketers who visited Sri Lanka even prior to gaining full Test status have played at Asgiriya.
Great players like from Sir Frank Worrell of West Indies to Fazal Mohammad of Pakistan, Bill Lawry, Colin Cowdrey, John Edrich, Sunil Gavaskar, Brian Lara as the list of names could go on and on have graced this wonderful venue from time to time.
Famous cricket writer, Robin Malar once compared Asgiriya among the best in the World. Recently, the West Indies fast bowler, the ‘Big Bird’ Joel Garner, who was in the Island was so impressed of the venue rated the ground as one of the best in the World and inquired why International cricket is not being played in this magnificent venue.
This ground was constructed with the aid of the British in early days. In 1910 they granted Trinity College permission to put up their own play ground. That was during Rev. A.G. Fraser’s tenure as the principal. He was instrumental and was behind the construction of the venue, Trinitians started work on it in 1910 and it was opened ceremonially in 1915 by Sir Robert Chalmers, the Governor of Kandy on 15th. January.
The first inter-school match played at Asgiriya was between Trinity and S. Thomas’ Mount Lavinia on 24th and 25th of February 1915.
This game was won by the Trinitians by an innings. Prior to Asgiriya being built, Trinity played their cricket at the Bogambara Grounds. Since then various changes have taken place.
When Rev. A.G.Frazer assumed office as Principal in 1904, he was aware of the lack of a suitable playing area with 400 students which included 200 boarders, he realised that the school needed a suitable cricket ground, and the best site was at Asgiriya which was only 300 yards away from the school, through the temple and just a five minutes’ walk.
When the Late Mr. Gamini Dissanayake, an old Trinitian, took over the leadership of Sri Lanka Cricket used modern machinery and within a short period of 150 days converted it into an International Cricket Stadium.
That was in 1981. Late Gamini Dissanayake cut the first sod of soil to start work on the renovation process on 5th January 1982 and the late President J. R. Jayewardene - a fine cricketer himself at Royal, ceremonially declared opened the stadium. It was during the tenure of late Rev. Dr. W.G. Wickremasinghe as principal of Trinity that the stadium became a reality.
The building was assisted by three old boys, late Huthaifa Halimdeen, Harindra Dunuwille and late Kavan Rambukwella, whose dedicated contributions are acknowledged in the commemorative plaque in the new pavilion.
Asgiriya hosted the 1996 World Cup matches between Sri Lanka and Kenya on 6th March 1996. And also the match against Zimbabwe.
22 Tests were played at this venue and Sri Lanka won 7 which included the first win against Australia.