Herath takes 800th First Class wicket

SAJEEWA JAYAKODY

Tamil Union’s Rangana Herath took his 800th First Class wicket in the on-going Premier League Tournament on Sunday.

Sri Lanka’s leading left arm spinner completed this milestone when he picked up five for 20 in their eight-wicket win over Galle Cricket Club at Galle Stadium last weekend.

Herath is the second leading First Class wicket taker for Sri Lanka behind legendary Muttiah Muralitharan’s 1,374 scalps in 232 matches. The 33-year-old claimed the highest number of Test wickets in the last calendar year by capturing 60 wickets in just 10 outings.

That record is better than English spinner Graeme Swann’s 59 wickets in 14 matches. Herath, who played for Hampshire and Surrey, bagged seven five wicket hauls and two match bags of 10 wickets in his 10 Test matches last year.