In the ongoing Test series between India & Sri Lanka at the Galle International Stadium, Team India has scored 462 runs in the first innings, and in response, Sri Lanka has been able to score 284 runs. In this run chase by Sri Lanka, Niroshan Dickwella, the wicketkeeper of the Sri Lankan team, has played a very important role.
His 80 runs in 115 balls helped Sri Lanka make a comeback in the first Test match in the ongoing India Tour to Sri Lanka.
With this fifty, Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batter Niroshan Dickwella has scored 23 fifties in Tests without scoring a single century.
His highest score in a Test match is 96 runs, so he came very close to a century but never crossed 100 runs in his Test match career.
Who is Niroshan Dickwella?
Niroshan Dickwella is a Sri Lankan left-handed wicket-keeper batsman; he was born on June 23, 1993, in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
He made his Test debut in July 2014, and he represented the Sri Lanka team in all three formats of the tournament.
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Key Fact
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Details
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Full Name
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Dickwella Patabendige Dilantha Niroshan Dickwella
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Born
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June 23, 1993
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Birthplace
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Kandy, Sri Lanka
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Batting Style
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Left-hand bat
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Role
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Wicketkeeper-batter
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Nickname
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Niro
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Test Debut
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2014
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Highest Test Score
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96
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Test Centuries
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0
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Did You Know
Most Test Stumpings: Niroshan Dickwella has 27 Test stumpings in his career.
Niroshan Dickwella World Record: Most Fifties Without a Century in a Test Cricket Match
Sri Lankan wicket-keeper batter Niroshan Dickwella holds the world record for the most fifties without a century in a Test cricket match.
Before the India Test, he had 22 Test fifties. His 80 against India became his 23rd fifty-plus score.
Most 50+ Scores Without a Century in Tests
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Rank
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Player
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Country
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50+ Scores
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Highest Score
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1
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Niroshan Dickwella
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Sri Lanka
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23*
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96
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2
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Chetan Chauhan
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India
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16
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97
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3
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Ken McKay
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Australia
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13
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89
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3
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Mitchell Starc
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Australia
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13
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99
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5
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Shane Warne
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Australia
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12
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99
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Why Is This Record Called an 'Unwanted' Record?
A century is one of the biggest achievements for a Test batter.
Dickwella has crossed 50 runs 23 times, but he has never reached 100.
His closest attempts have been:
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96 runs – his highest Test score
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He has also reached several other scores in the 80s and 90s.
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His 80 against India was another missed opportunity.
That is why this record is often described as an unwanted or unusual record.
Niroshan Dickwella Records & Stats
Batting Career Summary
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Batting Statistics
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Test
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ODI
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T20
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IPL
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Matches
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55
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55
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28
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0
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Innings
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97
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52
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27
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0
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Runs
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2,837
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1,604
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480
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0
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Balls
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4,263
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1,717
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366
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0
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Highest Score
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96
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116
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68
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0
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Average
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31.52
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31.45
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18.46
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0
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Strike Rate
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66.55
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93.42
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131.15
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0
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Not Out
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7
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1
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1
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0
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Fours
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311
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186
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61
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0
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Sixes
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11
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12
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9
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0
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Ducks
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4
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1
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2
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0
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50s
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23
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9
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1
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0
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100s
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0
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2
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0
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0
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200s
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0
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0
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0
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0
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300s
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0
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0
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0
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0
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400s
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0
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0
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0
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0
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Career Timeline of Niroshan Dickwella
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Format
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Debut
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T20
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vs India, 9 February 2016, Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium
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Test
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vs South Africa, 24 July 2014, Sinhalese Sports Club
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ODI
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vs India, 16 November 2014, JSCA International Stadium Complex
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Niroshan Dickwella's 80 against India in Galle gave him his 23rd Test fifty-plus score without a century, extending his unusual world record. His career shows that even a record for not reaching 100 can become a memorable part of Test cricket history.