Kandy · Sri Lanka · 2010–2025
Pallekele International Cricket Stadium: Conditions, Records and What to Expect
At a glance
Matches
106
All formats
Par score
208
1st-innings average
Chase success
52%
Balanced
Bat-first win
43%
Long-sample record
Pitch & conditions
The patterns we see repeat across the matches on record — what works at Pallekele, and what captains should plan for.
Across 103 matches, the average first-innings total at Pallekele sits at 210. That 26-run gap over the second-innings average of 184 suggests batting first may carry a structural advantage, though the 52% chase success rate keeps it competitive. Teams chasing here win slightly more often than they lose.
The average powerplay yields 42 runs for 1.32 wickets, which is a relatively contained opening phase. Scoring accelerates substantially through the middle overs, where teams average 122 runs, making that phase the primary driver of final totals at this ground.
Every entry in the top five bowling performances at Pallekele comes from a spinner. Rangana Herath's match figures of 9/103 against Australia in July 2016 and Jack Leach's 8/153 for England in November 2018 point to a surface that historically rewards slow bowlers, particularly in the longer format.
Visiting sides generally find Pallekele tough, but India have won all 10 of their matches at the ground, a 100% win rate that separates them from every other touring nation in the data. England are the next most successful visitors, winning 10 of 13 matches (77%).
The average death-overs contribution of 32 runs is strikingly low compared to the 122 middle-overs figure. Whether that reflects the surface or the quality of Sri Lankan bowling attacks at this ground, it means teams cannot rely on a late surge to rescue an underpowered middle-overs total.
By the numbers
Career aggregates from the matches LuckySpire tracks at Pallekele. Drawn from Cricsheet ball-by-ball data under ODC-BY licence.
Avg 1st inn
208
T20-era par
Avg 2nd inn
182
Chasing average
Chase success
52%
All formats
Highest total
648
On record
Lowest total
70
Complete innings
Phase-by-phase · scoring trajectory
Cumulative scoring trajectory across a typical white-ball innings at Pallekele. Phase bands show Powerplay (overs 1–6), Middle (7–15) and Death (16–20) — the death-overs acceleration is where the ground's character shows up most sharply.
Powerplay
45RPO · OVERS 1–6
Middle
119RPO · OVERS 7–15
Death
44RPO · OVERS 16–20
Who plays here
Match counts and win records for the teams with the deepest history at this ground.
| Team | Matches | Won | Lost | NR | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka Cricket | 72 | 33 | 31 | 6 | 46% |
| New Zealand Cricket | 15 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 27% |
| England Cricket | 13 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 77% |
| Australia Cricket | 12 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 42% |
| Pakistan Cricket | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 50% |
| West Indies Cricket | 12 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 33% |
| India Cricket | 10 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 80% |
| Jaffna Kings | 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 50% |
Similar grounds
Batting-friendly · 176 matches
High-scoring road · defending advantage · 46 matches
High-scoring road · defending advantage · 41 matches
Batting-friendly · slight chase bias · 104 matches
Balanced surface · 104 matches