Answer: 2008
Sri Lanka's first three Asia Cup wins were all on home turf. In Pakistan in 2008, Sanath Jayasuriya and Ajantha Mendis helped Sri Lanka to their first Asian title abroad.
From Quiz: Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup
Answer: Sanath Jayasuriya
While Aravinda de Silva was Sri Lanka's highest run-scorer in the tournament, aggressive and innovative batting at the top of the order from Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana provided the platform for Sri Lanka's batting success in the tournament. Furthermore, Jayasuriya's defensive off-spin was a key component of Sri Lanka's bowling attack.
From Quiz: Triumphant '96
Answer: Bandula Warnapura
Warnapura captained SL's first 4 Tests.
From Quiz: Sri Lankan Test Cricket
Answer: 2012
Apart from the inaugural event in 1984, which didn't have a final, Sri Lanka played in every final until 2012. The packed schedule which had preceded the the 2012 tournament - where they had played Pakistan in the UAE and toured South Africa and Australia in four months - took its toll. Sri Lanka lost all of their league stage matches - including their first Asia Cup loss to Bangladesh - and finished last.
Bangladesh and Pakistan played in the 2012 final.
From Quiz: Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup
Answer: Aravinda de Silva
Aravinda de Silva was the cornerstone of Sri Lanka's middle order in this tournament. de Silva helped Sri Lanka build on the fast starts provided by Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana and post imposing scores when batting first, and complete challenging run chases when batting second.
From Quiz: Triumphant '96
Answer: ST Jayasuriya & MS Atapattu
Atapattu (101 off 124) and Jayasuriya (122 off 105) put on 237 for the opening partnership in 33.4 overs against the Australians in 2003 in a VB series game.
From Quiz: Sri Lankan Greats
Answer: Ranatunga
Arjuna is known to everyone, Sanjeeva was an elegant left-handed batsman in the mid 90's, and Dhammika was a solid opener who played two Test v Australia in 1989. To my knowledge, none of the De Silvas who have played for SL are related. Muttiah Muralitharan has taken enough wickets for a whole family, but he is a one-off (in more ways than one).
From Quiz: Sri Lankan Test Cricket
Answer: Arjuna Ranatunga
Ranatunga scored 272 runs in the tournament. His unbeaten 131 in the league stage match against India is his highest ODI score.
From Quiz: Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup
Answer: Draw
India hosted Sri Lanka (Ceylon) for two First Class matches in December 1932. Sri Lanka had the better of the first match, taking a 69-run first innings lead. After being set 271 to win, India slumped to 207 for 7, but escaped with a draw.
From Quiz: Did You Know...
Answer: Kenya
Aravinda de Silva, Asanka Gurusingha and Arjuna Ranatunga all cashed on Kenya's dismal bowling display, after Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana provided a rapid start in an opening stand of 83.
From Quiz: Triumphant '96
Answer: Roshan Mahanama
Mahanama was a very under-rated player throughout his career. (By the way, does anyone remember when they started using entrance music for incoming batsmen, and for poor old Roshan, they used The Muppets' 'Mahna Mahna'?!)
From Quiz: Sri Lankan Test Cricket
Answer: Ajantha Mendis
Mendis played a starring role in the final, and finished with 17 wickets in the tournament.
From Quiz: Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup
Answer: 1938
The first edition of the Daily News Trophy was in 1938. Kalutara Town Club were the inaugural champions. In subsequent years, the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) emerged as the powerhouse of Sri Lankan domestic cricket. The tournament is now known as the Premier League.
From Quiz: Did You Know...
Answer: England
The match marked the end of a thoroughly disappointing tournament for England, who failed to win a single match against an elite level opponent.
From Quiz: Triumphant '96
Answer: Nuwan Zoysa
Zoysa accomplished this feat against Zimbabwe in 2001, taking first ball ducks of Gripper, Goodwin, and Johnson.
From Quiz: Sri Lankan Greats
Answer: 13
Their first Test win was v India in 1985-86.
From Quiz: Sri Lankan Test Cricket
Answer: Arjuna Ranatunga
Ranatunga won the award in the second edition of the tournament in 1986. He won it again in 1997.
From Quiz: Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup
Answer: M. J. Gopalan Trophy
The trophy was named after Morappakam Josyam Gopalan, a Tamil Nadu sportsman who represented India in both cricket and field hockey. The tournament was a regular fixture in Sri Lanka's cricketing calendar in its pre-Test era. It was briefly revived in 2007, when a Sri Lanka XI comprising players from the A-team and under-19's level hosted Tamil Nadu in a one-off match.
From Quiz: Did You Know...
Answer: Sri Lanka won 2 - 0
Sanath Jayasuriya scored a rapid half-century, before an unbeaten 131-run stand between Arjuna Ranatunga and Hashan Tillakaratna guided Sri Lanka to a 6-wicket victory in New Delhi. The Semi-final in Culcutta (Kolkata) was abandoned with India on 120 for 8 in pursuit of 252 for victory. India's poor batting display on a wearing pitch sparked riots in the stands, resulting in the match being called off and Sri Lanka being awarded victory by default.
From Quiz: Triumphant '96
Answer: Kenya
Lankans won this game by 144 runs in the 1996 World Cup. Aravinda de Silva top scored with 145.
From Quiz: Sri Lankan Greats
Answer: Asoka De Silva
Asoka played 8 Tests in the early 90s, and has been appointed to the 'elite' Umpires' Panel.
From Quiz: Sri Lankan Test Cricket
Answer: Dambulla
Organisers had been concerned that the tournament might be affected by monsoonal rain if matches were held in the traditional centres of Colombo, Galle and Kandy.
From Quiz: Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup
Answer: 1975
Sri Lanka's opening match of the 1975 ICC World Cup against West Indies was its first official international cricket match. The match was won by the West Indies, after Sri Lanka were skittled for just 86.
From Quiz: Did You Know...
Answer: West Indies
Sri Lanka's status as a co-host of the tournament had been dogged with controversy from the beginning, with questions being raised about the country's ability to guarantee the security of touring teams. Following a terrorist attack by ethnic-Tamil rebels on the Central Bank in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo in January 1996, the cricket boards of Australia and West Indies announced that they would not send their teams to Sri Lanka. After much deliberation, the ICC ruled that Australia and West Indies had forfeit the matches, and Sri Lanka was awarded the first round points associated with the matches.
From Quiz: Triumphant '96
Answer: Warnapura
Bandula Warnapura led Sri Lanka in all 4 tests that he played. He eventually was banned from Sri Lankan cricket for touring South Africa with the rebel team in 1982-83.
From Quiz: Sri Lankan Greats
Answer: Duleep Mendis
Mendis scored 105 in each innings v India at Madras in 1982-83.
From Quiz: Sri Lankan Test Cricket
Answer: 1997
The 1990s world-beating Sri Lankan side grand slam-ed Asia in 1997 to reclaim Asian bragging rights after 11 years. The feat was repeated by Sri Lanka in 2014. Pakistan became the second nation to slam Asia in the year 2000.
From Quiz: Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup
Answer: 1979
Sri Lanka won the inaugural ICC Trophy in 1979. Known colloquially as the "minnows' World Cup", the tournament is the final round of qualifiers for the ICC World Cup. In 2009, it was renamed the ICC World Cup Qualifier.
From Quiz: Did You Know...
Answer: Asanka Gurusingha
Several dropped catches from Australia's usually reliable fieldsmen helped de Silva and Gurusingha rebuild Sri Lanka's innings. Gurusingha was eventually dismissed for 65, while de Silva finished unbeaten on 107.
From Quiz: Triumphant '96
Answer: Don Anurasiri
Don Anurasiri is the only slow bowler among the bunch. The rest are medium to fast pace bowlers. Anurasiri has a stingy 2.33 economy rate in Test cricket after 18 matches. He was also the only southpaw among the bunch.
From Quiz: Sri Lankan Greats
Answer: Brendon Kuruppu
Kuruppu scored 201 not out v New Zealand in 1986-87. Amazingly, he only played 3 further Tests! By the way, the other three are R.E.Foster (287 for England), Lawrence Rowe (214 for WI), and Matthew Sinclair (214 for NZ).
From Quiz: Sri Lankan Test Cricket
Answer: 6
Mendis took 6 for 13 in the match, and finished with 17 wickets in the tournament. He won both the Man of the Match and Man of the Tournament awards on the night.
From Quiz: Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup
Answer: England
Sri Lanka's first ever Test was against a second-string England side at the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium in Colombo. After a competitive start from Sri Lanka, England overpowered the home side in the second innings to win the match comfortably by 7 wickets.
From Quiz: Did You Know...
Answer: Aravinda de Silva
At 137 for 1, Australia had looked set for a big total. However, a disciplined display of defensive spin from Sri Lanka succeeded in dragging down Australia's run-rate. As the scoring rate declined, the pressure to score started to take it's toll. An error-riddled Australia slumped to 205 for 7, before limping to 241 for 7.
From Quiz: Triumphant '96
Answer: Brendon Kuruppu
Kuruppu made 201* against New Zealand and ended up playing only 4 Test matches.
From Quiz: Sri Lankan Greats
Answer: Ravi Ratnayeke
Ratnayeke was one of the mainstays of SL cricket in the 80s. He even opened the batting and bowling in the same match!
From Quiz: Sri Lankan Test Cricket
Answer: Farveez Maharoof
Farveez had been a late inclusion in the side, after Sri Lanka's regular all-rounder, Angelo Mathews, had been ruled out with a calf injury. He certainly made the most of the opportunity, taking 5 for 42 to help Sri Lanka bowl India out for just 209. His hat-trick victims were Ravindra Jadeja, Praveen Kumar and Zaheer Khan. Farveez was the fierst Sri Lankan to have taken an Asia Cup hat-trick.
From Quiz: Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup
Answer: India
Sri Lanka hosted and won a three-Test series against India 1-0 in 1985 (aka one win and two draws). Sri Lanka's win in the second Test was also its first ever Test match victory.
From Quiz: Did You Know...
Answer: Arjuna Ranatunga
With scores level, Ranatunga guided the second ball of the 47th over from Glenn McGrath through the vacant slips cordon to the boundary. Ranatunga finished unbeaten on 47, having put on an unbeaten 97 for the 4th wicket with Aravinda de Silva.
From Quiz: Triumphant '96
Answer: Ranjan Madugalle
Madugalle captained 2 Tests in 1987-88, between Mendis and Ranatunga.
From Quiz: Sri Lankan Test Cricket