UPDATE: If you would like to know about England’s cricket tour to Sri Lanka 2020, please see this blog.
Galle International Stadium
The International 1st Test Sri Lanka v England 2012 date between the two nations takes place at Galle is one of the prettiest and most picturesque cricket world cup 2012 ground in the world. Nestled under the thick walls of the old Dutch fort at Galle with the Indian Ocean twinkling on two sides and a grassy bank on the other, it is wonderfully scenic. For 2nd Test Hotels or Cricket Tours click here.
The proximity to the ocean meant that during the 2004 Tsunami the ground was wrecked by the incoming water. It wasn’t re-opened 2007 when it hosted the test match between England and Sri Lanka. Originally called ‘The Esplanade’, it is the home of Galle Cricket Club and hosted its first full Test in 1998 between Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
The ground is said to favour spin bowlers and as such is beneficial to Sri Lanka who traditionally has several good spin bowlers and batsmen who are well versed in the art of playing spin. Sri Lanka’s most famous spin bowler, the great Muttiah ‘Murali’ Muralitharan got his 800th wicket here in a very famous game at which he took 8 wickets in the match against India to get there in his very last game.
Sri Lanka Cricket Hotels
A touring team playing at Galle International Stadium offers great opportunities for the visiting fans as there are a plethora of excellent hotels locally, most in brilliant locations and covering all budgets and most tastes. Nearby Unawatuna is a favourite location.
This curvy bay is good for year round swimming and has a clutch of low-cost hotels and guesthouses on the beach, as well as fantastic cheap beach bars and restaurants. For those with a higher budget, but still a desire to be on the beach, the next door bay, Thalpe, has a selection of beautiful boutique hotels such as Apa Villa, The Frangipanni Tree or Era Beach. For families and ground of friends, villas are a brilliant idea and there are quite a few in Thalpe and around. These fully staffed luxury places function as private hotels and they are a very comfortable option.
For the style conscious, Galle Fort itself has become a mecca for trendy holiday-makers and its proximity to the ground makes it an ideal base from which to watch the cricket. The Galle Fort Hotel is the most well-known, though the Amangalla is where it is at if you want out and out luxury. There are several less expensive guesthouse style hotels too. There are also many hotels dotted about the Galle area. For those looking to watch the cricket, but escape to a peaceful place before and after, the inland plantations are home to places such as Illuketiya and Kahanda Kanda, two gorgeous design-led hotels.