During the third day of play at Colombo, in the first Test between Sri Lanka and South Africa, one record keeper was heard to say to another: ” I feel weary. The ink in my pen has run dry. It is too much.”. This followed one of the record breakingest days in cricket history. DPMD Jayawardene and KC Sangakkara have set the record for the highest Test 3rd wicket partnership, the highest Test partnership for all wickets and the highest partnership for all wickets, in all first class cricket. Their partnership of 624 eclipsed the 576 made my their countrymen and team mates, Mahanama and Jayasuriya, against India in 1997 (also in Colombo).

Along the way, with 374 runs, Kumar Sangakkara posted the fourth highest Test score ever, and the highest score made by a Sri Lankan. Jayawardene made 287, falling just short of a triple.

We have seen these matches before – mind boggling run-fests that end in dreary draws. At times it seems that nobody cares about the outcome of the match as commentators and statisticians revel in the records yielded. To put this occasion into context, it should be remembered that South Africa had been bowled out for a rather dismal 169. Just how dismal an effort that was became emphasised over the following two days. Jayawardene and Sangakkara came together with Sri Lanka’s reply struggling at 2-14. By the time the partnership was broken precisely 157 overs later, the ship had been steadied. You could even say that it was “on the plane”.

Regardless of the match situation, my opinion is that such immense batting achievements are always worthy of celebration. Even if the pitch was perfect and the opposition attack was lame (and I’m not saying it was), the fact is that this is just the 21st time a Test triple has been posted, and it was a very big one at that. Even Sangakkara’s 287 comes in it at equal 25th – equal with RE Foster, who made the first truly big score in December 1903. This is just the second Test partnership over 500 and it is comfortably over 600.

With almost two days to play, there is a very good chance for Sri Lanka to win the match, although South Africa are fighting well at 0/146.

In other news, England (9/461) has demolished Pakistan (119 & 222) by an innings and 120 runs. Stand outs for England were Harmison (6/19 – another astonishing set of figures for his CV – more on the enigma of Harmison at a later date), Cook (127), Bell (106*) and Monty Panesar (5-27).