Niroshan Dickwella celebrated twice for his maiden ODI century

In the third One-Day International between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, openers Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka scored individual centuries to help Sri Lanka beat Zimbabwe by eight wickets in Hambantota on Thursday. The hosts who were chasing a target of 311 rode on an outstanding 229-run stand between Dickwella, who scored 102 and Gunathilaka who scored 116. Interestingly, this was the first ODI century of both the openers.

However, Dickwella celebrated not once but twice for his maiden ODI ton. That was due to a mistake on the scoreboard in the stadium. He celebrated when he was on 99 and had 1 more run to score the ton. However, he said that he was not embarrassed about that but in fact was scared that he does not fall one run short of a century, which indeed would have been very embarrassing.

Speaking to Kashmir Times, Dickwella said, “”I knew it was not my hundred but I asked my partner Danushka Gunathilaka whether the scoreboard is correct and he answered in affirmative and I overjoyed” “When I completed one run (off Zimbabwe skipper Cremer) and everyone was cheering at the stadium so I also thought it was my century. I was counting my runs from 90 onwards”.

Dickwella got nervous 

However, he also admitted that after having celebrated on the wrong ball, he was scared that he didn’t have to walk back without getting to celebrate for real.

“Yeah, the scoreboard was wrong. I was not embarrassed as these things happen but I was afraid and became more careful that after mistakenly celebrating at 99 runs and if I get out on 99 and it would have been a shame having celebrations without the hundred”, Dickwella signed off.

Interestingly, he scored yet another century in the fourth ODI. Dickwella (116) and Gunathilaka (87) put together 209 runs and became the first pair in ODI history to score consecutive century partnerships.