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Sangakkara notches a century of centuries

Champion left-hander joins the greats with his 100th hundred across all formats in county one-day quarter-final for Surrey

Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara has added another milestone to his glittering cricketing resumé, notching his 100th century across all forms of cricket in Surrey's quarter-final win over Yorkshire on Tuesday. 

Sangakkara's run-a-ball 121 – his seventh century so far this county season - helped Surrey to 7-313 in their knockout 50-over clash at Headingley, leading them to a 24-run victory. 


It was the veteran left-hander's 39th List A hundred, adding to his 61 first-class centuries, to join the likes of Don Bradman (117 hundreds), Sachin Tendulkar (142) and WG Grace (124) in notching a ton of tons.

Sangakkara is the 37th player to achieve the feat, with England great Jack Hobbs holding the record for the most career centuries, passing triple-figures on 199 separate occasions. 

Aside from Bradman, other Australians to have done it include Ricky Ponting (116 centuries), Mark Waugh (108), Matthew Hayden (106), Darren Lehmann (101), Justin Langer and Stuart Law (100 each).



"I've been enjoying myself," Sangakkara told Sky Sports.  

"I haven't really stressed myself out, or frustrated myself by doing too much. I've had a good amount of rest away from the game.

"The set-up at Surrey is excellent. They really understand what players need and it's that kind of balance and playing in a team of good players and people that helps keep you focused and fresh."

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Australia Test batsman Peter Handscomb did his best to cancel out Sangakkara's ton, posting 60 off 52 balls for Yorkshire before departing in the 45th over to a superb outfield catch.


Sangakkara recently fell 16 runs short of a record-equalling sixth consecutive first-class century for Surrey in the County Championship.

Had he reached triple figures, he would have joined Bradman, England's CB Fry and South African Mike Procter in making centuries in six consecutive first-class innings.

The 39-year-old will retire from first-class cricket at the end of the English summer, having called time on his Test career two years ago after scoring 12,400 runs to be fifth on the all-time Test run-scoring list.

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With Sri Lanka in the United Kingdom for their Champions Trophy campaign, the in-form Sangakkara was forced to hose down suggestions of a return to international cricket last week.

Prior to Sri Lanka’s upset win over India at The Oval, Sangakkara laughed off a possible comeback despite suspension and injury rocking his former teammates.

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"No, definitely not," Sangakkara said when asked by his co-commentators if he was tempted.

"Number one, I'm too old, you've seen my grey hair. I'm terrible on the field and in the cold my performance would drop about 40 per cent.

"In no way or form am I fit to play but like you said you can stay away from the game for a while, but it's hard to take the Sri Lankan out of the Sri Lankan."