HMRKB Herath’s speicials
HMRKB Herath’s six for 98 in the just concluded test against South Africa at Col-SSC represents his 34th five wicket haul in an innings. He became the fifth bowler in the annals of test cricket to capture 34 plus five wicket hauls. Others are – M Muralidharan {67}, SK Warne (37}, RJ Hadlee {36} and A Kumble {35}. The following table furnishes the performance of these five bowlers
| No | Player | Team | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | 5 |
| 1 | M Muralitharan | Srl | 133 | 230 | 44039 | 18180 | 800 | 9/51 | 16/220 | 22.72 | 67 |
| 2 | SK Warne | Aus | 145 | 273 | 40705 | 17995 | 708 | 8/71 | 12/128 | 25.41 | 37 |
| 3 | RJ Hadlee | NZl | 86 | 150 | 21918 | 9611 | 431 | 9/52 | 15/123 | 22.29 | 36 |
| 4 | A Kumble | Ind | 132 | 236 | 40850 | 18355 | 619 | 10/74 | 14/149 | 29.65 | 35 |
| 5 | HMRKB Herath | Srl | 92 | 168 | 25705 | 12020 | 430 | 9/127 | 14/184 | 27.95 | 34 |
The following table lists the 34 five wicket hauls of HMRKB Herath arranged chronologically
| No | Overs | M | Runs | W | Pos | Inns | Opposition | Ground | Start Date |
| 1 | 35.0 | 5 | 99 | 5 | 5 | 3 | v Pakistan | Colombo (PSS) | 12 Jul 2009 |
| 2 | 46.0 | 6 | 157 | 5 | 3 | 3 | v Pakistan | Colombo (SSC) | 20 Jul 2009 |
| 3 | 48.0 | 9 | 139 | 5 | 4 | 4 | v New Zealand | Colombo (SSC) | 26 Aug 2009 |
| 4 | 33.0 | 2 | 121 | 5 | 3 | 1 | v India | Kanpur | 24 Nov 2009 |
| 5 | 23.0 | 3 | 79 | 5 | 3 | 3 | v Australia | Galle | 31 Aug 2011 |
| 6 | 52.0 | 11 | 157 | 7 | 4 | 3 | v Australia | Colombo (SSC) | 16 Sep 2011 |
| 7 | 30.3 | 7 | 79 | 5 | 5 | 4 | v South Africa | Durban | 26 Dec 2011 |
| 8 | 19.0 | 5 | 74 | 6 | 3 | 2 | v England | Galle | 26 Mar 2012 |
| 9 | 38.0 | 9 | 97 | 6 | 3 | 4 | v England | Galle | 26 Mar 2012 |
| 10 | 53.0 | 9 | 133 | 6 | 3 | 2 | v England | Colombo (PSS) | 03 Apr 2012 |
| 11 | 30.0 | 5 | 65 | 5 | 4 | 1 | v New Zealand | Galle | 17 Nov 2012 |
| 12 | 18.0 | 3 | 43 | 6 | 3 | 3 | v New Zealand | Galle | 17 Nov 2012 |
| 13 | 49.0 | 10 | 103 | 6 | 4 | 1 | v New Zealand | Colombo (PSS) | 25 Nov 2012 |
| 14 | 21.5 | 2 | 95 | 5 | 6 | 3 | v Australia | Hobart | 14 Dec 2012 |
| 15 | 28.3 | 6 | 68 | 5 | 5 | 1 | v Bangladesh | Colombo (RPS) | 16 Mar 2013 |
| 16 | 36.0 | 9 | 89 | 7 | 3 | 3 | v Bangladesh | Colombo (RPS) | 16 Mar 2013 |
| 17 | 38.1 | 8 | 125 | 5 | 1 | 2 | v Pakistan | Sharjah | 16 Jan 2014 |
| 18 | 45.0 | 30 | 40 | 5 | 1 | 4 | v South Africa | Colombo (SSC) | 24 Jul 2014 |
| 19 | 30.2 | 11 | 48 | 6 | 1 | 3 | v Pakistan | Galle | 06 Aug 2014 |
| 20 | 33.1 | 3 | 127 | 9 | 3 | 2 | v Pakistan | Colombo (SSC) | 14 Aug 2014 |
| 21 | 22.1 | 2 | 57 | 5 | 3 | 4 | v Pakistan | Colombo (SSC) | 14 Aug 2014 |
| 22 | 21.0 | 6 | 48 | 7 | 2 | 4 | v India | Galle | 12 Aug 2015 |
| 23 | 33.0 | 9 | 68 | 6 | 3 | 2 | v West Indies | Galle | 14 Oct 2015 |
| 24 | 33.3 | 16 | 54 | 5 | 2 | 4 | v Australia | Pallekele | 26 Jul 2016 |
| 25 | 38.1 | 11 | 81 | 6 | 3 | 2 | v Australia | Colombo (SSC) | 13 Aug 2016 |
| 26 | 18.1 | 3 | 64 | 7 | 1 | 4 | v Australia | Colombo (SSC) | 13 Aug 2016 |
| 27 | 26.0 | 4 | 89 | 5 | 2 | 2 | v Zimbabwe | Harare | 06 Nov 2016 |
| 28 | 23.0 | 6 | 63 | 8 | 2 | 4 | v Zimbabwe | Harare | 06 Nov 2016 |
| 29 | 20.2 | 5 | 59 | 6 | 3 | 4 | v Bangladesh | Galle | 07 Mar 2017 |
| 30 | 32.0 | 4 | 116 | 5 | 3 | 1 | v Zimbabwe | Colombo (RPS) | 14 Jul 2017 |
| 31 | 39.1 | 5 | 133 | 6 | 2 | 3 | v Zimbabwe | Colombo (RPS) | 14 Jul 2017 |
| 32 | 40.0 | 12 | 93 | 5 | 5 | 2 | v Pakistan | Abu Dhabi | 28 Sep 2017 |
| 33 | 21.4 | 4 | 43 | 6 | 2 | 4 | v Pakistan | Abu Dhabi | 28 Sep 2017 |
| 34 | 32.5 | 5 | 98 | 6 | 1 | 4 | v South Africa | Colombo (SSC) | 20 Jul 2018 |
His 6 for 98 against South Africa in the just concluded test was his third five wicket haul against South Africa. All the three occasions are listed below. His 6 for 98 represent his best innings performance against South Africa
| No | Overs | M | Runs | W | Pos | Inns | Opposition | Ground | Start Date |
| 1 | 30.3 | 7 | 79 | 5 | 5 | 4 | v South Africa | Durban | 26 Dec 2011 |
| 2 | 45.0 | 30 | 40 | 5 | 1 | 4 | v South Africa | Colombo (SSC) | 24 Jul 2014 |
| 3 | 32.5 | 5 | 98 | 6 | 1 | 4 | v South Africa | Colombo (SSC) | 20 Jul 2018 |
HMRKB Herath’s six for 98 in the just concluded test against South Africa at Col-SSC represents his 25th five wicket haul in an innings in Sri Lanka’s winning tests. He became the third bowler in the annals of test cricket to capture 25 plus five wicket hauls in a team’s winning tests. Others are – M Muralidharan {67}, SK Warne (37}, RJ Hadlee {36} and A Kumble {35}. The following table furnishes the performance of these five bowlers
| No | Player | Team | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | 5 |
| 1 | M Muralitharan | Srl | 54 | 107 | 18725 | 7088 | 438 | 9/51 | 16/220 | 16.18 | 41 |
| 2 | SK Warne | Aus | 92 | 180 | 26133 | 11461 | 510 | 8/71 | 11/77 | 22.47 | 27 |
| 3 | HMRKB Herath | Srl | 38 | 75 | 10543 | 4577 | 243 | 9/127 | 14/184 | 18.83 | 25 |
The following table lists the 25 five wicket hauls of HMRKB Herath in Sri Lanka’s winning tests arranged chronologically
| No | Overs | M | Runs | W | Inns | Opposition | Ground | Start Date |
| 1 | 35.0 | 5 | 99 | 5 | 3 | v Pakistan | Colombo (PSS) | 12 Jul 2009 |
| 2 | 48.0 | 9 | 139 | 5 | 4 | v New Zealand | Colombo (SSC) | 26 Aug 2009 |
| 3 | 30.3 | 7 | 79 | 5 | 4 | v South Africa | Durban | 26 Dec 2011 |
| 4 | 19.0 | 5 | 74 | 6 | 2 | v England | Galle | 26 Mar 2012 |
| 5 | 38.0 | 9 | 97 | 6 | 4 | v England | Galle | 26 Mar 2012 |
| 6 | 30.0 | 5 | 65 | 5 | 1 | v New Zealand | Galle | 17 Nov 2012 |
| 7 | 18.0 | 3 | 43 | 6 | 3 | v New Zealand | Galle | 17 Nov 2012 |
| 8 | 28.3 | 6 | 68 | 5 | 1 | v Bangladesh | Colombo (RPS) | 16 Mar 2013 |
| 9 | 36.0 | 9 | 89 | 7 | 3 | v Bangladesh | Colombo (RPS) | 16 Mar 2013 |
| 10 | 30.2 | 11 | 48 | 6 | 3 | v Pakistan | Galle | 06 Aug 2014 |
| 11 | 33.1 | 3 | 127 | 9 | 2 | v Pakistan | Colombo (SSC) | 14 Aug 2014 |
| 12 | 22.1 | 2 | 57 | 5 | 4 | v Pakistan | Colombo (SSC) | 14 Aug 2014 |
| 13 | 21.0 | 6 | 48 | 7 | 4 | v India | Galle | 12 Aug 2015 |
| 14 | 33.0 | 9 | 68 | 6 | 2 | v West Indies | Galle | 14 Oct 2015 |
| 15 | 33.3 | 16 | 54 | 5 | 4 | v Australia | Pallekele | 26 Jul 2016 |
| 16 | 38.1 | 11 | 81 | 6 | 2 | v Australia | Colombo (SSC) | 13 Aug 2016 |
| 17 | 18.1 | 3 | 64 | 7 | 4 | v Australia | Colombo (SSC) | 13 Aug 2016 |
| 18 | 26.0 | 4 | 89 | 5 | 2 | v Zimbabwe | Harare | 06 Nov 2016 |
| 19 | 23.0 | 6 | 63 | 8 | 4 | v Zimbabwe | Harare | 06 Nov 2016 |
| 20 | 20.2 | 5 | 59 | 6 | 4 | v Bangladesh | Galle | 07 Mar 2017 |
| 21 | 32.0 | 4 | 116 | 5 | 1 | v Zimbabwe | Colombo (RPS) | 14 Jul 2017 |
| 22 | 39.1 | 5 | 133 | 6 | 3 | v Zimbabwe | Colombo (RPS) | 14 Jul 2017 |
| 23 | 40.0 | 12 | 93 | 5 | 2 | v Pakistan | Abu Dhabi | 28 Sep 2017 |
| 24 | 21.4 | 4 | 43 | 6 | 4 | v Pakistan | Abu Dhabi | 28 Sep 2017 |
| 25 | 32.5 | 5 | 98 | 6 | 4 | v South Africa | Colombo (SSC) | 20 Jul 2018 |