Sri Lankan wicketkeeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella has broken a 40-year-old record, becoming the Test cricketer to score the most fifties without converting to a hundred.
Dickwella notched his 17th half-century against the West Indies during the first Test in Antigua, and looked on track to break three figures for the first time, before falling agonisingly short, bowled for his highest score of 96.
The dismissal meant the 42-Test veteran gained the unwanted record, surpassing former Indian opening batsman Chetan Chauhan, who scored 16 half-centuries without a hundred before his last game in 1981.
Dickwella looked crushed as he chopped a Kemar Roach off-cutter onto his stumps, just four short of a maiden ton.
Having scored 2291 Test runs, Dickwella is still some way short of the record for most runs without a century, held by Australian legend Shane Warne with 3154.
Sri Lanka and the West Indies drew the game, the home side batting out the final day thanks to an unbeaten 113 by Nkrumah Bonner.
The second Test begins at the same venue next Tuesday.
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