Former Sri Lankan international Kaushalya Weeraratne set a new limited-overs cricket record this week when he hit the fastest half-century off 12 balls in a domestic match here.

Weeraratne, 24, created the record on Tuesday playing for Ragama cricket club against Kurunegala in Sri Lanka's premier limited-overs tournament.

The effort surpassed England all-rounder Adam Hollioake's half-century off 15 balls for Surrey against Yorkshire at Scarborough in 1994. Weeraratne ended on an unbeaten 66 off 18 balls, an innings studded with eight sixes and two boundaries.

ONE-DAY CRICKET'S FASTEST HALF-CENTURIES (BALLS FACED):

12 - K. Weeraratne, Ragama v Kurunegala, Colombo, 2005

15 - A. Hollioake, Surrey v Yorkshire, Scarborough, 1994

16 - G. Rose, Somerset v Glamorgan, Neath, 1990

16 - M. Fleming, Kent v Gloucestershire, Canterbury, 1996

16 - M. Fleming, Kent v Scotland, Glasgow, 1991

17 - S. Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Singapore, 1996.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2005