Tharindu and Sandaruwan lift McLarens to win over HSBC ‘A’
A 100 ball, rock solid 74 runs, containing 8 hits to the ropes by Tharindu Rukshan and an inspired spell of spin bowling by Sandaruwan Hettiarachchi (8-1-28-4) lifted McLarens Group to a well earned 31-runs win over HSBC ‘A’ in the 12th Ceylon Cold Stores PLC, ‘Elephant House Lemonade’ Trophy, MCA ‘D’ division 40 – Over League Tournament 2015 Final, concluded at the MCA grounds last Saturday.
McLarens won the toss and chose to bat; One drop batsman, Tharindu Rukshan bravely held the batting for them, as the other batsmen struggled against the spinners Nishika de Silva (8-32-2) and Julion de Zilwa (8-2-41-3)
A useful 7th Wicket stand of 50-runs between Tharindu Rukshan and Piyal Dissanayake (25) took McLarens to a respectable 187 in 39.5 overs.
HSBC ‘A’ took off well putting on 75 runs in the 1st 10 overs, as Sheehan Wijetunga (31) and Sachith Nissanka (31) colored the McLarens pace attack to put on 55 runs for the 2nd wicket. Wijetunga fell to a brilliant catch taken in the deep by Chalitha Madusanka and a rot set in thereafter; batting hero, Tharindu Rukshan rubbed salt on the wound when he got rid of the Bankers prolific run getter, Dion Melder for 06 runs.
Spinners, Randika Fernando (8-1-38-2) and Sandaruwan Hettiarachchi bowled at tandem to further throttle the HSBC Batsmen, as they slid from 115 for 5 in 22 overs to 156 all out in 32.4 overs.
HSBC’s Nishika de Silva took two scalps - Pix by Anuradha Bandara
Match Referee, K.H. Nandasena had no hesitation of naming, Tharindu Rukshan from McLarens as his Man-of-the-Match.
Tharindu Rukshan top scored with 74 for the victorious McLarens side
The other three special awards went to Asela Wewalwela from AMW group (Best Batsman), Nalinda Channa from David Pieris Motor Co. (Best Bowler) and Ashail Kariyawasam from HSBC ‘A’ (Man of the Tournament)
Awards were given away by Daminda Gamlath, the Vice President of JKH and Head of Beverage of CCS, the chief guest, Wasanthalal Fernando, Asst. Vice President of JKH and Head of Beverage Sales of CCS , the guest of honour) and MCA officials Gamini Wickramasinghe (President), Rohana Dissanayake (General Secretary) and Sanjaya Wijesinghe (Snr. Member TC and Project Chairman).
Chief Scores :
McLarens 187 all out in 39.5 overs (Sandaruwan Hettiarachchi 19, Tharindu Rukshan 74, Basheer Bongso 15, Piyal Dissanayake 25, Nishika de Silva 2/32, Julian de Zilwa 3/41)
HSBC ‘A’ 156 all out in 32.4 overs (Sheehan Wijetunga 31, Sachith Nissanka 31, Ashail Kariyawasam 19, Nishika de Silva 26, Tharindu Rukshan 2/4, Randika Fernando 2/38, Sandaruwan Hettiarachchi 4/28)