Schools win MCA sixes marking new age
The gallant Invitational School’s Under-19 team led by Avishka Fernando from St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa won the MCA Tier ‘A’ Cricket ‘Sixes’ 2015, beating the fancied HNB in the Final, at the MCA grounds last Sunday. In the tournament sponsored by QP Employment (Pvt) Ltd., for the 2nd successive year this young lads with a superb combination and team work made every experienced opposition to work hard for their runs and when in their turn made runs with ease to achieve victory.
In the Tier ‘B’ final prior to the above final on the MCA Matting, MAS Silueta ‘B’ with the last man standing, beat Stafford Motors.
The School’s team on their way to the title, eliminated the 2014 Winner, MAS Unichela ‘A’ and the 2014 runners-up, MAS Active.
MAS Silueta ‘B’ chasing the Stafford Motors total of 61 for 3 in five overs, was tottering at 14 for 5 in 1.3 overs, leaving the last man, Krishan Dinidu who stood up like a colossus scoring 47 not out in 17 balls, hitting a massive six and nine fours to finish with 62 for 5 in four overs.
The School’s U-19 team comprised of Avishka Fernando (Captain from St. Sebastian’s College Moratuwa) Wanidu de Silva (Richmond, Galle), Lakshina Rodrigo (St. Peter’s College), Jehan Daniel (St. Joseph’s College), S. Shanogeeth (Trinity College), Sachitha Jayatilleke (S. Thomas’ College) Sajith Sameera (Zahira College) and Lahiru Samarakoon (Dharmaraja College)
Match Results at a glance:
Tier ‘A’ (Turf): The team mentioned first batted first
Quarter-finals: MAS Unichela ‘A’ 69/4 (5) beat Sampath Bank ‘B’ 46/0 (5); MAS Active 80/2 (5) lost to School’s U-19, 81/4 (5); Sampath Bank ‘A’ 78/2 (5) lost to HNB 80/2 (5); LB Finance ‘A’ 70/3 (5) lost to MAS Unichela ‘B’ 71/1 (4.4).
Semi-finals: School’s U-19 76/4 (5) beat MAS Unichela ‘A’ 70/5 (5); MAS Unichela ‘B’ 84/2 (5) lost to HNB 85/1 (4.5)
Final: School’s U-19 94/2 (5) (Avishka Fernando 31 rtd, Sachitha Jayatilleke 36 rtd., Madhawa Warnapura 1/21, Saman Jayantha 1/21) beat HNB 90/0 (5) (Saman Jayantha 32 rtd, Damitha Hunukumbara 24 n.o., Madhawa Warnapura 33 n.o.)
Special Awards: 43-year-old, Saman Jayantha from HNB carried away four of the five awards – Best Batsman, Best Bowler, Most sixes in the tournament (15) and Man of the Tournament while Avishka Fernando from the School’s U-19 team won the Man of the Final award.
Tier ‘B’ (Matting): First team mentioned batted first
Quarter-finals: Stafford Motors 59/1 beat QP employment 55/3; SriLankan Airlines (62/2) beat Unilever (62/4) in the wicketkeepers contest; MAS Silueta ‘B’ 42/2 beat Citizens Devp. Business 38/6; UB Finance ‘A’ 75/3 lost to Nations Trust Bank 76/2
Semi-finals: SL Airlines 66/4 lost to Stafford Motors 68/1; MAS Silueta ‘B’ 74/2 beat Nations Trust Bank 41/6.
Final: Stafford Motors 61/3 (5) (Ishara Tennakoon 21 not out, K. Tharindu 1/16, Angelo Emmanuel 2/4) lost to MAS Silueta ‘B’ 62/5 (4) (Krishan Dinidu 47 not out, J. Maduwantha 4/11, A. Singapulli 1/7)
Special Awards:
Most Sixes in the Tournament – Nuwantha Perera from Sri Lankan Airlines (10); Best Bowler – Angelo Emmanuel from MAS Silueta ‘B’; Best Batsman – T.S. Ayurdeen from QP Employment; Man of the Final – Krishan Dinidu from MAS Silueta ‘B’; Man of the Tournament – Sanjaya Gangodawila from Stafford Motors.
Top mercantile teams participated in the Tier ‘A’ and Tier ‘B’ this year.
The concept of entering a School’s U-19 team to the Tier ‘A’ came from the MCA incumbent President, former Test wicketkeeper/batsman, Gamini Wickramasinghe.
Wickramasinghe who is presently highly involved with the Sri Lanka Cricket U-19 squad is planning to get a School’s U-19 team in the forthcoming MCA Premier League, starting late September 2015. He has already got the blessings of the SLSCA for his worthy exercise of taking School’s Cricket to greater heights by giving them adequate exposure, which they lack at the moment.
At the post tournament presentation, awards were given away by Adhil Mohamed, Director QP Employment (Chief Guest ), Gamini Wickramasinghe, President, Mahesh de Alwis, Chairman Tournament Committee, Rohan Somawansa, Chairman /Other Sports and Sujeewa de Silva, Secretary, Tournament Committee – all from MCA.