Active Udana ropes in Premier title for MAS
Isuru Udana struck two classic hits over the ropes in the 19th over to give MAS Active Trading a heart stopping one wicket win over Commercial Credit & Finance PLC in the 23rd Singer –MCA Premier league 2016 Knock-out Tournament Final, concluded at the MCA Grounds last weekend.
Isuru Udana
The match got underway at 2.30 pm, due to wet ground conditions with a reduced 22 overs a side.
Commercial Credit, sent into bat did not make use of the good start given by their openers Kusal Mendis (39 in 28 balls, inclusive of three sixes and two fours) and skipper, Upul Tharanga (28 in 24 balls, inclusive of a six and two fours), who put on 50 runs in 40 balls, as they failed to read the pace of Isuru Udana (4-0-22-3) and the spin of Sachith Pathirana (5-1-23-5) to skid to 128 in 19 overs.
Pathirana accounted for the prize scalps of Chamara Kapugedera (1) and Suraj Randiv (1).
The run chase did not come easy for the league winners, MAS Active Trading when the Commercial Credit’s spinners, Malinda Pushpakumara (5-1-28-2), Chathuranga de Silva (4-0-11-4) and Suraj Randiv (5-0-38-2) spun a huge web, restricting them to 93 for 6 in 14 overs.
Angelo Perera (32 not out in 13 balls inclusive of three sixes and two fours ) bravely held the batting, but was fast running out of partners until the last man, Isuru Udana came in at 116 for 9, 13 runs short of victory.
By that time, the spin trio had exhausted their quota of overs and paceman Vishva Fernando was called in to bowl the 19th Over.
Last man, Isuru Udana (14 not out in just nine balls) rose up to the occasion by hitting Vishva Fernando for two successive sixes, one over square leg and the winning hit over long on to seal victory with 20 balls to spare, which earned him the man-of-the-match award from the Match Referee, Nalliah Devarajan.
The other three special awards went to Lasith Malinga from MAS Active Trading, the best bowler; Primosh Perera from Sampath Bank, the best Batsman and Bhanuka Rajapaksa from John Keells, the man-of-the-series.
A life time award in recognition for the yeoman service rendered towards National Cricket for over 50 years was presented to our cheer leader Percy Abeysekera.
It is recalled that Percy Abeysekera (now 79 years old) captained the AMW team and won the MCA ‘G’ division, beating Lake House at Rifle Green way back in 1968.
The awards for the league and the Knock-out were presented by Chandana Samarasinghe, Director Operations (Chief Guest) and Asantha Karunaratne, Senior Manager, Merchandizing (guest-of-honour), both from Singer Sri Lanka PLC, Niran Mahawatte, President, Nalin Wickramasinghe, General Secretary and Sujeewa de Silva, Chairman, Tournament Committee all from MCA.
| Results Commercial Credit & Finance – 128 (19) (Kusal Mendis 39, Upul Tharanga 28, Dilhara Cooray 17, Chathuranga de Silva 21, Isuru Udana 3/22, Sachith Pathirana 5/23) MAS Active Trading – 133 for 9 (18.4) (Dilshan Munaweera 26, T.N. Sampath 22, Angelo Perera 32 not out, Malinda Pushpakumara 2/28, Chathuranga de Silva 4/11, Suraj Randiv 2/38) |