MCA ‘G’ Div. tourney kicks off on June 12
View(s):A record number of 43 including ten new teams will battle it out for the 5th Stafford Motor Co. Ltd. sponsored ‘Honda’ Trophy, MCA ‘G’ Division 25 over League Tournament 2016. The official sponsorship presentation and media briefing was held at the MCA Pavilion last Wednesday and the sponsorship package was handed over to Niran Mahawatte, MCA President by Tarindra Kaluperuma, Executive Director Stafford Motors Ltd.
Ten teams that make their debut in this year’s edition are: Laugfs Holdings, Wurth Lanka, Maliban Biscuits, Roche Products, Group M Media, Holcim Cement, Cargills Bank, Prym Intimates and Ship Express and Micro Holdings.
The other 33 teams are sponsor, Stafford Motor Co. Ltd., Millennium IT, Pearson Lanka, A. Baur and Co, Coca Cola Beverages, Elastomeric, First Choice, Total Amber, Asia Asset Finance, Merchant Bank, Peak Colombo, PABC Bank ‘B’, Glaxo SmithKline, Alliance Finance Co., Avery Denison, Mihin Lanka, Mobitel ‘B’, Tech One Global, ACL Cables, Citi Bank NA, HNB Assurance, Tea and Herbs, Union Assurance, Courtaulds Clothing, Deutsche Bank AG, Kelani Cables, QP Employment, Ultra Tech Cement, Asiri Hospitals, Jetwing Travels, Metropolitan Group, Palliyaguruge Group and WNS Global.
The tournament will get underway on June 12 and the curtain comes down of the 2016 mercantile cricket calendar with the finals scheduled to be played on August 20. The tournament consist of 126 half-day matches in two stages. The first stage of the league consisting 111 matches will go on till July 19. The second stage, the Knockout, consisting 15 matches will take place on July 30, (Pre-quarter-finals); August 7 (quarter-finals); August 13, (semi-finals) and August 20 (final).
The 126 matches are spread around 10 venues, namely MCA, Thurstan, St. Benedict’s, Wesley, De Mazanod, Health ground Castle Street, Army ground Mattegoda, St. John’s Panadura, NSCA Ratmalana and Veyangoda Central. The 15 Knockout stage matches will be supervised by an MCA appointed match referee. All Matches will be played with the Grays of Cambridge Avenger ball, imported from Pakistan by the MCA with the printed MCA crest. MCA will supply the match balls to the participating teams at cost.
The four ‘Honda’ special awards on offer are for the best batsman, best bowler, man of the final and man of the series. Asia Asset Finance emerged champs last year defeating Brandix Essentials in the final played on August 15 at the MCA ground. The keep sake, ‘Honda’ Trophyto be awarded to the winning team was handed over by Deputy General Manager, Stafford Motor Co, Damitha Jayasundera to the Chairman of the MCA Tournament Committee, Sujeewa de Silva. The MCA, General Secretary, Nalin Wickramasinghe briefed the Media on the intricate details pertaining to the tournament. -LR