Can Unichela bag the triple
When the finals of the Mercantile Premier Division T20 gets off at the Mercantile Cricket Association grounds today at 10.00 a.m. MAS Unichela will set their sights for the elusive ‘Triple’ when meet Commercial Credit and Finance at the 24th Singer-MCA Premier League 2017 T20 Final. Having won both League and Knock-out versions is a repetition of the knock-of the final. MAS Unichela skipper Chamara Silva is the man behind of MAS’s success as he is in good touch with the bat right through the Premier Division. Experienced T.M. Dilshan still looking young with the bat will no doubt are the batsmen to watch if Commercial Finance to avenge revenge in the second attempt.
On the other hand Commercial Credit rode on luck in the semi-finals to enter the big one as Dimo left them off the hook by dropping down three easy catches and a run out chance shattering the hopes of the engineering firm. Capitalising on the lapses Commercial Credit went through exhibiting their fighting qualities. Commercial is not a side that will surrender cheaply as they too posses a strong batting line-up headed by former Nalandian Ashan Priyanjan, Chamara Kapugedera and allrounder Malinda Pushpakumara. As both finalists are well matched in all departments of the game and it will an absorbing tussle between bat and ball as cream of national players will be in action.
On the way to the finals in the two semi-finals played on last Friday Commercial Credit defeated Dimo by 4 wickets while MAS Unichela emerged winners over Sampath Bank by 19 runs in the second semi-final
Semi-final scores:
1st Semi-final -
Dimo 172 for 7 (20) (Hashan Duminda 82, Nipun Karunanayake 33, Malinda Pushpakumara 2 for 16, Ashan Priyanjan 2 for 21, Lahiru Madusanka 2 for 29)
Commercial Credit 175
for 6 (19.4) (Ashan Priyanjan 65 n.o., Chamara Kapugedera 40, Malinda Pushpakumara 32, Ramesh Mendis 2 for 34)
2nd semi-final -
MAS Unichela 194 for 8 (20) (Chamara Silva 59 n.o., T.M. Dilshan 36, Mahela Udawatta 26, Thilaksha Sumanasiri 21, Sachitra Perera 3 for 17, Hasantha Fernando 2 for 24)
Sampath Bank 175 for 9 (20) (Rumesh Buddhika 41, Dinuk Wickremanayake 37, Hasantha Fernando 28 Chatura Peiris 3 for 13, Dunil Abeydheera 2 for 28, Lahiru Jayaratne 2 for 34)