Debutants DHT Cement in winning start
Shaluka Dimantha
Debutants, DHT Cement made a memorable entrance into Mercantile Cricket, when they scored a comprehensive 7-wicket win over senior MCA member, JL Morisons (JLM), in the 6th Prestige Automobile (Pvt) Ltd.-sponsored, ‘BMW /Hyundai’ Trophy, MCA ‘C’ division 50 over League Tournament 2017, which got off to a start last weekend.
The matchwinners for DHT Cement’s historic win were left arm leg-spinner, Shaluka Dimantha Silva (10-4-12-3) and Dilan Samaraweera (63 not out in 59 balls, with 8 fours) and Nilupul de Silva (55 not out in 50 balls, with 2 sixes and 6 fours) who shared an unbeaten stand of 120 runs in 102 balls, for the 4th wicket.
No.3 Aruna Hendrickson came up with sterling knock of 98 not out in 89 balls, with 2 sixes and 16 fours, to steer Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) to a comfortable 8-wicket win over Airport & Aviation Services (AAS).
Despite 2 fighting half-centuries by Visal Senanayake (59 in 109 balls with 10 fours) and Shalitha de Silva (58 in 70 balls, with 6 sixes and 3 fours) for Commercial Credit & Finance (CCF) ‘B’, Nations Trust Bank (NTB) ‘A’ sneaked to a 2-wicket win. At one stage, CCF had the match in their bag, as NTB lost 5 wickets for 108 runs in 28.4 overs. But CCF squandered their chances by giving away much as 32 extras (2nd highest scorer)
Tharindu Madushanka drives through covers - Pix by Ranjith Perera
A solid 2nd wicket stand of 97 runs in 102 balls between Gihan de Silva (71 in 83 balls, with 8 fours) and Charitha Wathuregama (52 in 74 balls, with 6 fours) and a miserly spell of spin bowling by Chamath Goonesinghe (9-1-25-4) spearheaded LB Finance (LBF) ‘B’ to a convincing 47-run win over Commercial Leasing Co. (CLC).
The League stage consisting of 20 matches, got under way last weekend, and will be completed on February 20. The Knockout stage, with the top 8 teams from 2 groups, composed of Quarterfinals, is scheduled to take place on February 11 and 12. The Semifinals are on February 18, with the Final to be played on February 25. This was revealed at the sponsorship presentation held at the MCA Pavilion last Tuesday.
 Results
- At MCA
DHT Cement beat JLM by 7 wickets
JLM 170 (47.2) (G. Kahawita 42, T. Madusanka 47, L.P. Bandara 3/39, D. Suraweera 2/33, D. Silva 3/12)
DHT Cement 171/3 (31.5) (D. Suraweera 63 n.o., N. de Silva 55 n.o., H. Karunaratne 2/34)
- At De Soysa Park, Moratuwa
SCB beat AAS by 8 wickets
AAS161 (39) ( M. Jayasinghe 2/18, A. Hendrickson 3/32, J. Almeida 3/18)
SCB 164/2 (28.2) (C. Satharasinghe 35, Aruna Hendrickson 98 n.o. )
NTB ‘A’ beat CCF ‘B’ by 2 wickets
CCF 175 (44.5) (V. Senanayake 59, S. De Silva 58, J. de Silva 2/33, M. Gunaratne 4/27, S. Perera 2/20)
NTB ‘A’ 178/8 (42.4) (M. Fernando 35, M. Fernando 2/22, S. Bandara 3/26 )
- At Kotahena
 LBF ‘B’ beat CLC by 47 runs
LBF ‘B’ 278/8 (50) (A. de Silva 71, C. Waturegama 52, H. Perera 49, R. Liyanarachchi 37, G. Fernando 3/40, M. Sanjaya 2/40)
CLC 231 (46.5) (S. Weerasinghe 59, L. Sirimanne 38, R. Liyanarachchi 2/38, T. Alwis 2/37, D. Dambarage 2/40, C. Goonesinghe 4/25)