MCA Cricket: Commercial Credit ‘B’ beat Central Finance by 138 runs to win Division ‘D’ title

Poor fielding followed by pathetic display of batting by Central Finance Co. gave Commercial Credit and Finance PLC ‘B’, the full satisfaction of sweet revenge and a cake walk 138-run win, in the 13th Ceylon Cold Stores PLC sponsored ‘Elephant House Lemonade Trophy’, MCA Division ‘D’ 40-over League Tournament 2016 final concluded at the MCA ground on Saturday (19).

Earlier in the tournament, Commercial Credit ‘B’ lost to Central Finance by 5ive wickets.

Commercial Credit ‘B’, who won the toss and batted, got off to a shaky start, losing their inform batsmen Suchira Fernando (17), Kavinda Silva (5) and Malith Fernando (2) at 16, 31 and 34.

Anura Dias, in at number three steadied the ship with a valuable 68 runs stand in 97 balls for the fourth wicket with Sanitha de Mel (29).

While Dias held his end, wickets kept on tumbling at the other end, as Central Finance spin twins, Vikum Costa and Ishan Salinda were in full control.

With the board reading 130-8, Dias found his allay in number ten batsman, Duminda Kanangara (12 in 24 balls); the pair put on 57 runs in 47 balls for the ninth wicket.

Commercial Credit closed their innings at 211 in 39.2 overs, with Dias being the last man out, after scoring a brilliant 108 in 85 balls, inclusive of four sixes and 12 fours.

The Central Finance fielding was much to be desired; the score board would have read differently if their bowlers got the full support from the fielders; even centurion Anura Dias was let off at a vital stage.

Central Finance was set to the target of 212 runs in 40 overs.

Commercial Credit opening bowler Suranga Salinda got rid of the opening batsman, Nimesh Fernando (00) in the third ball; Sanitha de Mel followed up bagging two wickets in his opening over. 

Salinda rubbed salt in the wound, capturing two more wickets in his third over as Central Finance went down precipices – 18-5.

Their last pair, Maduranga Attanayake (15 not out) and Charith Nirantha (25) took the score over the 50 mark, but they were soon all out for a paltry 73 runs in 16 overs, giving an early finish to the final at 2.45 pm.

MCA appointed Match Referee, Chandana Mahesh Wickramasinghe had an easy task of naming Anura Dias from Commercial Credit as the Man of the Match.

The other three special awards went to: Akila Dhananjaya, from Kanrich Finance ‘B’ the best bowler (7 matches, 115 runs, 20 wickets); Malintha Gajanayake from Hilton Colombo Residences, best batsman (7 innings, 431 runs, 1 century and 3 half centuries) and Adeesha Nanayakkara from Vallibel Finance, the Man of the Series (6 matches, 141 runs 11 wickets and 394 runs including 175 Vs. Aitken Spence, 99 Vs. Ceylinco and 72 Vs. DPMC)

Commercial Credit ‘B’ 211 all out (39.2) (Suchira Fernando 17, Anura Dias 108, Sanitha de Mel 29, Gihan Mihiranga 15, Vikum Costa 4/53, Charith Nirantha 2/18, Ishan Salinda 2/28)

Central Finance 73 all out (16) (Maduranga Attanayake 15n.o, Charith Nirantha 25, Suranga Salinda 4/23, Sanitha de Mel 3/15, Duminda Kannangara 2/24)