MCA Cricket: SLT win maiden Division 'G' title

Hopes of a hat-trick of titles by fairfirst Insurance (fairfirst) was tarnished by Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) led by K. Amarasinghe, winning their maiden Mercantile Cricket title when it overcame fairfirst by 7 wickets, in the 8th Stafford Motor Co. (Pvt) Ltd., 'Honda' Trophy-MCA 'G' Division 25-Over League Tournament 2018 Final,concluded at the MCA Grounds. 

Earlier, fairfirst bagged the 2 MCA '6s' titles. 

fairfirst sent into bat, got off on the wrong foot when their big hitting Captain Lakshan Perera was run-out for 6, with the score at 14, with more disaster following at the same score, as Perera’s opening partner R. Peiris perished for 7, followed by their new recruit, Asel Sigera for a duck- Score 14/3, both falling to SLT’s opening bowler, I Devin. 

Batsmen Nos. 4 and 5, Thilina Masmulla and P. Fernando steadied proceedings with a fighting 51-runs stand for the 4th wicket in 18 balls, before Fernando was trapped LBW by L. Kumara- Score 65/4 (12.2 overs).
 
Masmulla fired away from one end, but was fast losing partners including veteran, Sanjaya Attanayake (2), fairfirst’s last crusader (Score 78/5).
 
Finally, Masmulla got stranded with a gutsy 87 not out in 62 balls with 1 six and 13 fours- fairfirst all out for 144 in 24.3 overs. 

SLT chasing a target of 145 runs in 25 overs (RPO 5.8), was given a solid start by Nirushan Ramachandran- 63 in 57 balls with 3 sixes and 6 fours) and L. Thambawita- 32 in 29 balls with 5 fours, who put on 88 runs in 76 balls. 

SLT now virtually in the fast lane, cruised along to win handsomely with L. Ranatunga- 17 not out and M. de Silva- 17 not out, putting the finishing touches with an unbroken 35-runs stand for the 4th wicket- Score 148/3 in 23.5 overs). 

SLT’s opening batsman Nirushan Ramachandran was awarded Man of the Match. 

The other 3 Special awards, based on performances up to the semi-finals were 
Best Bowler and Man of the Series: Mangala Pradeep (MAS Linea Aqua) 
Best Batsman: Suranga Thushara (Allaris Lanka) 

fairfirst 144 all out (24.2) (Thilina Masmulla 87n.o., P. Fernando 11; I. Devin 2/16, I. Siriwardena 2/20) 

SLT 148 for 3 wickets (23.5) (Nirushan Ramachandran 63, L. Thambawita 32, S. Divangana 14, L. Ranatunga 17n.o., M. de Silva 17n.o.; I. Sampath 3/28)