Invitational Schools U-19 wins MCA Tier ‘A’ Cricket Sixes
The Invitational School’s U-19 Team led by Avishka Fernando from St. Sebastian’s College, Moratuwa won the MCA Tier “A” Cricket “Sixes” 2015, beating HNB in the Final, at the MCA grounds on Sunday.
The tournament was sponsored by QP Employment (Pvt) Ltd., for the second successive year.
In the Tier “B” final prior to the above final on the MCAmatting, MAS Silueta “B” with the last man standing, beat Stafford Motors.
The School’sTeam on their way to the title eliminated the 2014Winner, MAS Unichela “A” and the 2014 runners-up, MASActive.
MAS Silueta “B” chasing the Stafford Motors total of 61 for 3 in five overs, was tottering at 14 for 5 in 1.3 overs, leaving the last man, Krishan Dinidu who, stood up like a colossus scoring 47 not out in 17 balls, hitting a massive six and nine fours to finish with 62 for 5 in four overs.
The School’s U-19 team comprised of: Avishka Fernando (Captain from St. Sebastian’s College Moratuwa), Wanidu de Silva (Richmond Galle), Lakshina Rodrigo (St. Peter’s, Bambalapitiya), Jehan Daniel (St. Joseph’s College, Colombo), S. Shanogeeth (Trinity College, Kandy), Sachitha Jayatillake (S. Thomas’, Mt. Lavinia) Sajith Sameera (Zahira College) and Lahiru Samarakoon (Dharmaraja, Kandy)
MATCH RESULTS:
Tier “A” (Turf) The team mentioned first batted first.
Quarter Finals: MAS Unichela “A” 69/4 (5.0) beat Sampath Bank “B” 46/0 (5.0);
MAS Active - 80/2 (5.0) lost to School’s U-19,81/4(5.0);SampathBank “A” —78/2 (5.0) lost to HNB — 80/2 (5.0); LB Finance “A” - 70/3 (5.0) lost to MAS Unichela “B” 71/1 (4.4).
Semi Finals: School’s U-19 - 76/4 (5.0) beat MAS Unichela “A” — 70/5 (5.0); MAS Unichela “B” - 84/2 (5.0) lost to HNB - 85/1 (4.5),
Final: School’s U-19 — 94/2 (5.0) (Avishka Fernando 31 rtd n.o, Sachitha Jayatillake 36 rtd. n.o, MadhawaWarnapura 1/21, Saman Jayantha 1/21) beat HNB — 90/0 (5.0) (Saman Jayantha 32 rtd n.o, Damitha Hunukumbara 24 n.o, Madhawa Warnapura 33 n.o)
Special Awards: 43-year-old, Saman Jayantha from HNB carried away four of the five awards — Best Batsman, Best Bowler, Most sixes in the tournament (15) and Man of theTournament;Avishka Fernando from the School’s U-19 Team won the Man of the Final award.
TIER “B” (MATTING) FIRST TEAM MENTIONED BATTED FIRST.
Quarter-Finals: Stafford Motors 59/1 beat QP employment 55/3; Sri Lankan Airlines (62/2) beat Unilever (62/4) in the wicket-keepers contest; MAS Silueta “B” 42/2 beat Citizens Devp. Business 38/6; UB Finance “A” 75/3 lost to Nations Trust Bank 76/2
Semi-Finals: SL Airlines 66/4 lost to Stafford Motors 68/1; MAS Silueta “B” 74/2 beat Nations Trust Bank 41/6.
Final: Stafford Motors — 61/3 (5.0) (Ishara Tennakoon 21 not out, K. Tharindu 1/16, Angelo Emmanuel 2/4) lost to MAS Silueta “B” 62/5 (4.0) (Krishan Dinidu 47 not out, J. Maduwantha 4/11,A. Singapulli 1/7)
SPECIALAWARDS
Most Sixes in the Tournament — Nuwantha Perera from Sri LankanAirlines (10); Best Bowler — Angelo Emmanuel from MAS Silueta “B”; Best Batsman — T.S. Ayurdeen from QP Employment; Man of the Final — Krishan Dinidu from MAS Silueta “B”; Man of the Tournament — Sanjaya Gangodawila from Stafford Motor’s teams participated in the Tier “A” and 46 teams participated in Tier “B”, the tournament conducted over the week-end.
The concept of entering a School’s U-19 team to the Tier “A” came from the MCA incumbent President, former Test Wicket Keeper /Batsman, Gemini Wickramasinghe.
Wickramasinghe who is presently highly involved with the Sri Lanka Cricket U-19 squad is planning to get a School’s U-19 team in the forth coming MCA Premier League, starting late September 2015. He has already got the blessings of the SLSCA for this worthy exercise of taking School’s Cricket to greater heights by giving them adequate exposure, which they lack at the moment.
At the post tournament presentation, awards were given away by Adhil Mohamed, Director QPEmployment (Chief Guest), Gamini Wickramasinghe, President, Mahesh deAlwis, Chairman Tournament Committee, Rohan Somawansa, Chairman /Other Sports and Sujeewa de Silva, Secretary, Tournament Committee - all from MCA.
(B.M)