Expolanka bags their first MCA Title

Expolanka Holdings bagged their first MCA Cricket title registering a comfortable 56-run win over John Keells Group “B” in the final of the 03rd Fairfirst Insurance sponsored, MCA “F” Division 25-Over League Tournament 2020, at the MCA grounds.

Expolanka Holdings captain, 28 yearold all-rounder Hashan Hewanayake, accounted for three of the four special awards offered.

He was recognized as Best Bowler (7 matches, 34 overs, 125 runs, 18 wickets), Man of the Series (7 innings, 185 runs inclusive of 2 half centuries) and Man of the Final, adjudged by the Match Referee, Gamini Dissanayake (77 in 53 balls, inclusive of 8 sixes, 2 fours and 4 catches).

The remaining special award went to Expolanka’s opening batsman/ wicketkeeper Lahiru Lakshitha (7 innings, 326 runs, the only century of the tournament and a half century, and a best of 170 vs. MBSL Insurance).

Expolanka, who won the toss and batted first, ran up a challenging total of 183 for 8 in 25 overs helped by a 130-run stand in 108 balls, between Tharindu Roshan (57 in 65 balls, inclusive of 4 sixes and 2 fours) and skipper Hewanayake, helped by some atrocious fielding by John Keells, who grassed as many as six easy catches.

John Keells, unbeaten up to the final, got off to shaky start in their run chase, and never got the measure of it, folding up for 127 runs in 22 overs.

Madawa Chathuranga finished with impressive figures of 5/29 for Expolanka.

CHIEF SCORES:

Expolanka Holdings 183/8 (25 overs) (Lahiru Lakshitha 26, Tharindu Roshan 57, Hashan Hewanayake 77, Dharshana Hewawasam 2/44, Ishan Jayawardena 2/20, P.K. Abeygunasekera 2/17)

John Keells “B” 127 (22 overs) (Praveen Gunawardena 14, Dharshana Hewawasam 47, Rusiru de Silva 15, Ishane Perera 22, Seniru Mapatuna 2/27, Madawa Chathuranga 5/29) (BM)