Lacklustre end for MCA – Maliban Masters Cricket ‘Sixes’ 2019

Fairfirst Insurance Captain Thanura Gunatillake (second from left) and HNB Captain Mahesh Wijkenayake (second from right) receiving the Maliban Biscuits Manufactories Trophy Maliban Biscuits General Manager Operations and Maliban Milk Products and Maliban Dairy and Agri Products Chief Operations Officer Bandula Perera (centre left) and Maliban Milk Products Deputy Human Resources Manager Dayan Dhanushka. MCA President Roshan Iddamalgoda (left) and MCA Tournament Committee Chairman Sujeewa de Silva (right) look on

The MCA – Maliban Masters Cricket ‘Sixes’ 2019 came to a lacklustre end on 9 June at the MCA grounds.

The defending champions Fairfirst Insurance and the 2018 runners-up HNB opted for a joint championship instead of going for the ‘bowl out’.

The tournament which attracted 18 teams simultaneously conducted at the MCA and Thurstan College grounds was constantly interrupted by rain. 

Three final round matches had to be decided enforcing the ‘bowl out’ contest held at the MCA Indoor Nets.

Interestingly, MAS Unichela team who had the likes of T.M. Dilshan, Malinda Warnapura, Gayan Wijekoon, Ishara Amarasinghe, Mario Rees and Manjula Fernando lost to AMW in the ‘bowl out’.

The special awards were; Best Bowler – Mahesh Wijenayake from HNB; Best Batsman – Gayan Wijekoon from MAS Unichela; Most Sixes – Eric Upashantha from Fairfirst Insurance and Most Senior Player – 60-year-old H.M.S.M. Jayawardena from Airport & Aviation. 

The average age of Fairfirst Insurance was 47.0 and was captained by Thanura Gunatillake, for HNB it was 43.5 led by Mahesh Wijenayake. 

Awards were given away by Chief Guest Maliban Biscuits General Manager Operations and Maliban Milk Products and Maliban Dairy and Agri Products Chief Operations Officer Bandula Perera, Guest of Honour Maliban Milk Products Deputy Human Resources Manager Dayan Dhanushka, MCA President Roshan Iddamalgoda and MCA Tournament Committee Chairman Sujeewa de Silva. 

Match results  

Group Stage at MCA Grounds: Hayleys – 35/2 (05) lost to Fairfirst Insurance – 40/0 (03); SriLankan Airlines – 52/4 (05) beat Deutsche Bank AG – 47/3 (05); Commercial Bank – 52/0 (05) lost to John Keells – 56/2 (4.3); MAS Unichela – 84/4 (05) beat AMW – 49/1 (05)

Knock-out Stage at MCA: Quarter-Finals: Fairfirst Insurance – 55/5 (05) beat Commercial Bank – 52/1 (05); John Keells – 58/2 (05) beat SriLankan Airlines – 50/4 (05)

Semi-Final: John Keells – 25/1 (05) lost to Fairfirst Insurance – 26/1 (3.3)

Quarter-Final: AMW beat MAS Unichela on the ‘bowl out’ contest (transferred from Thurstan); Semi Finals: HNB beat AMW on the ‘bowl out’ contest (transferred from Thurstan)

Group Stage at Thurstan 

• Sri Lanka Telecom – 50/3 (05) lost to AMW – 51/3 (2.3);
• Allianz Insurance – 51/1 (5) beat Colombo Dockyard – 42/4 (05);  
• The Finance – 40/4 (05) lost to Airport & Aviation – 41/5 (3.2);
• MAS Unichela – 83/4 (05) beat Sri Lanka Telecom – 33/5 (05);
• Allianz Insurance – 41/5 (05) lost to Singer Sri Lanka – 43/1 (3.1); 
• HNB – 81/1 (5) beat The Finance – 64/1 (5);
• Colombo Dockyard – 60/0 (05) lost to Singer Sri Lanka – 61/1 (4.4); 
• HNB – 55/2 (05) beat Airport & Aviation – 29/1 (5);
• Quarter-Finals – Singer Sri Lanka – 43/1 (05) lost to HNB – 44/0 (3.3)