Maliban claim 7th MCA ‘G’ Division 25-over League Tournament

MCA ‘Blue’, led by Adithya Hettiarachchi from Royal Institute, pulled off an exciting four-run win over MCA ‘Green’ at the Annual MCA Cricket Academy Under-13 Inter-House 30-over League Cricket Tournament final, played at the MCA grounds on Tuesday.

It was sweet revenge for MCA ‘Blue’, who had lost to MCA ‘Green’ by two runs in the league stage. 

In the playoff for third place, played prior to the final, MCA ‘Red’ romped to a comfortable eight-wicket win over MCA ‘White’.

Match results of six league matches

Match No. 1: MCA ‘White’ beat MCA ‘Red’ by 48 runs; MCA ‘White’ 227/5(30), MCA ‘Red’ - 179/5 (30)

Match No. 2: MCA ‘Green’ beat MCA ‘Blue’ by two runs; MCA ‘Green’ - 163/4 (30), MCA ‘Blue’ - 161/8 (30)

Match No. 3: MCA ‘Green’ beat MCA ‘White’ by seven wickets. MCA ‘White’ – 169/6 (30), MCA ‘Green‘ - 173/3 (28).

Match No. 4: MCA ‘Red’ beat MCA ‘Blue’ by 4 wickets; MCA ‘Blue’ 168/8 (30), MCA ‘Red’ - 174/6 (30) 

Match No. 5: MCA ‘Blue’ beat MCA ‘White’ by 114 runs; MCA ‘Blue’ – 170/5 (30), MCA ‘White’ - 56 (20.4) 

Match No. 6: MCA ‘Green’ beat MCA ‘Red’ by 107 runs; MCA ‘Green’ - 215/6 (30), MCA ‘Red’ - 108 (19.4)

The Best Batting came from Lithika Withanage from MCA ‘White’ (154 not out in 86 balls inclusive of 5 sixes and 24 fours against MCA ‘Red’) 

Play-off for third place: MCA ‘Red’ beat MCA ‘White’ by eight wickets 

MCA ‘White’ - 90/9 (25) (Dinal Balasuriya 16, Shakesh Minon 2/8, Ishika Bhanuka 2/3)

MCA ‘Red’ - 93/2 (19.1) (Ishika Bhanuka 37 not out, Sanil Perera 17)

Final: MCA ‘Blue’ beat MCA ‘Green’ by 4 runs. 

MCA ‘Blue’ - 212/6 (30) (Adithya Hettiarachchi 57, Dineth Gunawardena 43 not out, Lahiru Amarasekera 37, Malith Bimsara 2/30)

MCA ‘Green’ – 208 (28.4) (Malith Bimsara 98, Hirusha Wijesena 21, Tharanga Fernando 20, Chamod Manthillaka 3/35) 

Special awards

Best Fielder: Rukshan Tharanga Fernando from MCA ‘Green’

Best Bowler: Chamodh Manthillake from MCA ‘Green’

Best Batsman: Malith Bimsara from MCA ‘Green’

Player of the Final: Adithya Hettiarachchi from MCA ‘Blue’ 

Player of the Tournament: Malith Bimsara from MCA ‘Green’

The Chief Guest at the post-tournament awards presentation was MCA Academy student Santush Gunatillake, a student from St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya who was recently picked as the Sunday Observer Most Popular School Boy Cricketer of the year. 

Gunatillake scored 1,000 runs, bagged 40 wickets and held 33 catches for the St. Peter’s College’s first XI team in the 2016/17 season. 

The others who participated in the awards were President Niran Mahawatte, Senior Vice President Roshan Iddamalgoda and General Secretary Nalin Wickramasinghe. Mahesh de Alwis - Assistant Secretary and Chairman, Cricket Development Committee and Sujeewa de Silva, Chairman Tournament Committee all from the MCA.

At the end of the awards, the parents of the MCA Academy students gave a substantial purse to MCA Academy caretaker K.A. Somapala in appreciation of his hard work and for being a father figure to the students.