People’s Leasing halts Commercial Credit & Finance’s unbeaten run

NDB Trophy – MCA ‘C’ division 50-Overs League Tournament 2020

Commercial Credit & Finance unbeaten run came to a grinding halt when Peoples Leasing Co. (Group ‘B’ number four) scored an upset one-wicket win in the first National Development Bank (NDB) sponsored NDB Trophy – MCA ‘C’ division 50-Over (white ball) League Tournament 2020 quarter-final at De Soysa Park, Moratuwa. 

It was the splendid team effort that helped PLC to overpower the giant; first the bowling  efforts by Isuru Gunasekera and R. Fernando that restricted Commercial Credit to 229 runs in 47.4 overs; then the dogged batting by D. Kaushalya, S. Sandaruwan, G. Mendis, Isuru Gunasekera, Nayanga Kumara and I. Perera (232 for 9 in 46.3 overs).

In the second quarter-final at Panagoda, Sri Lanka Telecom went home for tea as they beat Heshan Flexi Packaging by four wickets with over 20 overs to spare. 

In the third quarter-final at MCA, a mesmerising spell of bowling by Gimhan Ashirwada (8.4-2-30-7) propelled Commercial Bank to a fine five-wicket win over Nations Trust Bank. 

In a low scoring fourth quarter-final at Moors Group, ‘B’ winner HNB Finance was stretched to the limit by Group ‘A’ number four Morison before winning by 8 runs; HNB Finance shot out for a paltry 122 runs in 25 overs and Morison fell agonisingly short by eight runs, all out for 114 runs in 34.5 overs. 

The semi-finals will take place on Saturday to be played by Peoples Leasing vs. Sri Lanka Telecom at MCA, and Commercial Bank vs. HNB Finance at Dombagoda. 

Chief scores – all quarter-finals 

First quarter-final at Moratuwa: Peoples Leasing Co. beat Commercial Credit & Finance by one wicket 

• Commercial Credit – 229 (47.4) (Shalitha de Silva 56, Anura Dias 51, Praneeth Wijesinghe 38, N. Uththamadasa 25, M. Fernando 21, Isuru Gunasekera 3/36, R. Fernando 2/55) 
• PLC – 232/9 (46.3) (D. Kaushalya 37, S. Sandaruwan 35, G. Mendis 32, Isuru Gunasekera 31, Nayana Kumara 30, I. Perera 25, S. Salinda 3/43, G. Hettiarachchi 2/21, N. Weeramuni 2/51) 

Second quarter-final at Panagoda: Sri Lanka Telecom beat Heshan Flexi Packaging by four wickets

• Heshan Flexi – 161 (47.3) (S. Madushanka 25 not out, Y. Dishan 25, Arul Pragash 20, L. Kumara 3/13, D. Youth 2/25, I. Siriwardena 2/44) 
• SLT – 162/6 (29.4) (S. Divangana 55, L. Thambavita 27, I. Siriwardena 27 not out, Y. Dishan 3/37)

Third quarter-final at MCA – Commercial Bank beat Nations Trust Bank by five wickets

• NTB – 119 (26.4) (P. Ratnayake 37, M. Rodrigo 29, L. Rodrigo 21, Gimhan Ashirwada 7/30)
• Commercial Bank – 125/5  (25.3) (Gimhan Ashirwada 45 not out, A. Rajapaksa 37 not out, G. Dissanayake 30, M. Thanthirigoda 3/40, S. Perera 2/47)

Fourth quarter final at Moors: HNB Finance beat Morison’s by 8 runs

• HNB Finance – 122 (25) (U. Morais 30, J. Perera 22 not out, K. Abeysinghe 3/19, D. Madushanka 3/46, T. Madushanka 2/15, G. Kahawita 2/25) 
• Morison – 114 (34.5) (G. Kahawita 42, U. Morais 3/35, H. Nirmal 3/21, T. Udeshana 2/22)