MCA ‘G’ Division 25-over League Tournament quarterfinals on Sunday

Maliban Biscuits, Deutsche Bank AG, Aitken Spence Group, Avery Dennison, Pyramid Wilmer, Sri Lanka Telecom, A. Baur & Co and HNB ‘B’ reached the quarterfinal stage of the ongoing 7th Stafford Motor Co. sponsored Honda Trophy MCA ‘G’ Division 25-over League Tournament 2017.

In the pre-quarterfinals worked off last weekend, Maliban scored a comfortable 100-run win over First Choice. Deutsche Bank too had it easy against Pearson Lanka, beating them by 43 runs. The Aitken Spence Group romped to a 63-run win over Micro Holdings. Avery Dennison snatched a 13-run win over Courtaulds Clothing. Newcomer Pyramid Wilmer scored a fine 24-run win over Asiri Hospitals. 

DIMO ‘B’ was no match for Sri Lanka Telecom, who gained a comprehensive eight-wicket win. In the high-scoring game A. Baur & Co. nudged past Interpharm by four wickets with eight balls to spare and HNB ‘B’ romped to a seven-wicket win over Coca Cola Beverage with eight overs to spare. 

The spotlight fell on centurion opening batsman Roshan Kulasekera from the Aitken Spence Group who scored 101 runs off 70 balls, inclusive of 6 sixes and 8 fours against Micro Holdings. Kulasekeera was engaged in a 125-run stand off 96 balls for the third wicket with Sasidu Welaratne (70). There was a 103-run partnership for the third wicket off 57 balls between Suresh Niroshan (88 in 44 balls with four sixes and 13 fours) and Malith Gunatillake (45) from Interpharm against A. Baur & Co. There was a fighting unbeaten seven-wicket stand of 87 runs off 53 balls between Tharinda de Silva (85 not out in 50 balls with 7 sixes and 7 fours) and Dinesh Rajendra (48) from Baur’s against Interpharm. 

Weekend match results (all pre-quarterfinals): 

MCA (morning): Maliban Biscuits beat First Choice by 100 runs 

Maliban – 202/6 in 25 overs (N. Perera 48, G. Anuruddha 27, R. Upamal 61 not out, J. Suresh 2/25, Danushka Abeywickrama 2/40); First Choice 102 in 21/3 overs (T. Siriwardena 3/20, C. Deshapriya 2/10 and D. Chathuranga 2/23).  

MCA (afternoon) Deutsche Bank AG beat Pearson Lanka by 43 runs. DB – 178 in 24.5 overs (D. Bastianpillai 42, R. Tissera 27, T. Wijeratne 38, C. Wickramasinghe 2/17, D. Sandaruwan 3/38, J. Perera 2/49). Pearson Lanka – 135/9 in 25 overs (C. Wickramasinghe 32, S. Jayasinghe 25, C. Jayaratne 21, J. de Silva 2/25, P. Fernando 3/17 and W. Dabare 2/30). 

Mattegoda (morning): Aitken Spence Group beat Micro Holdings by 63 runs; Aitken Spence – 199/4 in 25 overs (Roshan Kulasekera 101, S. Welaratne 70, S. Jamal 3/30); Micro Holdings - 136 /9 in 25 overs (D. Colombage 35, G. Dep 35, M.T. Madushanka 3/23, V. Perera 3/14)

Mattegoda (afternoon) – Avery Dennison beat Courtaulds Clothing by 13 runs. 

Avery Dennison – 142/8 in 25 overs (N. Kumara 53, A. Perera 22, C. Wijeratne 26, P. Wickramasinghe 3/25,  A. Madusanka 3/20, ) Courtaulds – 129 in 23.4 overs (R. Vithanage 37, G. Maduranga 35, R. Kumara 2/25, S. Madusanka 2/25, D. Dinesh 2/15, R. Jayawardena 2/20)

MCA (morning): Pyramid Wilmer beat Asiri Hospitals by 24 runs 

PW – 200/9 in 25 overs (L. Fernando 55, A. Warnakulasuriya 65, M. Rajapaksa 3/43, M. Jayaratne 2/42);   Asiri – 182/7 in 25 overs (S. Liyanage 45, A. Warnakulasuriya 2/30, L. Fernando 2/20) 

MCA (afternoon): SL Telecom beat DIMO ‘B’ by eight wickets; DIMO ‘B’ - 127/9 in 25 overs (M. Dandunna 30, A. Gamage 42 not out , D. Lanka 2/25, S. Wijeratne 4/25) ; SLT - 133/2 in 22 overs (N. Ramachandra 51, K. Amarasinghe 20, K. Bandaranayake 35 not out) 

Kotahena (morning): A. Baur & Co. beat Interpharm by four wickets; 

Interpharm 185 in 24.3 (S. Niroshan 88, M. Gunatillake 45, H. Wimalasiri 2/49, T. de Silva 2/38,  P. Sampath 3/35); Baur’s - 191/6 in 23.4 overs (T. de Silva 85 not out, D. Rajendra 48 not out and A. Rajapaksa 2/25) 

Kotahena (afternoon): HNB ‘B’ beat Coca Cola Beverages by seven wickets; 

Coca Cola - 100 in 21.2 overs (J. Prabath 25, D. Vithanage 21 not out , S. Dulshan 2/10,  D. Panditharatne 2/30, I. Razeek 2/10 and K. Athugoda 2/25). HNB ‘B’ - 101/3 in 16.5 overs (G. Hondamunige 54 not out and T. Wedagedera 20 not out). 

The quarterfinals will be played on Sunday, 23 July as follows: Maliban against Deutsche Bank AG (morning) and the Aitken Spence Group against Avery Dennison (afternoon) at the MCA. Meanwhile, Pyramid Wilmer will go up against Sri Lanka Telecom (morning) and A. Baur & Co. will take on HNB ‘B’ (afternoon) in Kotahena.