NDB Bank beats Aviva NDB Insurance

MCA ‘E’ division 40-overs league tournament

Right arm off spinner, Eranda Seneviratne put NDB Bank on the right side of the ledger with an impressive bowling performance thus, enabling them to a comfortable six wicket win over Aviva NDB Insurance in the 11th David Pieris Motor Co. Ltd, sponsored, ‘Bajaj’ Challenge trophy, MCA ‘E’ division 40-overs league tournament which got off to a start last weekend.

Seneviratne, who finished with figures of 07-02-16-5, went through the Aviva NDB Insurance batting line up like a hot knife on butter to skittle them out for 105 in 31.1 overs. Aviva Opener, Christo Tissera was the only batsman to offer resistance with a gusty 42 runs in 54 balls.

NDB Bank made short work, scoring the required runs (109/4) in just 16.2 overs with middle order batsman, Viranga Pathirana remaining unbeaten on 51 in 31 balls with four sixes and five fours.

At Panadura, the match between Union Assurance and Hemas Group was an absolute thriller, the latter nosing through to a one wicket win.

Hemas chasing a victory target of 178 in 40 overs was looking down the barrel at 97 for seven. Indika Perera (40) and Shervin Lindsay (27) pulled Hemas out of the rut with a stubborn 70 runs stand for the eighth wicket.

Hemas ninth wicket fell at 166 and their last pair D. Nihalraj and Arun Joy held on grimly to give them victory by the skin of their teeth in the 32 over.

It seems that the 21 wides bowled by Union Assurance cost them the game.

Asian Alliance Insurance contributed heavily towards extras (23 wide, five byes, four leg byes and four no balls) and went on to lose the match against Central Finance by seven runs.

Besides the donation of extras from AAI, help came from Central Finance’s ninth wicket pair, Manoj Seneviratne (20) and Pradeep Senanayake (25 not out in 40 balls), who put on a valuable 40–runs.

Week end’s match results/three matches

At Ananda Mawatha: NDB Bank won beating Aviva NDB Insurance by six wickets.

Aviva NDB—105 (31.1) (Christo Tissera 42, A.N. Dilhan 24, E. Seneviratna 5/16)

NDB Bank–109/4 (16.2) (Viranga Pathirana 51 not out, B.N.M. Rodrigo 3/26)

At Panadura: Central Finance won beating Asian Alliance Insurance by seven runs.

Central Finance—71 (38.5) (D. Perera 22, Amila Gayan 38, M. Seneviratne 20, P. Senanayake 25, C. Wijeratne 3/30, C. Boteju 2/22, A. Hettige 2/20)

AAI – 164/9 (40.0) (D. Premaratne 29, M. Jayasiri 27, D. Fernando 46, A. Gayan 2/32, D. Perera 3/27)

At Panadura: Hemas Group won beating Union Assurance PLC by one wicket.

Union Assurance—177 (39.1) (Lakshan Perera 50, Dulip Silva 27, D. Nihalraj 4/50, M.A. Cader 3/30)

Hemas—178/9 (31.3) (O. Clifton 30, M. Jayaweera 20, N. Kodituwakku 21, Indika Perera 40, S. Lindsay 27, Dulip Silva 4/21)

The tournament will be continued this week-end, 1 and 2 December with a card of seven matches.