Commercial Credit ‘B’ beats Standard Chartered to win BMW/Hyundai Trophy

Malith Fernando shines with 121 off 110 balls 

A rock solid, unbeaten century by middle order batsman Malith Fernando (121 not out off 110 balls, inclusive of 2 sixes and 15 fours) guided Commercial Credit and Finance ‘B’ to a resounding 89-run win over Standard Chartered Bank in the final of the sixth MCA ‘C’ Division 50-over League Tournament 2017 for the BMW/Hyundai Trophy sponsored by Prestige Automobile, which concluded at the MCA Grounds on Saturday. 

Fernando walked in when Commercial Credit was 84 for 3 off 17 overs, anchored the batting and remained unbeaten until the end of innings, helping his team to a total of 300 for 7 in the allotted 50 overs.

Fernando’s path to  the 300 mark: 45 runs for the fifth wicket in 44 balls with Janaka Dayananda (22), 55 runs for the seventh wicket off 72 balls with his captain Praneeth Wijesena (24) and unbeaten 89 runs for the eighth wicket off 48 balls with Damith Mendis  (27 not out).

The bankers’ catching and ground fielding left a lot to be desired, as Commercial Credit scored at will, with 100 runs coming off the last 10 overs. 

For Standard Charted, the 300 mark was not easy to get but was not impossible as all 11 of their players were batsmen. It was just a case of them putting their heads down and building partnerships, as Malith Fernando did for Commercial Credit. 

The bankers’ top order, comprising the two centurions Charith Satharasinghe and Aruna Henrickson, Bhanuka Adeesha, skipper Selvyn Jamion and Shakthi Siriratne, was in good nick but all five of them failed to get off the blocks, leaving Standard Chartered completely stranded at 79 for 5 after 17 overs. 

As the board read 100 for 7 in 21 overs, no. 8 batsman Hiran Rajapaksa (56 in 50 balls with a six and nine fours) and no. 9 batsman Raveen Perumal (33 not out in 82 balls with three fours) made the top order batsman look very foolish, as they collared Commercial Credit’s attack easily with a face-saving 70-run stand for the eighth wicket coming off 80 balls. 

Rajapaksa and Perumal’s valiant effort only proved a point, as SCB fell by the wayside, all out for 211 in 46.5 overs.

It was an easy job for match referee K.H. Nandasena to name Malith Fernando from Commercial Credit & Finance ‘B’ as the Man of the Match.

The other three special awards, based on performances up to the semifinals, went to Best Bowler Sachin Bandara from Commercial Credit ‘B’ (17 wickets for 170 runs), Best Batsman Trishan Rodrigo from People’s Leasing Finance (302 runs including a century) and Man of the Series Aruna Henrickson from Standard Chartered (290 runs with one century, two half centuries and 12 wickets).

Awards were given away by Prestige Automobile Ltd. Sales Director Niranga Peiris (Chief Guest), Hyundai Lanka Ltd. Head of Sales Tharanga Vithanage (Guest of Honor), MCA Vice President H.U.U. Buddhima, MCA General Secretary Nalin Wickremasinghe and MCA Tournament Committee Chairman Sujeeva de Silva.

Chief Scores

Commercial Credit & Finance ‘B’: 300 for 7 in 50 overs (Suchira Fernando 47, Anura Dias 21, Malith Fernando 121 not out, Janaka Dayananda 22, Praneeth Wijesena 24, Damith Mendis 27 not out, Raveen Perumal 2/53)

Standard Chartered Bank: 211 in 46.5 overs (Charith Satharasinghe 29, Madusha Jayasinghe 21, Hiran Rajapaksa 56,  Raveen Perumal 33 not out, Suranga Salinda 2/37, Sachin Bandara 3/29, Janaka Dayananda 2/45)