Commercial Credit & Finance “B” and Central Finance to face off in MCA “D” Division Final

Commercial Credit & Finance PLC “B” will be looking for sweet revenge when they confront Central Finance Co. in the 13th Ceylon Cold Stores PLC sponsored, “Elephant House Lemonade” Trophy MCA “D” Division 40-Over League Tournament 2016 Final on Saturday, 19 March at the MCA Grounds, commencing at 10 a.m.

Both teams played in the same group in the league stage and Central Finance inflicted the only defeat on Commercial Credit & Finance PLC “B”, scoring a resounding five wicket-win on 27 February at Panadura.

Up to that moment Commercial Credit & Finance “B” was unbeaten and this defeat cost them the Group “B” leadership that went Central Finance’s way at the completion of the league stage. 

In the battle for the first two group positions, Vikum Costa was Central Finance’s hero, scoring an unbeaten century (102 not out in 85 balls, inclusive of four sixes and 13 fours); Commercial Credit “B” scored 220 in 38.4 overs and Central Finance replied with 226/5 in 35 overs.

Besides this win, Central Finance had four more against Delmage Group by six wickets, Hilton Colombo Residences by eight runs, Bodyline by three wickets and Brumby’s International by 55 runs; the only blemish was losing to Expolanka Group by 106 runs.

Commercial Credit “B” team’s four wins were against Hilton Colombo Residences by three wickets, Brumby’s International by 15 runs, Bodyline by 35 runs and Expolanka Group by one wicket; their match against Delmage Group ended in a tie.

In the elimination round, Central Finance, who entered the fray from the top half had a close call in the quarterfinals, being held to tie by Asian Alliance Insurance and ultimately nosing through to the semifinals, winning the super over that followed; in the semifinal they eliminated the giant killers Commercial Leasing by two wickets.

Commercial Credit & Finance “B” came up from the bottom half, beating NDB Bank by six wickets in the quarterfinals and beat Kanrich Finance “B” by 31 runs in the semifinals.

Everything points to a battle between Commercial Credit & Finance “B” batting vs. Central Finance, Bowling.

For Commercial Credit “B”, Suchira Fernando has so far accumulated 335 runs, including 148 not out vs. Bodyline; while Anura Dias (257 runs) and Malith Fernando (251 runs) being the other consistent batsmen.

But Commercial Credit batsman will have to tread carefully as the Central Finance bowling attack is quite strong with Anura Karunaratne (16 wickets), Ishan Salinda (14 wickets), Vikum Costa (13 wickets ) and Nimesh Fernando (13 wickets).

Central Finance: R. A. Duminda (Captain), D.D.M. Perera, M.V.C. Costha, A.H. Henderson, M.A.S. Karunarthne, S.W.A.G. Silva, S.H.C. Neerantha, K.A.I. Shalinda, A.M.K.M. Attanayake, N.N.B. Fernando, M.K.M. Silva, P.R. Amarasinghe, P.A.G.K. De Alwis, U.I. Kolabage and Y.M.R.R.S. Rathnayake

Commercial Credit & Finance “B”: Praneeth Wijesena (Captain) , Anura Dias, Gihan Mihiranga, Naween Subasinghe, Suchira Fernando, Suranga Salinda, Duminda Kannangara, Nilusha Uththama Dasa, Lakshitha Sirimanna, Kanishka Perera, Vidharshana Kudage, Kavinda Silva, Sanitha De Mel, Malith Fernando, Bishan Madushka, Dilusha Gammanpila and Kamal Nishantha.