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Tuesday, 6 June 2017 00:03 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Mohamed Anwaz Zahran, the lanky softball player from Zahira College, Kuruwita stole the limelight as he propelled the Hirdaramani Group to a heart-stopping two-wicket win with a ball to spare over favourites Stafford Motor Co. at the second MCA ‘F’ Division 25-over League Tournament 2017 final, sponsored by Commercial Credit and Finance Plc, played at the MCA grounds on Sunday.
Stafford Motors won the toss and put up a respectable 152 for 8 in 25 overs (RPO 6.08) thanks to two partnerships – the opening stand of 42 runs in an equal number of balls between Kalpa Nadeesh (25) and Jayanga Peiris (39), followed by a 480-run stand off 60 balls for the second wicket between Peiris and Asantha Singappuli (31). Skipper Krishantha Aruna (5-21-1), Zahran (5-30-2) and Umesh Sachin (5-30-2) were the bowlers who kept the ‘Honda boys’ at bay.
The Hirdaramani Group got off to a shaky start, losing their first three wickets in 6.3 overs with all the wickets bagged by opening bowler Shanaka Sampath. Howeever, they managed to get back on track with a valiant 85-run, fourth-wicket stand off 89 balls between Udesh Villegoda (49 in 66 balls, 2 sixes and 2 fours) and Maheepa Madushanka (39 in 39 balls, 1 six and 4 fours).
At the completion of the 22nd over, the scoreboard read 120 for 4, with Hirdaramani needing 33 runs in 18 balls with Villegoda and Zahran, both new to the crease, at the wicket.
The 23rd over was bowled by Stafford’s most experienced all-rounder Asantha Singappuli. Zahran, who took over from Villegoda, hit the daylights out of Singappuli, smashing him for three massive sixes in the third, fourth and fifth deliveries and a sizzling four off the final ball, thus propelling the total from 120 for 4 to 147 for 4, with only five runs needed off 12 balls.
The never-say-die Amila Mendis bowled the 24th over as two wickets fell with just one run added to the score, which read 148 for 6.
The last over was bowled by Stafford’s strike bowler Shanaka Sampath. He clean bowled No. 8 batsman Maduranga Niroshan in his first delivery. The score read 148 for 7. In the next delivery, No.9 batsman Umesh Sachin got run out.
In the process Zahran managed to scramble through to the striker’s end. Shanaka Sampath sent down a full toss in his third delivery and Zahran sent the ball packing to the fence as he levelled the scores at 152 each. The fourth delivery was a dot ball. Zahran then drove the fifth ball through mid-off to give Hirdaramani a historic two-wicket win as he remained unbeaten on 28 off eight balls, inclusive of 3 sixes and an equal number of fours. The jubilant Hirdaramani supporters who invaded the field carried Zahran off on their shoulders.
Match Referee Varuna Waragoda named Mohamed Zahran the Man of the Match.
Zahran also bagged the Best Bowlers award for the tournament (8 matches excluding the final, 32.4 overs, 156 runs, 17 wickets)
The other two special awards went to Randika Perera, the Best Batsman from TJ Lanka ‘B’ (formerly Textured Jersey) (407 runs in 7 innings) and Kavindu Piyadasun from Asia Capital, who was named Man of the Tournament (5 innings, 298 runs and 14 wickets for 150 runs in 23 overs).
Mementos were presented to the only double centurion in the tournament U.A.T. Anuruddha from Totalamber Asia Pacific (203 not out off 81 balls, inclusive of 19 sixes and 16 fours against Barthi Airtel) and to Lasantha Kumara Bandaranayake from the Access Group for his incredible bowling performance against the MJF Group (5 overs, 1 maiden, 26 runs including a hat-trick).
Awards were presented by the Chief Guest Commercial Credit and Finance Plc Manager Investment Indika Jayasinghe, Commercial Credit and Finance Plc Manager Card Centre Melvin Pollocks, MCA President Niran Mahawatte, MCA General Secretary Nalin Wickremesinghe and MCA Tournament Committee Chairman Sujeewa de Silva.
Stafford Motors – 152/8 (25) (Kalpa Nadeesh 25, Jayanga Peiris 39, Asantha Singappuli 31, Rakitha Raj 25, Umesh Sachin 2/30, Mohamed Zahran 2/30).
Hirdaramani - 153/8 (24.5) (Krishantha Aruna 16, D. Thiranjan 15, Udesh Villegoda 49, Maheepa Madushanka 39, M. Zahran 28 not out, Shanka Sampath 4/15, Amila Mendis 3/20)
