Ten teams to make debuts in MCA G Division

A record number of 10 teams will be making their debut in the fifth Stafford Motor Co. Ltd.-sponsored Honda Trophy, MCA “G” Division 25-over League Tournament 2016.

The 10 MCA debutants are: Laugfs Holdings, Wurth Lanka, Maliban Biscuits, Roche Products, Group M Media, Holcim Cement, Cargills Bank, Prym Intimates, Ship Express and Micro Holdings.

Altogether, 43 teams are in the fray, pooled to play in seven groups.

The other 33 teams are: sponsor, Stafford Motor Co. Ltd., Millenium IT, Pearson Lanka, A. Baur & Co, Coca Cola Beverages, Elastomeric, First choice, Total Amber, Asia Asset Finance, Merchant Bank, Peak Colombo , PABC Bank “B”, Glaxo SmithKline, Alliance Finance Co., Avery Denison, Mihin Lanka, Mobitel “B”, Tech One Global, ACL Cables, Citi Bank NA, HNB Assurance, Tea & Herbs, Union Assurance PLC, Courtaulds Clothing, Deutsche Bank AG, Kelani Cables, QP Employment, Ultra Tech Cement, Asiri Hospitals, Jetwing Travels, Metropolitan Group, Palliyaguruge Group and WNS Global.

The tournament will get under way on 12 June, consisting 126 half-day matches in two stages.

The first stage: The league consisting 111 matches will go on till 19 July.

The second stage: The knockout phase consisting 15 matches will take place on 30 July (pre-quarter finals); 7 August (quarterfinals); 13 August (semifinals) and 20 August (final).

The 126 matches are spread around 10 venues, namely MCA, Thurstan, St. Benedict’s, Wesley, De Mazanod, Castle Street, Army Mattegoda, St. John’s Panadura, NSCA Ratmalana and Veyangoda Central.

The 15 knockout stage matches will be supervised by an MCA appointed match referee.

All Matches will be played with the Grays of Cambridge “Avenger” ball, imported from Pakistan by the MCA; the ball is printed with the MCA crest; the MCA will supply the match balls to the participating teams at cost.

The four Honda Special Awards on offer are for the Best Batsman, Best Bowler, Man of the Final and Man of the Series.

In the 2015 season, the Honda trophy was won by Asia Asset Finance, who beat Brandix Essentials “B” in the Final played on 15 August at the MCA Grounds.

The official sponsorship presentation along with the media briefing was held on Wednesday, 25 May, at the MCA Pavilion Lounge, 6.00 p.m.

At the ceremony, the sponsorship package for the fifth successive year was handed over by Executive Director Stafford Motor Co. Tharinda Kaluperuma to the President of MCA, Niran Mahawatte.

The keepsake Honda trophy to be awarded to the winning team was handed over by Deputy General Manager Stafford Motor Co. Damitha Jayasundera to the Chairman of the MCA Tournament Committee Sujeewa de Silva.

MCA F Division matches postponed

The ongoing MCA “F” Division 25-Over League Tournament 2016 slid further into turmoil due to the prevailing weather conditions, as the MCA Tournament Committee at their weekly meeting on Wednesday decided to postpone the 20 matches billed for the coming weekend of 28 and 29 May.

The tournament which got underway on 7 May, survived the weather till 14 May, where 22 matches were completed. Then came the rain and all 10 matches billed for 15 May got washed out without a ball being bowled. The tournament was put on hold during the Vesak weekend – 21 and 22 May.

The postponed matches will now be rescheduled and the tournament is expected to get back on track during the weekend of 4 and 5 June.