Undefeated HNB Assurance claim Fairfirst Trophy with four-wicket win

MCA-Fairfirst ‘F’ Division champions, HNB Assurance Team 

First runners-up McLarens Group

Second runners-up MAS Active

Best Bowler of the Tournament Hasindu Maharage of Emerchemie NB (right) receives his trophy from MCA Tournament Committee Secretary Pramodth Fernando 

Best Batman of the Tournament Pasindu Pathum of HNB Assurance (right) receives his trophy from MCA Tournament Committee Secretary Pramodth Fernando 

Player of the Tournament Pasindu Pathum of HNB Assurance (right) receives his trophy from Fairfirst Insurance Head – Digital, Marketing and Customer Experience Clement Fernandopulle 

Man of the Final Dasun Abeywardena of HNB Assurance (right) receives his trophy from Fairfirst Insurance Head – Digital, Marketing and Customer Experience Clement Fernandopulle 

HNB Assurance skipper Dulanjana Wijesinghe (right) receives the trophy from Fairfirst Insurance CEO Ravishankar Wickneswaran

MAS Active skipper Geeth Sankalpa (right) receives the trophy from MCA President Sirosha Gunatilake

McLarens Group skipper Asanka Ranasinghe (right) receives the trophy from MCA President Sirosha Gunatilake

MCA President Sirosha Gunatilake (left) presents a token of appreciation to Fairfirst Insurance CEO Ravishankar Wickneswaran 

Text and pix by P.D. De Silva

HNB Assurance emerged undefeated champions of the 8th MCA-Fairfirst ’F’ Division 20-Over League Cricket Tournament and carried away the ‘Fairfirst Trophy,’ beating McLarens Group by four wickets at the CCC Grounds last week.

The MCA ‘F’ Division final, which was scheduled to be played under lights, was played as a day game due to the fuel crisis the country is encountering.

 Winning the toss, McLarens elected to bat first, with a quick-fire 77 off 47 balls (7 fours, 4 sixes) from Hasindu Perera and 26 off 22 balls from Lahiru Amarasekera helping them post a defendable 146/8 in their 20 overs. Pasindu Pathum was the pick of HNB’s bowlers with a three-wicket haul.

In the chase, HNB Assurance, powered by a 34-ball 57 from Dasun Abeywardena, which earned him the Man of the Final award, and a 24-ball 34 from Lahiru Sithpriya, achieved the win with an over remaining and four wickets in hand. Inesh Chamikara and Lahiru Amarasekera took two wickets each.

In the play-off for the third spot, Tharindu de Silva captured three wickets to restrict Ansell Lanka to 141/8, followed by a captain’s knock of 67 off 39 balls (7 fours, 4 sixes) from Geeth Sankalpa to see MAS Active cross the line with four balls to spare.

Fairfirst Insurance CEO Ravishankar Wickneswaran , Head – Digital, Marketing and Customer Experience Clement Fernandopulle , MCA President Sirosha Gunatilake, and Tournament Committee Secretary Pramodth Fernando presented the awards.

Special awards:

Best Bowler of the Tournament – Hasindu Maharage [Emerchemie NB], 19 wickets for 118 runs

Best Batsman of the Tournament – Pasindu Pathum [HNB Assurance], 358 runs

Player of the Tournament – Pasindu Pathum [HNB Assurance], 358 runs and 10 wickets

Man of the Final – Dasun Abeywardena [HNB Assurance], 57 runs off 34 balls

Brief scores:

McLarens Group 146/8 (20) [Ethan Ransilige 14, Hasindu Perera 77, Lahiru Amarasekera 26, Shehan Sandaruwan 11, Taariq Naziar 1/38, Pasindu Pathum 3/22, Dasis Manchanayake 1/20, Dulanjana Wijesinghe 1-33]

HNB Assurance 151/6 (19) [Abhishek Jayaweera 16, Dasun Abeywardena 57, Lahiru Sithpriya 34, Pasindu Pathum 12, Dulanjana Wijesinghe 13, Shehan Sandaruwan 1/15, Inesh Chamikara 2/38, Lahiru Amarasekera 2/23 , Asanka Ranasinghe 1/13]

Ansell Lanka 141/8 (20) [Sajeewa Deshapriya 46, Deshan Silva 38, Kaveesha Sampath 11, Tharindu de Silva 3/23, Dilan Ranathunga 1/30, Geeth Sankalpa 1/22, Ravindu Lakshan 2/28]

MAS Active 144/6 (19.2) [Binara Sanketh 13, Sarindu Gimhana 17, Geeth Sankalpa 67, Tharindu de Silva 23, Dilan Ranathunga 11*, Deshan Silva 1/30, Prabath Dhananjaya 3/13, Chathura Sanjeewa 2/33]