The top four ranked teams in the recently concluded 22nd MCA Premier League will feature in the semi-finals of the knock-out tournament after a soggy and wet quarter-final stage concluded on Sunday.
MAS Unichela had already booked their place in the semi-finals after receiving an automatic qualification due to be the League winners. Torrential rains on Saturday prevented two more matches to be washed away and called-off with Commercial Credit and John Keells advancing to the semi-finals due to their higher points in the League as their respective quarter-final fixtures against Seylan Bank and Hatton National Bank were abandoned.
The only game which got underway was the 3rd quarter-final game between MAS Active and Hatton National Bank on Sunday at MCA grounds. MAS Active won the game by 46 runs as left-handed opening batsman, Udara Jayasundara shined for the winners with a knock of 106 runs in 62 balls in a shortened game of 20 overs.
HNB skipper Hashan Goonathilake won the toss of coin and decided to chase. 24-year old Udara continued to punish the HNB bowlers from the very outset as he manipulated the strike many times and scored 9 fours and 6 sixes in his gigantic innings which propelled the MAS Active score to 187 for 5 at the end of 20 overs. One drop batsman Sachithra Serasinghe chipped in with 28 runs while the seasoned left-arm spinner Sajeewa Weerakoon bowled a terrific spell by taking 3 wickets for just 28 runs.
Chasing a mammoth target of 188, HNB innings got off to a flyer with skipper Hashan and Saman Jayantha producing 48 runs for the 1st innings in less than 6 overs but after Hashan’s dismissal, wickets kept on tumbling around Saman Jayantha, as he was the only batsman to pose some threats to the MAS Active bowling. Saman made 71 runs in just 35 balls with a strike-rate of above 200 and his innings included 7 boundaries and 5 maximums. MAS Active spinners were up to the task as they all 8 wickets (apart of the 2 run-outs) as HNB managed to score only 141 runs all out with 10 balls remaining.
Chief Scores:
Mas Active – 187/5 in 20 overs: Udara Jayasundara 106*, Sachithra Serasinghe 28, Sachith Pathirana 18*, Sajeewa Weerakoon 3/26.
HNB – 141 all out in 18.2 overs: Saman Jayantha 71, Dilshan Munaweera 2/08 Sachithra Serasinghe 3/15, Sachithra Senanayaka 2/43.
