All-Rounder Dhananjya Lakshan Stars as Maliban Clinch MCA Super Premier League Title

Colombo: Maliban Biscuits, under the tactical leadership of veteran Milinda Siriwardena, secured the coveted 32nd Singer-MCA Super Premier League Knockout Championship in a thrilling final played under lights at the CCC Grounds on Thursday. In a superb display of all-round cricket, Maliban overcame Hayleys Group by three wickets, successfully chasing a challenging target of 236 runs.

Hayleys Group, opting to bat first, was anchored by a robust opening partnership. Openers Ron Chandragupta (55 off 56 balls) and Nishan Madushka (40) provided a flying start, adding 97 runs before Maliban’s bowlers engineered a crucial mid-innings collapse.

The momentum was broken by a brilliant fightback from the Maliban attack. Leg-spinner Dushan Hementha was the star with the ball, tearing through the middle order with figures of 3 for 45. He was ably supported by all-rounder Dhananjaya Lakshan (2 for 32) and off-spinner Sahan Arachchige (2 for 44), who helped restrict Hayleys to a competitive 235 all out in 49.1 overs.

Maliban’s Disciplined Chase

Chasing 236 under the lights, Maliban got off to a quick start thanks to Sangeeth Cooray (33) and Hiran Jayasundara (14). However, the innings was stabilized by the most important partnership of the game between Dhananjaya Lakshan (41 off 47 balls) and Cooray (58 runs).

Despite losing both openers to unfortunate run-outs, Maliban’s experienced middle-order took control. Skipper Milinda Siriwardena led from the front, smashing a crucial 41 off just 31 balls (6 fours, 1 six) to keep the required rate in check. Supported by valuable contributions from Dushan Vimukthi (37) and Sahan Arachchige (24), Maliban successfully chased the target in 46.1 overs, winning with 23 balls to spare.

Individual Honours

The standout performer on the day was Dhananjaya Lakshan, whose all-round excellence (41 runs and 2 wickets) rightfully earned him the Man of the Final award.

Meanwhile, the major individual prize for the tournament was secured by a player from the league stage champions, CDB Bank. Nipun Dhananjaya was named Player of the Tournament for his dominant performance throughout the competition, where he scored an aggregate of 242 runs and claimed 10 wickets.

The tournament, which was highly competitive, proved a successful platform for both established and emerging domestic cricket talent in Sri Lanka. (NewsCenter)