MCA’s new wing unveils portraits of cricketing giants

The incumbent MCA President Roshan Iddamalgoda, together with the Members of the Executive Committee saluted eight Mercantile cricketers, who served their country with distinction by unveiling their portraits at the grand opening of their plush and elegant New Wing on December 7.

The top 8 were: Bandula Warnapura (Ceylon Tobacco Co. and Wellawatte Spinning and Weaving Mills), Duleep Mendis (Maharaja’s), Roy Dias (Frudenbergs), Arjuna Ranatunga (Mercantile Credit and ACW Insurance), Kumar Sangakkara (Sampath Bank), Mutthiah Muralidaran (Janashakthi Insurance), Chaminda Vaas (Seylan Bank) and Lasith Malinga (Teejay Lanka) .

The Senior Citizen of the cricket fraternity, Bandula Warnapura, was our 1st Test captain (Vs. England in 1982 at the P. Sara Oval).

Duleep Mendis was the first Sri Lankan to score twin centuries (105 in both innings) Vs. India in 1982. He went on to lead Sri Lanka to its first Test and series win against India in 1985.

The elegant and classical Roy Dias was a member of Duleep Mendis’ Test and series winning team Vs. India in 1985. First Sri Lankan batsman to score 1000 runs in Test cricket.

1996 Cricket World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga, known as ‘captain cool’, was the pioneer to lift Sri Lankan cricket from underdog status to one of the great forces in the cricketing world.

Regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Kumar Sangakkara has scored over 28,000 international runs. Led Sri Lanka to the finals of ICC World Cup T+20 in 2009 and ICC World Cup in 2011.

Muttiah Muralidaran: 800 Test wickets/ 534 ODI wickets was ranked as a ‘Genius’ by the Wisden Cricketers Almanack in 2002.

Easily our most successful new ball bowler Chaminda Vaas; 355 Test wickets/400 ODI wickets holds the record for best ODI bowling figures – 8 for 19, being the only 08 wicket haul in ODI history.

The only bowler in the world to have performed 03 hat-tricks in ODI’s and bagging 04 wickets in 04 successive balls in any form of International Cricket. Led Sri Lanka to the ICC World Cup T+20 title in 2014 – Lasith Malinga.

MCA’s new wing built on top of the existing players dressing rooms, crowned by a SCG styled clock, with a star class private diner interior is beaming with ambience. The MCA past Presidents, who graced the occasion – were full of praise on the new project, the brain child of the present President, Roshan Iddamalgoda.

Bandula Warnapura, speaking on behalf of the cricketers, sincerely thanked the MCA for the honour bestowed on them, and believed and wished that the MCA will go from strength to strength.

The current World Cup T+20 winning Deaf Cricket Team was also felicitated. The captain, the Manager and the Interpreter of the team who were invited to the function were presented with momentos and substantial cash donations.

The MCA new wing, thus stood like a beacon over the turf, spreading light which had been MCA’s hall mark for 107 years.