It was a star-studded event when KRC The Glorious Church came together for its long-awaited annual Mona Fernando Cricket Memorial Trophy 2022.
The tournament got underway at the De Soyza Cricket Stadium on February 4. Seven teams representing the various branches of the ministry took part in a unique 6-over format of the game.
The Mona Fernando Memorial Trophy is dedicated to the memory of Mona Fernando, the paternal grandmother of Prophet Jerome Fernando, the senior overseer of the ministry. She was an ardent cricket fan herself and was instrumental in instilling a love for the game in her children and grandchildren.
The chief guest at the event was another one of Ms. Fernando’s grandsons Rehan Jayatilleke, Founder, Youth SME Business Trust Guarantee Limited and Managing Director at IML Lanka Pvt Ltd.
The seven teams played each other in several round robin games before the top two were selected for a nail-biting final between the RafferNackles (Raffles branch) and the White House Tigers (Mount English branch). Both teams were packed with well-known celebrities and national cricketers including Ashene Kapukotuwa (Lead Vocalist – Infiniti), veteran DJ Bonny Perera, Heshan Joseph (2Forty2) representing the Raffles branchand national players Bhanuka Rajapakse and Lahiru Gamage playing for the Tigers.
The game went on to the wire, but the Tigers prevailed in the end thanks to a collaborative team effort.