Kennedy

stylus - Kennedy - 2016

Written by the award-winning Spanish poet José Manuel Sevilla who penned the Hong Kong production of The Bridge in 2011, Kennedy is a noirish tale of loss and redemption set in late 20th Century Barcelona. Recently released from prison, Kennedy seeks his sister, Beatriz. Both escape from the reality of their lives into philosophical flights of fancy that keep the shadows at bay.

This Stylus Productions staging of Kennedy is the world premiere of Sevilla’s latest work.

José Manuel Sevilla is a Barcelona born poet living in Hong Kong who has published several volumes of poetry including From the Limits of Paradise (1991), Contiguous Traject (1993), Alicia in Ikea’s Catalogue (2004) and Ashes of Auschwitz and Eighteen Dogs (2009). He founded ‘Poets against AIDS’ in Spain and, while living in Mexico, Sevilla started the photograph collection Street Language, which was exhibited at the Fringe Club in 2004.

Stylus Productions was founded in 2006 by Adam Harris; their previous shows include The Rocky Horror Show (2006 & 2010), the world premiere in English of The Bridge (2011, also by the award-winning Spanish poet José Manuel Sevilla), Macbeth (2014), Chimes of Freedom (2009) and last year’s Medea.

WARNING: This show includes adult language and themes.

Kennedy
Date: 8pm, 17-19 March, 2016
Venue: HK Arts Centre, McAulay Studio
Tickets: $200/$180 from Urbtix

HK Cricket Match Report: Women’s Twenty20 Cup – 20 February 2016

Women’s Twenty20 Cup – 21 February 2016

KCC Maidens v DLSWCC Wasps
With no Sunday Championship match on at Kowloon Cricket Club, the women’s teams from KCC and DLSWCC enjoyed a rare outing on the hallowed turf. The match was the first in the second half of the Women’s T20 Cup competition.

The KCC Maiden’s won the toss and elected to bowl first. The Maiden’s bowlers restricted the DLSWCC Wasps to 7/76 from their 20 overs with Jaswinder Kaur top scoring with 18 while Shanzeen Shahzad hit 17. The Haider sisters, Mahreen and Rida, grabbed two wickets each for the Maidens.

KCC’s opening batters, Keenu Gill and Sidra Nasreen, had little trouble knocking off the runs in just seven overs. Gill finished unbeaten on 40 while Nasreen scored 23 not out.
At KCC: DLSWCC Wasps 7/76 from 20 overs lost to KCC Maidens 0/77 from seven overs by ten wickets.

HK Cricket Match Reports: Saturday 20 February, 2016

Saturday Championship – 20th February 2016

The final round-robin matches in Division 1 were played on Saturday that helped sort out the pecking order for the play-off games.

Saturday Championship Division 1

HKCC Nomads v KCC Saracens
At Hong Kong Cricket Club, the first match of the Division 1 play-off series was played between HKCC Nomads and KCC Saracens.

Saracens’ decision to bowl first paid earlier dividends as Vishal Sharma made three early strikes to leave Nomads in a spot of bother at 3/46. A 110-run partnership between Nomads’ skipper Kym Graham (57) and Andrew Swan (73) got Nomads back in the game but both batsmen fell with the score on 156. Their middle order batsmen made a number of useful contributions and Nomads finished on 7/228 from their 35 overs. For Saracens, Vishal Sharma was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/16 off seven overs.

The Saracens reply got away to a useful start and they looked well placed at 2-93 with skipper Sunny Bhimsaria hitting 30 but two quick wickets set them back to 4/107. Saracens’ middle order wasn’t quite as prolific as Nomads and the regular loss of wickets tempered their run-chase. Simondeep Singh hit 60 and Suhaib Ahmad 44 but their efforts were in vain as Saracens finished 26 runs short.
At HKCC: HKCC Nomads 7/228 from 35 overs beat KCC Saracens 9/202 from 35 overs by 26 runs.

HKCC Gap Rambles v KCC Crusaders
At Kowloon Cricket Club, HKCC Gap Rambles secured their place in the top 5 following a six wicket win over KCC Crusaders.

Crusaders batted first after winning the toss but they could only manage a total of 7/148 from their 35 overs. Top scorer for Crusaders was Ravi Sujanani with 52 while Dylan Dearing hit 36.

Crusaders made an early strike in the second innings but a half-century from skipper David Varley helped Gap Ramblers over the line with plenty of overs to spare. Stuart Tohill finished unbeaten on 32 for Gap Ramblers.
At KCC: KCC Crusaders 7/148 from 35 overs lost to HKCC Gap Ramblers 4/152 from 30 overs by six wickets.

Pakistan Association v CCC Jing Sun
​At Mission Road, Pakistan Association ensured they finished the round-robin matches on top of the points table with a bonus point victory over CCC Jing Sun.

CCC Jing Sun won the toss and elected to bat first and they made a solid start despite the loss of an early wicket. Giacomo Lamplough (39) and Chris Owen (59) had CCC handily placed at 1/113 but a cluster of wickets saw them reduced to 5/122. The middle and lower order batsmen made some useful contributions and CCC Jing Sun finished their innings at 8/182 after 35 overs. Mohammed Huzafah did much of the damage for Pakistan Association as he grabbed 4/27 from his seven over spell.

Pakistan Association recovered splendidly from the loss of two early wickets thanks to a third wicket partnership of 122 between Daniyal Bukhari and Zamir Ali who both hit 64. Pakistan Association cruised to victory in the 27.3 overs to earn a valuable bonus point.
At Mission Road: CCC Jing Sun 8/182 from 35 overs lost to Pakistan Association 5/187 from 27.3 overs by five wickets.

Saturday Championship Division 2

The Division 2 play-off places are still unclear and there are still a handful of round-robin games to be played before the top five/bottom five places can be determined.

DLSWCC Spartans v Laguna Gully
However, DLSWCC Spartans improved their chances of reaching the top five with a narrow victory over Laguna Gully on the astro at PKVR Park in a match reduced to 33 overs per team.

Spartans elected to bat first after winning the toss but they were rocked early with both openers falling without scoring off the bowling of Shubham Mehta. Mehta grabbed a third early wicket but some solid middle order batting by Suresh Pandey (44) and Amanat Khan (34) got Spartans to 8/188 from their 33 overs. Mehta finished with the best bowling figures for Laguna Gully with 3/10 off three overs.

In reply, Laguna Gully was travelling well at 2/120 thanks to a half-century from opening batsman Mangesh Mulgaonkar. However, Mulgaonkar’s wicket triggered a dramatic batting collapse and Laguna Gully slipped to 181 all out. Shekhar Sharma also scored 33 for Laguna Gully.
At PKVR Park: DLSWCC Spartans 8/188 from 33 overs beat Laguna Gully 181 from 33 overs by seven runs.

CCC Hung See v Pioneers
With the Police Training College available again, but with CCC Hung See having already played all their round-robin fixtures, it was possible to play one Division 2 play-off fixture.

In the re-match between the two Chinese teams, CCC Hung See and Pioneers, the CCC team once again proved too good for their rivals who are still looking for their first win this season.

CCC Hung See won the toss and fielded first. Their bowlers struck early and Pioneers’ wickets fell regularly. Only two Pioneers batsmen registered double-figure scores, with Damien Yee’s 29 their best. Henry Siu grabbed 3/15 as Pioneers were dismissed for just 90.

In reply, CCC Hung See lost an early wicket but useful contributions from the remaining batsmen got them over the line in good time. Anthony Marrin top scored with 30.
At PTC: Pioneers 90 from 26.3 overs lost to CCC Hung See 3/94 from 16.2 overs by seven wickets.

HK Cricket Match Reports: Sunday 21 February, 2016

Sunday Championship – 21 February 2016

HKCC Wanderers v HKCC Scorpions
In the final HKCC derby of the season, HKCC Wanderers pipped HKCC Scorpions by two runs in a thrilling finish.

Wanderers batted first after winning the toss but they struggled to get much momentum and Stuart Tohill’s 66 was their only score of significance in a total of 165 all out in 43.4 overs. Anton Buntin did most the damage with the ball, claiming the weekend’s best individual bowling figures of 5/44 from his ten over spell.

The Scorpions’ reply got off to a good start but from 0/36, they slipped to 7/86 with Tim Cutler, Ravi Mulchandani and Stuart Tohill making multiple strikes with the ball. Wickets continued to tumble and the Scorpions cause looked all but over at 9/126 with Mulchandani and Tohill claiming three wickets apiece. However, a battling last wicket stand between Toby Raper and Anton Buntin got Scorpions to within one scoring shot of victory but Harry Bailey trapped Buntin LBW from the first ball of the 50th over and Wanderers had snared a hard fought victory.
At HKCC: HKCC Wanderers 165 from 43.4 overs beat HKCC Scorpions 163 from 49.1 overs by two runs.

DLSWCC JKN v USRC/MCC
At Mission Road, DLSWCC JKN scored an easy win over USRC/MCC with the whole game finished well before the scheduled lunch break.

USRC/MCC won the toss and elected to bat first but they were soon reduced to 5/32 with Jangzeb Khan grabbing a brace. Mohammad Ali (3/33) and Ehsan Khan (3/3) wreaked havoc amongst the remaining USRC/MCC batting line-up and they capitulated to 77 all out in 22.3 overs.

Ehsan Khan then struck an unbeaten 32 as DLSWCC JKN knocked off the runs in 14.2 overs to earn themselves an early lunch and a bonus point.
At Mission Road: USRC/MCC 77 from 22.3 overs lost to DLSWCC JKN 3/78 from 14.2 overs by seven wickets.

Women’s Rugby Results – 20 February, 2016

valley black league winners 2016

Premiership

Tai Po Dragons 0-15 Kowloon
@ King’s Park, Kick-off: 16:30

Gai Wu 12-49 Valley Black
@ Kings Park, Kick-off: 18:00

USRC Tigers 37-10 CWB Phoenix
@ King’s Park, Kick-off: 19:30

Women's Premiership - 20 February, 2016

National 15s

Valley Red 7-10 CWB Pheasants
@ KGV, Kick-off: 16:30

USRC Tigers v City
@ Tai Hang Tung, Kick-off: 16:30

Gai Wu 12-5 Revolution SRC
@ KGV, Kick-off: 18:00

Women's 15s - 20 February, 2016

Tai Po Dragons 14-12 HKFC Fire
@ Tai Hang Tung, Kick-off: 15:00

Police 15-12 HK Scottish
@ Police Boundary Street, Kick-off: 18:00

Women's 10s - 20 February, 2016

Hong Kong Lose to UAE by Six Wickets to Crash Out of Asia Cup

Hong Kong’s hopes of qualifying for the main round of the Asia Cup T20 were extinguished as UAE beat them by six wickets to move to the top of the points table with one game to play.

Babar Hayat’s run of form continued but Hong Kong fell to their second loss of the Asia Cup. Batting first, Hong Kong posted 7-146, with Hayat’s 54 off 45 balls the top score.

In response, UAE lost two early wickets but from there recovered to reach the target with 9 balls to spare.

Hong Kong were in the box seat at one stage with the score at 3-112 with six overs to go and a total of 160-plus looked likely. But the fall of Hayat saw the innings lose momentum, which is an area coach Simon Cook admits needs work.

Hong Kong v UAE - 22 February, 2016

“There is a common theme unfortunately that has cost us two games and that’s our batting in the last six overs,” Cook said “In both games we set really good platforms but unfortunately our lower/middle order hasn’t fired and it’s cost us. It has surprised me because it is normally a strength of ours”

With Hong Kong’s hopes of qualifying for the main stage of the tournament over, tomorrow’s match against Afghanistan will serve a crucial lead-in to the World T20.

“Everyone’s playing for their place in that World T20 team, there are a lot people pushing for places, here in this squad and the two new faces coming in next week.”

Nadeem Ahmed was again the pick of the bowlers for Hong Kong, he finished with figures of 1-17 off four overs. Mark Chapman (29 off 17) and Nizakat Khan (28 off 18) both looked in good form, but couldn’t convert.

The match against Afghanistan will be broadcast live on Star Sports, before the squad fly to India to begin training for the World T20.

Hong Kong v UAE - 22 February, 2016

Hong Kong’s Future – A Speech by Sir David Tang at the FCC on 18 February, 2016

Sir David Tang KBE, Chevalier de I’Ordre des Arts et Lettres made a lunchtime speech and answered questions at the FCC on the 18 February, 2016. This is the transcript of his speech, watch the video for the post speech questions.

A Martian reading our chief executive’s 2016 Policy Address might be forgiven for believing that all is hunky-dory in town, and that it has landed on the best planet in the solar system.

The policy address mentioned how to innovate for the economy, improve livelihood, foster harmony, and share prosperity. What better headings could there be?

The only problem is that human beings on Earth lie. The Martian will soon find out enough because it is intelligent, and has got eyes and ears.

But in fact, the policy address was a silent contortion on the truth.

Does anyone here really believe that the government, our government, fosters harmony or shares prosperity? Does the government believe that it fosters harmony and shares prosperity? I believe these words are patronising and condescending at best, and at worst, meaningless.

In any event, in the policy address, there was not a half-cedilla on the Umbrella Movement last year, perhaps the single most significant political event in Hong Kong since the riots in 1966; nor a mention on the defeat within LegCo of the introduction of universal suffrage for the election of the chief executive.

Indeed, in the entire two hours spent in delivering his address, the chief executive did not give the slightest hint of an amoeba of political or social dissatisfaction, yet a great deal of dissatisfaction is prevalent. It was no surprise therefore, that even before the chief executive began his address, four members of LegCo were removed for protesting against his favourite past-time of sweeping what he regards as rotten political dust under the carpet.

The supreme paradox for me is the opening line of his address.

“Since taking office, the current term government has focused its efforts on promoting democracy,” so CY Leung smugly said.

This was his first sentence.

Whoever wrote that for the first sentence for the chief executive, if he himself did not write it, must be a comedian; or perhaps a monkey who accidentally typed up those words on a typewriter. What it all means to me is the disingenuousness of our chief executive and government, and the contempt with which they hold us, the citizens of Hong Kong.

But should we have expected anything else? After all, throughout the Umbrella Movement, our chief executive steadfastly refused to meet the protesters. We should remember that even Li Peng, even Li Peng, the hardcore, hardline Chinese Premier at the time received Wu’er Kaishi, and what’s more, in full view of national television.

By comparison, our Chief Executive hid behind the azaleas at Government House and pushed out that diminutive figure of Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, who fluffed around with absurd preconditions and insisted on meeting the students behind closed doors.

You understand how parochial we seem, already.

It all further means that our chief executive does not have the bottle to confront difficult issues, yet that is precisely the one quality that we should demand in our leader.

We certainly don’t want one who totally ignored the heat of our political and social conditions and instead spent half of his speech pontificating the woolly symbols of “One Belt, One Road”, which was mentioned 48 times. Quite apart from the embarrassing unctuousness towards the Chinese president, what on earth would an ordinary citizen of Hong Kong care or understand about One Belt, One Road?

I even doubt that a singular tycoon in Hong Kong could name more than two countries on the original Silk Road that was the inspiration for One Belt, One Road. Is our chief executive really trying to push Hong Kong trade, and our financial services, across Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Iraq… and inexorably into the heart of the terrifying Islamic State?

Borat might have been able to get away with it, with humour – but hardly our sombre Chief Executive with any degree of seriousness.

Therefore if I were to hold out any hope for a better Hong Kong, I would first wish for a much stronger, and much more effective chief executive. I know this sounds [like] self-evident truth, but that is what we need to focus on.

By which I mean someone who would least appear to represent the people of Hong Kong, and not fearful of relaying to the Chinese authority those views which are considered to be discordant music to the ears in the north.

But the most preponderant misreading on the part of the chief executive of Hong Kong is to second guess what the Chinese government does not want to hear. These furtive considerations do great damage to the status of the chief executive, because even before asking, he has turned himself into a puppet on a string, dancing obsequiously of the tunes and echoes of Zhongnanhai.

I would even wish for a chief executive who was cunning enough to persuade the Chinese government to hear openly the grievances of Hong Kong, whilst knowing full well that they would fall on deaf ears. But at least under these open circumstances, we will obtain an airing of what those grievances are, then sooner or later people will become conscious for the need of compromise.

And therein lies the secret of civilisation: divergent views being brought closer together openly, through peaceful, intellectual and intelligent negotiations.

That, in a nutshell, is what Hong Kong is crying out for. A mediator, or a group of mediators who could bring those pan-democrats and the stiff establishment around the same table and begin the process of some kind of reconciliation.

As a citizen of Hong Kong, born and bred below Lion Rock, I was really sad to see the anger – or should I say Tourette’s – displayed by those well-meaning legislators who were ejected from the chamber in front of an ossified face of our Chief Executive.

These tribal confrontations exemplify deep bitterness and resentment, and precisely represent the fundamental and symptomatic illnesses of our territory.

They are similar to the rifts between the Shiite and the Sunni, the Arabs and the Jews, and the North and South Koreans. But there is so much more hope of a lasting ceasefire in our case because we have, thankfully, at least not shed any real blood. Not yet.

Indeed, the Chinese authority could simply transform our entire livelihood tomorrow by becoming a mediator of the two opposing sides. The two sides must meet, they must sit down opposite each other; they must start talking. They must carry a modicum of good will on each of their parts.

It is only when the stinging palpitations of our political polarisations are diffused, that we can once again return to a marvellous and civilised legislature that has served Hong Kong well, before its fragmentations and the damaging of the fabric of our society before our own eyes.

If we’re not careful and simply let alone the sour enemies sit inert, in stalemate across each other on the chamber floor at LegCo, then we will be throwing away what we have managed to build, totally against the odds, a solid and banished rock that was once considered merely as barren.

Churchill was supposed to have said “democracy is the worst kind of government, except for those others which have been tried.” I should like to think that Hong Kong is the worst kind of place in which to live, except for those others which have been tried.

My point here is that, given all the problems we have, with a deteriorating administration which half confesses itself to have a legislature that is becoming ungovernable and losing confidence amongst the majority of the population by the day, with a chief executive whose popularity is at a historic low, we must cling on to Hong Kong as our home, but we cannot afford to stand by our status quo.

Our government has been growing apart from the people of Hong Kong and they must anticipate trouble. Already, there are over one million people in Hong Kong who are trapped by poverty, and they cannot be too pleased about the government. It is simply invidious that in a prosperous community such as Hong Kong, over 15 percent of our population should be living below the breadline.

It is a shameful state, scandalous if you ask me. Then there was the Umbrella Movement, which clearly demonstrated the resolution of many ordinary people taking real democratic power seriously, and their dissatisfaction can only be increased by the defeat of the universal suffrage motion in LegCo.

Then the disturbing case of Lee Po and his colleagues and those hawkers openly branded as separatists by the Liaison Office. To compound our problems, the dwindling numbers of visitors from the mainland, financial oscillations in the markets, not to mention the growing number of the aged against a falling number of our workforce, the umpteen cases of abduction in the mainland about which we hear very little, the dark appearances of triads at demonstrations, the thorough incompetence of the government in creating a proper cultural anchor in the city…

There are many more things which need fixing, and most of them could not be achieved given the standoff between the pan-democrats representing the majority of ordinary people, and the establishment, so-called, hugging most of our somnambulant tycoons, and that elephantine Communist Party in China.

Thank God, thank God we still have a decent judicial system and a fairly uncorrupted community and genuine freedom in Hong Kong. This holy trinity – which is what I call it – is the fortunate remains the pride of Hong Kong people.

You think Shanghai, say, with her mainland judicial system and corruption, and lack of freedom, could overtake Hong Kong as China’s premier city? You would have to be utterly insane, and stupid.

Ergo, we must hang on to this holy trinity of a decent judicial system and uncorrupted community and genuine freedom until the bitter end… or 2047, at least. In my moments of fantasy, I even think Hong Kong could play a vital role in shaping the future of China.

Why else would 50 million mainlanders come flooding through Hong Kong every year?

It’s because of our holy trinity. This would make the seven million of us in Hong Kong the greatest and freest de facto Chinese diaspora, which in turn could change the course of Chinese history in our lifetime.

Hong Kong Lose Despite Magnificent Babar Hayat Century

Babar Hayat - ICC

Hong Kong have been beaten in a thriller in their opening Asia Cup qualifier against Oman in Dhaka. Chasing 181 runs to win, Babar Hayat smashed the fourth fastest Twenty20 International century of all time off just 50 balls but Hong Kong still fell five runs short.

Hayat ended up on 122 off 60 balls, his innings included 9 fours and 7 sixes. “I was happy with the way I played but we should have won the game so I should be a lot happier, to end up on the losing side is never a good thing,” Hayat said “When you are chasing a big total you have to be aggressive so I just tried to do this and everything kept coming out of the middle. It’s the best innings I’ve played and my first hundred in T20 international cricket so I am happy with this.”

Hong Kong at one stage required 45 runs off the last three overs but rocketed back into contention when Hayat hit four sixes in an over that went for 27. “I’ve never done that before,” Hayat said “I did target that bowler and at that stage we had no choice but to go for it, I thought from there we deserved to win.”

However some accurate death bowling from Oman prevented Hong Kong from achieving the remaining 18 runs off 12 balls. Coach Simon Cook paid high praise for Hayat’s innings and lamented the fact it did not result in a win.

“Outstanding innings, he’s become a lot more consistent over the last few months and again proven why he’s the best batsman in Hong Kong,” Cook said “He controlled the innings perfectly and it showed that we let them get 20 runs too many because even with a fantastic innings by Babar, he still ended up on the losing side.”

While Hayat’s century was the highlight of the match, a controversial incident caused a stir when Hong Kong’s Mark Chapman fell victim to a mankad and Cook wasn’t impressed. “Yes it’s in the laws but I think it goes against the spirit of the game when you’re not at least giving a warning,” Cook said “Ultimately it’s a cowardly way out really, if you’re battling against one another, man against man, out in the middle and you choose to go down that route to get a wicket and win the game, it’s not really in the spirit of cricket.”

Oman v Hong Kong - 19 February, 2016

Oman won the toss and chose to bat, the innings got off to a solid start as Jatinder Singh (42 off 35 balls) added 34 with opening partner Zeeshan and 41 with No. 3 Vaibhav Wategaonkar to move them to 75 for 1 at the 10-over mark. Left-arm spinner Nadeem Ahmed dismissed both Jatinder and Wategaonkar in the 11th over, but every member of Oman’s middle order chipped in to ensure there was no loss of momentum. Adnan Ilyas (23) and Aamir Kaleem (19) were dismissed in quick succession after putting on 38 for the fourth wicket, before Mehran Khan (28* off 16) and Amir Ali (32* off 13) gave the innings an explosive finish, adding an unbroken 50 runs for the sixth wicket, off just 24 balls.

Hong Kong’s next match is against UAE on Sunday – a must win game to keep their qualification hopes alive.

Oman v Hong Kong - 19 February, 2016

Source: HK Cricket Association, Image: © ICC