Category: sport
Artistic Swimmers
Some of Hong Kong’s Olympic swimming team have appeared in an artistic photo shoot by Rex Tsui to promote swimming, the Victoria Harbour race on 16 October and to raise awareness that to succeed in anything it takes persistence and determination. They might not have won medals, but there are not many people in Hong Kong who can say they represented their country at the Olympic games. Chapeaux!
Swimmers participating in the photo shoot included Au Hoi-shun Stephanie (歐鎧淳), Kong Man-yi Yvette (江忞懿), Cheng Lily-mei Camille (鄭莉梅), and Sze Hang Yu (施幸余), together they formed HK’s relay team, and Lau Yin-yan Claudia (劉彥恩) and Geoffrey Cheah (謝旻樹) who represented Hong Kong in the women’s backstroke and men’s freestyle, respectively.
Stephanie Au, also known as “Oriental Venus”, who was Hong Kong’s flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics, commented that “I used to sing in the water when I was young. This is my first time to participate in the Harbour Race; I do not have any target but to enjoy the process. I am a bit afraid to swim in the sea but I believe it will be a great one.”
Harbour Race
Date: 8:30am, 16 October, 2016
Venue: Sam Ka Tsuen pier, Lei Yue Mun to Quarry Bay Park pier
Tickets: Free
More info: www.hkharbourrace.com, www.facebook.com/harbourrace
HK Cricket: Match Reports 16-18 September, 2016
National Players star in Domestic Cricket as Premier League gets underway.
A sunny Mid-Autumn long weekend saw the Hong Kong domestic cricket season start with a flourish of willow. Hong Kong’s national players, including Babar Hayat and Tanveer Ahmad, all performed well for their clubs to show how they have improved with a summer of training and international cricket.
Premier League 1-Day
Little Sai Wan v Pakistan Association
In the season opener for the Premier League, Little Sai Wan (DLSW) defeated Pakistan Association (PACC) with nine wickets to spare.
Batting first, PACC was all out with 120 runs, led by Balal Muhammad (31) and Ahsan Abbasi Ali (26).
DLSW’s Hong Kong spinner Nadeem Ahmed (2/10) chipped in with two wickets, while Niaz Ali (3/30) and Mudassar Hussain (3/11) contributed to keep PACC’s batting in check and deliver a very makable target.
DLSW’s response was led by Hong Kong Captain Babar Hayat, who scored the season’s first century with exactly 100 runs off 48 balls. It only took 15 and a half overs for DLSW to take their opening victory of the season.
Scorecard: www.crichq.com/#matches/429107/1st_innings
Kowloon Cricket Club v Hong Kong Cricket Club
In the second Premier League match of the day, Kowloon Cricket Club beat Hong Kong Cricket Club in Wong Nai Chung Gap by 7 wickets.
HKCC’s Courtney Kruger scored 45 off 44 balls to lead the team, while James Redmayne added 34 runs as KCC’s Hong Kong bowlers Waqas Barkat (3/23) and Tanveer Ahmad (3/43) limited HKCC to 151 all out.
KCC’s chase was opened by Hong Kong youngsters Aizaz Khan (33 off 35) and Ninad Shah (11). Former Hong Kong skipper Jamie Atkinson’s 63 and Waqas Barkat’s 33 fast-forwarded the chase and brought the away victory at the 27th over.
HKCC’s Isaac Poole took three wickets for 34 runs.
Scorecard: www.crichq.com/#matches/429111/1st_innings
Championship League Division A
KCC Saracens v KCC Crusaders
In the Kowloon Cricket Club derby, the Saracens beat the Crusaders behind two century-makers.
Batting first, Saracens’ opener and Hong Kong player Chris Carter scored 102 runs off 77 balls. Sunny Bhimsaria also knocked 102 runs. Deepinder Singh added 31 to bring the total to a massive 265/5.
Aditya Kanthan was the best bowler for the Crusaders with 3/32. He was also the highest scorer during their chase with 33 runs. Damian Kelleher added 22 runs but it was not enough. They finished the innings with 136/8.
Scorecard: www.crichq.com/#matches/428457/1st_innings
Taipan Sky Warriors v HKCC Gap Ramblers
Hong Kong Cricket Club Gap Ramblers started their title defence by beating Taipan Sky Warriors at home with six wickets to spare.
Sky Warriors batted first and were all out for 145. Gap Ramblers’ Satyendra Singh was the top bowler with 3/15, while Tom Ingram and Charles McInerney each took two wickets.
In response, the middle-order batsmen for the Gap Ramblers led the charge. Stuart Tohill scored 44 off 45 balls, while Isaac Poole added an efficient 43 off 23 balls to the victory.
Scorecard: www.crichq.com/#matches/428656/1st_innings
HKCC Nomads v KCC Tartars
The Hong Kong Cricket Club Nomads beat the Kowloon Cricket Club Tartars in a closely contested match.
The Tartars batted first and scored one run short of 200. Former Hong Kong Captain Najeeb Amar scored 58 off 47 balls, while Muhammad Khan added a half century. They batted through their innings with 199/8. Daljeet Singh of the Nomads took three wickets while S Bhojwani took two.
Nomads’ opener S Ayer led the chase with 79 off 62 balls before being caught out in the 21st over. They were at 113/2. D Singh scored 61 to bring the total within reach, with 190/4 in the 32nd over. A Claire and C White finished the chase with nine balls left in the game.
Scorecard: www.crichq.com/#matches/428828/1st_innings
HKCC Witherers v KCC Crusaders
Hong Kong Cricket Club Witherers won by 25 runs at home against Kowloon Cricket Club Crusaders.
Witherers batted first and provided a balanced team effort. Four batsmen reached double figures, including M Ashton (44), J Warby (43), T Whisker (39*) and L Ginnivan (21). 181 was their total. Crusaders’ Aditya Kanthan continued his good form from Saturday with 2/33. Ruan DeBruin bowled two for 43.
Crusaders’ Damian Kelleher (39) and Dylan Dearing (38) gave the Crusaders a good chance of victory, but their teammates did not do enough to do that. Witherers’ Tim Whisker took four wickets for 40 runs in seven overs.
Scorecard: www.crichq.com/#matches/428661/1st_innings
Championship League Division B
Pioneers CC v University of Hong Kong Cricket Club
The University of Hong Kong Cricket Club beat Pioneers comfortably to get two wins in a row.
Pioneers chose to bat first but they did not perform well. They could only score 23 runs all out. Six HKU bowlers took one wicket each.
In response, HKU only needed 14 balls to get the victory.
Scorecard: www.crichq.com/#matches/428658/1st_innings
DLSW Sarjan v Centaurs Cricket Club
Little Sai Wan Sarjan beat Centaurs Cricket Club by a massive 130 runs, behind Aftab Hussain’s century.
Batting first, Sarjan’s opener Aftab Hussain only needed 73 balls to reach 105 runs, while his opening partner Haseeb Muhammad scored 50. Haroon Arshad added another 80 to help Sarjan reached 279.
Centaurs’ opening batsman G Raj started the chase with 47 runs. Rizwan Masood (38) and Keith Frith (35*) tried close the gap, but the target was proved to be too high.
Sarjan’s Saqib Mahmood was the bowler of the match with 2/18 in seven overs.
Scorecard: www.crichq.com/#matches/428660/1st_innings
Additional reporting and photo: HK Cricket Association
HK Women’s Cricket: Twenty20 Cup Match Reports 16-18 September, 2016
Women’s Twenty20 Cup
HKCC Cavaliers v HKCC Willow Wielders
In an all-HKCC affair on the 16 September, Cavaliers beat the Willow Wielders by 16 runs.
Batting first, Cavaliers’ Jasmine Titmuss led the team with 32 runs, while Hong Kong captain Emma Lai added 22. They finished their innings with a total of 76. Willow Wielders’ Annie Ho took one wicket and allowed only nine runs in four overs.
In response, Willow Wielders’ opener Yasmin Daswani led the team with 25 runs, while Ashley Hung scored 12. Their chase proved unsuccessful as Cavaliers’ Ruchitha Venkatesh took three wickets while allowing only six runs in four overs.
Scorecard: www.crichq.com/#matches/429620/1st_innings
CCC Fung Wong v DLSW Wasps
Little Sai Wan Wasps beat Craigengower Cricket Club Fung Wong by 64 runs on the 18 September.
Wasps’ opener Manpreet Kaur scored a team-high 44 runs. Her partner, last season’s cricketer of the year Shanzeen Shahzad scored 14 runs facing only 7 balls. Yousaf Mehreen added an efficient 33 runs of 29 balls to bring the total to 157. Hong Kong and Fung Wong’s bowler Kary Chan took four wickets for 20 runs.
Fung Wong’s V Wong scored a team-high 19 runs off 22 balls, and Kary Chan added 11 runs off 8 balls in their unsuccessful chase. Yousaf Mehreen was Wasps top bowler with 1/18 in three overs.
Scorecard: www.crichq.com/#matches/429100/1st_innings
USRC v KCC Maidens
Kowloon Cricket Club Maidens defeated the United Services Recreation Club with nine wickets to spare.
USRC scored 41 runs after getting all out in the 18th over. KCC needed only five overs and two balls to overcome the target.
Scorecard: www.crichq.com/#matches/429593/1st_innings
Additional reporting and photos: HK Cricket Association
HK Cricket: Premier League 2016-17 Preview
As the 2016-17 Hong Kong Premier League gets underway this weekend, bc, with the help of Hong Kong Cricket Association Director of Cricket Charlie Burke, previews the five teams competing for the prestigious 1-day tournament.
“It’s a cliché I know; however, I genuinely feel this season’s Premier League will be the strongest yet with all five sides capable of beating each other,” Charlie Burke. “The test will be consistency and game plans as we watch with anticipation who will win the 2016-17 Premier League title.”
“It is great to see players such as Giacomo Lamplough, Ehsan Nawaz, Ehsan Khan and Ninad Shah all come through the Premier League structure and have earned a spot on the National squad.”
“The performance of our national team players in this competition is a critical part of their ongoing selection in the national team and a great chance for some guys that have sights set on playing for Hong Kong to push for selection and potentially even contracts,” added Burke.
The league opens with defending champions Little Sai Wan taking on Pakistan Association this Sunday – 9:30am at Tin Kwong Road. While Hong Kong Cricket Club will face Kowloon Cricket Club at home starting at 10am.
Little Sai Wan Cricket Club
“Defending Champions Little Sai Wan will again be really hard to beat, however the loss of Moner Dar may put pressure on the club’s middle order and responsibility will be handed to the likes of Babar Hayat and new captain Ehsan Khan who has just made his debut for Hong Kong.” – Charlie Burke
“Little Sai Wan are confident to defend our title in the Premier League and will continue to play our own brand of cricket emphasizing on teamwork and commitment towards the club. We have great confidence in our new Captain Ehsan Khan along with vice-captain, Babar Hayat and our coach Ghulam Saqlain to deliver the goods. We look forward to the new season, it will be a challenging one both on and off the field.” – Tony Mehta, DLSWCC President
Squad: Ahmed, Nadeem; Ali, Niaz; Haroon, Arshad; Hayat, Babar; Khan, Anas; Khan, Ehsan (Captain); Khan, Jangzeb; Khan, Waqas; Singh, Amanadeep; Singh, Karandeep; Wasif, Shahid
Kowloon Cricket Club
“Kowloon Cricket Club will be disappointed at not winning the competition last season and go into this season’s competition as favorites with a line-up that includes 7 current internationals, former national vice-captain and two other National squad players along with KCC Cricketer of the year from last season in Dan Pascoe.” – Charlie Burke
“KCC are very much looking forward to what should be an extremely competitive Premier League season. I am especially looking forward to watching the development of our Hong Kong National Players in my squad as the push for selection at the highest level. Players to watch are Ninad Shah, Tanveer Ahmed & Chris Carter.” – Ryan Campbell, KCC Cricket Operations Manager
“KCC are again delighted to be part of the 2016-17 Premier League. KCC has a proud tradition of being part of the PL since the inception of the PL. KCC has won the PL on several occasions. We also at KCC have over the years produced national players and as well as national captains. I would like to wish the KCC PL team a successful season and all you have made us proud.” – Shiroy Vachha, KCC Captain of Cricket
Squad: Ahmed Tanveer; Arif Imran; Atkinson James (Captain); Barkat Waqas; Campbell Ryan; Carter Christopher; Mehmood Adil; Nawaz Ehsan; Pascoe Daniel; Shah Kinchit; Shah Ninad
Hong Kong Cricket Club
“Hong Kong Cricket Club have always been really tough to beat up at the gap and I expect the two new faces from the UK in Buckley and Harte to make a big impact along with some young gun from Hong Kong Cricket in Lamplough and Kapur, they also have an exceptional new coach in Craig Wright.” – Charlie Burke
“The 2016-2017 Premier League season is a very important one for HKCC. We have traditionally done very well in this league and after finishing third last season we are extremely intent on restoring order and getting back to winning ways. We have had a very good pre-season with new coach Craig Wright and a few fresh faces in the squad signals our intent on winning the Championship. The competition is stronger than it has ever been before which is a testament to the hard work put in by the Association to continue to develop the game here in Hong Kong.” Courtney Kruger, HKCC Captain
Squad: Buckley Ryan; Chapman Mark; Cutler Tim; Harte Gareth; Jacquier David (wk); Kapur Raag; Khan Nizakat; Kruger Courtney (Captain); Lamplough Giacomo; Mckechnie Scott; Rath Anshuman
Pakistan Association
“Pakistan Association have probably underperformed over the last few seasons and will be without one of Hong Kong Cricket’s biggest stars in Hussain Butt who has decided to allow the youngsters an opportunity. The off season has seen huge improvements in Aizaz Khan who will no doubt bat high up the order as well as his Hong Kong team mate Tanwir Afzal who has just come off winning last season’s cricket of the year award.” – Charlie Burke
“PACC is ready for the highlights in the Premier League and looking forward to do better in the season with all the talented players like Tanwir Afzal the team captain, Daniyal Bukhari who is a talented batsman and very keen to face new ball. Ishtiaq Mohammed who is a hard worker and great planner, and Hamed Khan who is a young talented player with a great future for PACC and the Hong Kong national team.”
– Kabir Hussain, PACC Team Manager
Squad: Afzal Tanwir (Captain); Khan Aizaz; Bukhari Daniyal S; Mohammed Ishtiaq; Ali Skhawat; Khan Mohsan; Singh Manjindar; Abbasi Ali Ahsan; Khan Saqib; Khan Qasim; Khan Hamed
Cricket Hong Kong Independents XI
“The Cricket Hong Kong Independents XI will have a great mix of some exciting or emerging talents as well as some consistent Elite league performers and won’t be any pushed over this season, in fact I expect a few upsets along the way.” – Charlie Burke
Squad: Balal Mohammad (USRC-MCC); Caddy Ashley (KCC); Khan Akbar (SLCC) Khan Mohsin (DLSWCC); Amjad Haseeb (USRC-MCC); Li Ming (HKCA Pioneers); Mohammad Awais (USRC-MCC); Saad Mohammad (Vagabonds); Sikander Zafar (USRC-MCC); Stiller Matt (KCC); Umar Mohammad (USRC-MCC)
Additional reporting and photos: HKcricket
HK Cricket Match Reports: 10-11 September, 2016
Heavy rain over the weekend meant only two matches could go ahead in the domestic leagues.
Saturday 10 September: Championship Division B
Hong Kong University Cricket Club v Lamma Cricket Club
HK University Cricket Club beat Lamma Cricket Club by 46 runs in the shortened Championship Division B league-opener.
Opener Chamila Panduwawala was the star of HKU’s innings, posting a very efficient 80* off 46 balls. Ankit Suri scored 31 runs before he was caught in the 12th over. HKU finished the 15-over innings with 152/3. Lamma’s B. McDonald led their bowlers with 1/17.
Lamma’s response did not start well, losing two wickets in the first three overs. C. Davies scored a team-high 35 runs before being dismissed in the ninth over. HKU’s John Wright and Mohammad Ali each took two wickets and ensured that Lamma could only score 106 after their 15 overs. Scorecard: https://www.crichq.com/#matches/426775/1st_innings
Sunday 11 September: Elite League Division A
Hong Kong Cricket Club Scorpions v Kowloon Cricket Club Infidels
On Sunday, HKCC Scorpions beat KCC Infidels by two wickets in the Elite League Division A.
Opener David Varley led the way for the Scorpions with 74 runs, while James Redmayne scored 64. They scored 282 runs with two wickets to spare.
Ateequi Iqbal and Suhaib Ahmad each took three wickets for the Infidels.
In response, Imran Arif knocked 44 runs, while Sunny Bhimsaria and Simandeep Singh each scored 35 runs for KCC Infidels. But attacks from HKCC’s Isaac Poole (3/27), Matt Rafter (2/33) and Anton Buntin (2/11) made sure that the Infidels were all out with only 186 runs.
Scorecard: https://www.crichq.com/#matches/427952/1st_innings
Additional reporting: HK Cricket
Tang Wai-lok Wins Gold!!!
Tang Wai-lok wins Hong Kong’s first gold medal at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio in the men’s S14 200m freestyle.
Swimming in the same pool where the Olympic Games were held a month ago. Tang took the lead just before the hundred metres mark and was on world record pace for much of the race, just missing out by five hundredths of a second, winning the gold medal in a new Paralympic Games record time of 1:56.32. Thomas Hamer (Great Britain) and Daniel Fox (Australia) took the silver and bronze medals in 1:56.58 and 1:56.69 respectively.
The race itself starts at around 3:30 of the youtube video.
Scotland Win the Braidwood Cup
Hong Kong lost the final match of their Tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland. Scotland scoring a 53-run win in the Second One Day International.
After Thursday’s washout of the first ODI – it meant Scotland won the series and claimed the Braidwood Cup.
Chasing Scotland’s 266-7, Hong Kong had reached 139-2 after 30 overs, but with the required rate creeping up wickets fell and the visitors were dismissed for 213 in the 47th over.
Babar Hayat (56) and Nizakat Khan (42) were again the linchpins of Hong Kong’s innings but didn’t get the support required.
Earlier, Scotland recovered from 144-5 after 32 overs to post an above par score thanks to a century from Calum Macleod (102) and a run-a-ball 52 from Craig Wallace.
Wickets were shared among the Hong Kong bowlers with Tanveer Ahmed (2-50) the only multiple wicket-taker.
Hong Kong now return home, with their next assignment a three-game ODI series against Papua New Guinea in November, which will be held in Mong Kok.
Babar Hayat:
“We got a good start with the run chase, Nizakat and I were playing nicely and then we collapsed. They took two really good catches and saved a lot of singles and twos which we didn’t do, that was the big difference for me. The way we bowled in the middle was brilliant but we let ourselves down in the field in the last 10 overs.”
“Nizakat or myself needed to stay there until the end, we were playing patiently but those catches turned the game.”
“Overall we’ve played really well on this tour – we brought a lot of young guys and are missing key players. So it’s a learning process for us and we will be a lot better for the experience. We competed in every game, won the T20 series against Ireland and Nizakat’s form was outstanding.”
“We need to work on our fielding, in every game we gave away 20-30 runs and today it put us under a lot of pressure so that is something we have to work on.”
Additional reporting and images: HK Cricket Association, Cricinfo