HK Cricket Match Reports: Saturday 14 November, 2015

Saturday Championship Division 1

KCC Crusaders v Centaurs
KCC Crusaders earned their first win of the season with a 58-run victory over Centaurs. Crusaders batted first and scored 160 with Ashley Caddy hitting 52 and Chirag Kothari 30. Nasir Hameed was the best of the Centaurs’ bowlers with 3/33 from six overs while Keith Frith grabbed 3/37. After a promising start, Centaurs folded meekly and could only muster 102 in their reply. Chirag Kothari completed a good double with 4/15 from seven overs while Steve Pratt grabbed 4/26, also from seven overs.
At KCC: KCC Crusaders 160 from 31.4 overs beat Centaurs 102 from 31.1 overs by 58 runs.

KCC Tartars v HKCC Witherers
At Hong Kong Cricket Club, KCC Tartars batted strongly to beat HKCC Witherers by seven wickets.

Batting first after winning the toss, Witherers reached 175 in 34.2 overs thanks largely to the efforts of skipper Charlie Bright and Jonathan Worby who scored 34 and 58 respectively. Ateeq ul Rehman was the pick of the Tartars’ bowlers with 3/35 from his seven over spell.

In reply, Tartars’s openers got them off to a flyer by putting on 105 runs for the first wicket with Gurjant Singh hitting 54. Skipper Akash Sureka contributed 39 as Tartars scorched home in 27 overs to earn a bonus point with Najeeb Amar also hitting an unbeaten 35.
At HKCC: HKCC Witherers 175 from 34.2 overs lost to KCC Tartars 3/181 from 27 overs by 7 wickets.

Saturday Championship Division 2

USRC/MCC v DLSWCC Spartans
In Division 2 action at Mission Road, USRC/MCC walloped DLSWCC Spartans by 71 runs.

Batting first, USRC/MCC recovered from 8/64 to score 161 with number 10 Babar Ali hitting 56. Suresh Pandey was the pick of the Spartans’ bowlers with figures of 3/19 off his seven overs.

After losing an early wicket, Spartans recovered to 1/40 but a middle-order slump saw them reduced to 5/54. They recovered to 6/88 but then folded for 90. Mohammad Usman did the major damage with the ball, claiming 5/26.
At MR: USRC/MCC 161 from 34.3 overs beat DLSWCC Spartans 90 from 26 overs by 71 runs.

Kai Tak CC v HKUCC
At PKVR Park, Kai Tak CC defeated HKUCC by three wickets. Kai Tak won the toss and put HKU into bat. HKU were dismissed for 117 in 28.3 overs with Brett Hutton claiming 4/9 for Kai Tak.

In reply, Kai Tak lost seven wickets in chasing down the total but they got there in 27.5 overs to earn a bonus point. Peter Williams was the mainstay of their innings with 33.
At PKVR Park: HKUCC 117 from 28.3 overs lost to Kai Tak CC 7/118 from 27.5 overs by three wickets.

HK Cricket Match Reports: Sunday 15 November, 2015

Sunday Championship

HKCA Dragons v SLCC
The HKCA Dragons suffered their second loss of the season when they were thrashed by Headwin Tritons SLCC by 175 runs at Mission Road.

The Dragons bowlers would have been reasonably satisfied with their bowling effort, having restricted the SLCC batting line-up to 6/264 from their 50 overs. Asad Arif (45) and skipper Mukhtar Ahmed (44) laid the foundation for SLCC while Akbar Khan finished things off with an unbeaten 75.

The Dragons batters struggled from the outset after losing opener Vincent Chu for a golden duck. Hamid Khan grabbed three early wickets as Dragons were reduced to 5/44. A 38-run partnership between Eddie Ang and Li kai Ming got Dragons to 79 but Ashad Rasheed then wrapped up the match with a spell of 5/3 in three overs, including a hat-trick, as Dragons were routed for 89.  Hamid Khan finished with figures of 3/19.
At Mission Road: Headwin Tritons SLCC 6/264 from 50 overs beat HKCA Dragons 89 from 26 overs by 175 runs.

HKCC Wanderers v USRC/MCC
At Hong Kong Cricket Club, there was a thrilling finish as HKCC Wanderers scored a narrow one-run wicket victory over USRC/MCC.

USRC/MCC elected to bat first in seaming conditions but they were soon reduced to 4/47 with Angus Robson claiming three wickets. Tim Cutler grabbed 4/31 in a damaging spell as none of the USRC/MCC batsmen could reach 25 and Robson picked up his fourth wicket as the USRC/MCC innings was eventually wrapped up for 124.

The Wanderers innings followed much the same pattern as USRC/MCC’s. They lost wickets regularly and were struggling at 6/71 with still plenty to do. Tim Cutler and Christopher White combined for the day’s best partnership of 40 runs to lift Wanderers 6/111 but three quick wickets saw them reduced to 9/113. Cutler and Angus Robson however held strong for Wanderers as they eked out the last few runs in a nail-biting finish. Cutler finished on 28 not out while Banny Singh claimed 3/37 for USRC/MCC.
At HKCC: USRC/MCC 124 from 32.4 overs lost to HKCC Wanderers 9/125 overs from 33.2 overs by one wicket.

Hong Kong’s Bowlers Rout UAE to Secure Historic Win

hkicc14nov2a

Hong Kong’s bowlers routed the UAE to secure an historic first ICC Intercontinental Cup victory with Babar Hayat declared Man of the Match for his two match winning innings. The win earns Hong Kong maximum points and moves the team up to third in the competition.

Hong Kong secured their magnificent 276 run victory when opening bowlers Haseeb Amjad and Aizaz Khan ripped through the UAE top order, claiming five wickets in the first 15 balls of the day while conceding only one run to leave the host reeling on five for six in under six overs.

With the UAE needing 377 runs for victory on the fourth and final day, the day could not have started worse for the host. Haseeb was on a hat trick with the first three balls, stunning the hosts to dismiss dangermen Amjad Ali lbw (1) and Usman Mushtaq (0), before narrowly missing the key wicket of Swapnil Patil. However, Patil fell the following over to 22-year-old Aizaz, who struck twice to dismiss Swapnil (0) and opener Asif Iqbal (3).

When Haseeb‘s medium-fast pace struck again in the following over, the UAE were at risk of being humiliated, but the lower-order mounted a disciplined defence, until Nadeem Ahmed broke through in the 21st over to send Qais Farooq (26) back to the pavilion. Nadeem took the last four wickets of the day, including the only UAE player to hit a half century (Laxman Sreekumar (61) to finish with figures of four for 40 alongside Haseeb’s superb figures of four for 10. Aizaz finished with a tidy two for twenty.

Screen Shot 2015-11-15 at 00.54.21The four-day, first class clash saw Hong Kong showcase its all-round talents, with centurions Babar Hayat and captain Tanwir Azal the second and fourth-highest run-scorers in the competition to date. Haseeb is now Hong Kong’s leading wicket taker in the tournament, with 10 wickets in two matches, and he is second only to Ireland’s George Dockrell overall.

Hong Kong coach Simon Cook was delighted with the convincing victory. “The game has pretty much gone to script as far as we are concerned. This was the icing on the cake, to do it so convincingly in the first session. We had discussed about how important the first hour was today, and that would really set up the day, and it proved so, with the UAE losing five wickets for one run in the space of about 15 balls. That really set us up.”

hkicc14novaCaptain Tanwir Afzal could not contain his happiness with the result. “It was an amazing victory, our fist ever win in a first class game. I am so happy that the guys all showed up and did really well.”

“It was an amazing start from the first ball, and then the second ball, and then the next over was also an amazing start. The guys stuck with the plan, so I don’t think we needed more than three bowlers after that.”

He said that his side had not felt pressure on the final day of the clash. “The bowlers were very relaxed. They didn’t have pressure because we know that it was a big total, that UAE couldn’t chase that. We had our plans in place but we stuck with the basic things, and the guys did a really good job.”

Man of the Match Babar Hayat said the historic victory has an unforgettable one. “It’s a great day for Hong Kong, beating the UAE in a first class game – it is a special day for Hong Kong and for the whole team. It’s a really special day for us.”

“I am really happy with my batting performance. I used to bat number five or six, but I talked to Simon Cook and he said you are going to move up. I’m really happy batting at this position and am really looking forward to the next few games here on the same pitch, and hopefully get some more runs.”

The sides now turn their minds to their upcoming World Cricket League Championship matches, with the two One-Day Internationals to be played on 16 and 18 November in Dubai.

Hong Kong won by 276 runs
Man of the Match: Babar Hayat
Hong Kong first innings 378 all out, 125.2 overs
Babar Hayat 113, Tanwir Afszal 104, Kinshit Shah 62;
Asif Iqbal 3-38, Raja Adeel 2-104, Ahmed Raza 2-103

UAE first innings 181 all out, 92.3 overs
Swapnil Patil 75, Usman Mushtaq 45;
Anshuman Rath 4-34, Tanwir Afzal 2-21, Nadeem Ahmed 2-47, Ehsan Nawaz 1-19, Aizaz Khan 1-30

Hong Kong second innings 184 all out, 51.3 overs
(Babar Hayat 73, Anshuman Rath 32, Jaimie Atkinson 30;
Ahmed Raza 5-61Nasir Aziz 4-90

UAE second innings 105 all out, 29.2 overs
L Sreekumar 61;
Haseeb Amjad 4-10, Nadeem Ahmed 4-40, Aizaz Khan 2-20

Hong Kong Set UAE 382 to Win

Hong Kong Set UAE 382 to Win

A strong all-round team performance saw Hong Kong strengthen it’s grip on the game as they lead UAE by 376 runs with one day remaining in the four day ICC Intercontinental Cup match in Dubai.

Sixteen wickets fell on day 3, as Hong Kong captured first innings honours and six points after restricting their hosts to a first innings total of 181, an innings deficit of 197. Debutant Anshuman Rath shone in the critical morning session as he ripped through the lower order, taking four scalps for 34 runs.

Hong Kong then added 184 runs in its second innings as they looked for quick runs to establish a match winning lead. With the last Hong Kong wicket falling late in the day, the UAE was forced to pad up and bat for three overs, seeing out the last 15 minutes without losing a wicket. The host will return tomorrow needing 377 more runs for victory.

The day swung on the crucial morning session, with UAE batsmen Usman Mushtaq (45) and Swapnil Patil (75) putting on a 139-run partnership before 18-year-old Anhsuman Rath snared the key wicket of Usman. The wicket proved fatal for the host, which lost their remaining four wickets for 48 runs, with Anshuman also snaring the prized scalp of Patil in his four-wicket haul.

UAE First InningsNot to be outdone, UAE skipper Ahmed Raza took full advantage of the ball in the afternoon session, ripping through the Hong Kong innings to finish with figures of five for 61, the best bowling figures of a UAE bowler to date in the competition.

Hong Kong, clearly in a hurry to put runs on the board in its second innings, completing the innings in less than two sessions to finish on 184 runs all out. Babar Hayat again led with the bat, striking 73 to become Hong Kong’s leading run-scorer in the competition, while Anshuman contributed a quickfire 32.

Coach Simon Cook believed his team’s bowling was key to the day’s success. “I think the partnership that Anshuman had with Nadeem was excellent, it really ripped the heart out of their batting, and it came off the back of some great work from Ehsan and Aizaz and Haseeb and Tanwir as well.”

“We identified this morning would be a crucial period in the game, and it proved that. We really put the UAE batters under a lot of pressure. And the fact that we bowled the previous evening so tight meant that when those wickets did come, the UAE hadn’t really gone anywhere. So to then dismiss them and give us a lead of 197 going into our second innings really helped us.”

The former English county cricketer said his team had handled the pressure well. “There’s a little bit of pressure when you know you have to bowl the opposition out for under your score, because in this competition, you get points for first innings leads, so that was a bit of pressure there. But I said to the guys to just stick to the process that was applied so well the day before, and the result will come – it’s just a case of being patient and being able to stick in there.”

Hong Kong Second InningsAnshuman Rath was delighted with his four-for-34 on debut for Hong Kong. “The wicket was turning quite a bit, and that does help me as a spinner. I am just glad that I can contribute in a big way to the team.”

“I was having a chat to Simon Cook as to what we should do to get those batsmen out. They looked quite comfortable. So we the simple things well – we bogged them down, we tried to get as many dot balls as possible and make them make a mistake, and that is what happened. Both of them fell under the pressure.”

The final day of the four-day, first class ICC Intercontinental Cup match is Saturday, at 0930 local time at ICC Academy 1, Dubai, UAE, with the host chasing 377 runs for victory.

Captain Tanwir Afzal Stars With a Century and Two Wickets

hk-day2a

Tanwir Afzal stars to put Hong Kong in the driver’s seat as he joined Babar Hayat with a century, before claiming two wickets as Hong Kong lead host UAE by 296 runs with two days’ play remaining in ICC Intercontinental Cup match.

Despite having to wait impatiently overnight for his maiden first class century, Hong Kong’s skipper Tanwir Afzal showed no signs of nerves as Wednesday’s dust and heat gave way to rain and an unfamiliar coolness, Tanwir displayed enormous calm in his first four-day match as captain, returning to the crease a dangerous 10 runs short of the historic milestone. The skipper selectively struck the ball before charging a Raja Adeel delivery and smashing it over the boundary rope to bring up his century, and the second for Hong Kong in two days.

When the skipper was dismissed two overs later for 104, Hong Kong had 330 runs on the scoreboard for the loss of seven wickets. The skipper had shared a 47-run partnership with debutant Aizaz Khan, who led a tail-end mission to add as many runs to the board as possible, with a measured 16. Ehsan Nawaz contributed 14 and number 11 Nadeem Ahmed struck 29 before lofting the ball to be caught at long-on and ending the Hong Kong innings at 378 all out just after lunch.

Screen Shot 2015-11-13 at 00.06.35

After lunch and a brief rain delay, Hong Kong’s bowling attack throttled the host’s batsmen, with Tanwir leading the way, claiming two quick scalps of Asif Iqbal (8) and Laxman Sreekumar (0) within 12 overs. The bowlers continued to pile on the pressure, with debutant Aizaz Khan and Ehsan Nawaz each picking up a wicket to help restrict the UAE to 82 runs in 54 overs, and a miserly run rate of only 1.51.

Skipper and centurion Tanwir was delighted with his knock, but was quick to point out that team performance is more important than that of an individual. “It’s quite good for me, but forget my performance, it’s about team performance. And so far, the team is doing well so I am so happy, and I am looking forward to the next two days.”

Screen Shot 2015-11-13 at 00.06.47Having battled heat, dust, rain and wind in the first two days, the captain said the youth of his side was one of the keys to the team’s performance. “I think we are quite lucky that we have young players, they are quite energetic and they have so much hunger. So it is really helpful, because they love to play cricket. That energy really helps us.”

He continued: “On Middle East pitches, tosses really matter, so we are very lucky that we won the toss. The UAE team are quite experienced guys in this format, and this is just our second game, so the guys have shown up really well so far.”

The captain had a surprising summary of the changeable climate conditions. “I’ve not really played in such changing conditions before. It was quite good for us weather-wise for us when we started bowling, with the cloudy weather helping seam bowlers. We have four seam bowlers, so this kind of weather actually helped up.”

Reflecting on the first two days of the match, coach Simon Cook said: “Having any sort of lead is good, and a lead of nearly 300 is excellent. We probably would have liked a few more wickets. I thought the way our bowlers stuck to their task today out of the field, taking four wickets, only going just over 1.5 runs an over, was an outstanding over on that wicket, and what we’ve got to do is make sure we capitalise on that pressure tomorrow morning and not let them off the hook.”

The coach was delighted by the way his young charges were adapting to the longer format of the game: “There’s still a bit of work to be done but showing the guys how they can bat for 120 overs is outstanding. Two centurions – brilliant. A great platform up front with Kinchit and Babar, and then also to be able to bowl with control but also with purpose throughout the 50 overs today has been outstanding. The weather has been another first for me. Dust storms yesterday and now rain in Dubai! It’s been more like an English summer’s day here, with the constant on and off, and having to stop and start. The guys have stuck at it really well and switch on when they need to.”

Twenty-two-year-old debutant and first time wicket-taker Aizaz Khan was delighted with his maiden wicket wearing national colours: “It feels really good. It’s my first game and my first wicket for Hong Kong in first class cricket. The weather was really hot yesterday, and then today with the rain, it was really good to bowl in. With the overcast conditions, the ball was doing a bit, so it was good. We are in a really good position after day two, we’re 296 runs in front. Hopefully we start again tomorrow and get a few wickets early on.”

Play continues on Friday at 0930 local time at ICC Academy 1, Dubai, UAE.

Historic Babar Hayat Century Gives Hong Kong Upper Hand

hkuae1

A sensational maiden first class century for Babar Hayat led Hong Kong to a commanding total of 307 for six at stumps on day one of its ICC Intercontinental clash against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Dubai on Wednesday. On a day of many firsts, Babar Hayat’s knock of 113 was also the maiden century for Hong Kong in first class cricket and the highest individual score by a Hong Kong player in the ICC Intercontinental Cup to date.

Hayat, who battled through 83 overs of heavy dust and ever-changing wind, reached his century with a sweep over square leg for a boundary. He put on a 106-run partnership with debutant Kinchit Shah (62) for the second wicket and a 139-run partnership with skipper Tanwir Afzal (90 not out) for the sixth wicket, the highest sixth-wicket partnership of tournament to date as well as the fourth highest overall.

Kinchit was one of four young players to make their international debut during the match, and opened the batting alongside fellow debutant Anshuman Rath (9), who timed the opening ball of the match perfectly to score a boundary. Chris Carter scored seven and Aizaz Khan was still at the crease on eight at stumps.

The loudest cheers of the day, however, were for 23-year-old Babar Hayat, who was delighted with his historic achievement: “It was great out there. Scoring 100 for Hong is great. It’s the first firstclass 100 for Hong Kong, and I am so proud of myself.” However, he was quick to point out that the other batsmen had also performed well: “I’m cramping a bit now and a bit stiff, but I was thinking that I should play all 96 overs, but I got out to a good ball. But Tanwir has also batted well, and Kinchit has done really well too.”

hk-v-uae-day1

Hong Kong Coach Simon Cook was full of praise for the centurion: “It’s outstanding to see someone like Babar really put their hand up like that. We spoke in Hong Kong about what position he’d like to play, and I challenged him to come into that number three position and really make it his own. There’s a couple of other players really wanting to bat at three, so its good competition for the squad to have guys really want to make those positions their own.”

“He’s going great guns at the moment, as well as all the other batters. We had four guys get past 50 in the Nepal warm up game, and then Babar getting 70 against England and 100-odd here, we’ve got Kinchit who scored a half century here as well, and Tanwir who’s not out on 90, going into tomorrow, it’s looking pretty strong for us. Having six wickets down is good, we are just ahead in terms of the balance, and we’ll look to kick on tomorrow.”

The coach was particularly pleased with his side’s ability to adapt to the difficult weather conditions. “They’ve done really, really well. They’ve adapted themselves. It’s been very hot, the sun is a factor, the wind, the dust swirling around – for the guys who’ve spent that much time out there, Babar in particular, it’s a testament to his concentration and mental skills to see it through.”

Left-hander Kinchit Shah was equally delighted with his maiden half century: “It definitely feels good to start your first class career for Hong Kong and score some runs for the team. I was out there for a long time but I was lucky to have someone like Babar who strikes the ball well. That releases the pressure for us. He just kept reminding me that it’s a long way to go, so I just kept batting and playing my game.”

The 19-year-old said that changing weather had not dampened his desire to stay on the pitch as long as possible: “It was difficult to see at times, after lunch the umpires were worried. But we stuck at it, and we just wanted to play on and score some runs.”

Play continues on Thursday at 0930 local time (Hong Kong Time 01:30pm) at ICC Academy 1, Dubai, UAE.

Hayat and Carter Shine in Historic England Clash

barber

An 81-run partnership between Babar Hayat and debutante Chris Carter was not enough for Hong Kong as the side lost its first ever 50-over encounter against an almost full strength England side containing Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Jos Butler, Alex Hales, Moeen Ali by 169 runs in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Chasing 343 for victory in the historic encounter, Babar smashed 78 runs from 81 balls, including eight boundaries, to top score for Hong Kong. He was joined the crease by debutant 18 year-old Chris Carter with the score at a precarious three for 59, and the pair put on 81 runs for the fourth wicket. Carter added a composed 34 runs from 44 balls for the highest partnership of the match.

Earlier, England scored 342 runs for the loss of eight wickets, with left-hander Moeen Ali smashing top scoring with 71 runs. Hong Kong captain Tanwir Afzal led from the front and claimed two wickets for 40 runs, while Haseeb Amjad and Nadeem Ahmed also took two.

Chris Carter was thrilled with debut on the international senior stage and said, “I wasn’t expecting to play, I was 12th man, so that was awesome. It was good to play against that calibre of player.” The Hong Kong born Carter said his call up to keep wicket after a minor injury to Jaime Atkinson required enormous focus. “I don’t usually get nervous wicket-keeping, I get far more nervous batting, but that was the most nervous I’ve ever been. But you just have to be positive and put those thoughts out of your head.” He added that there was one moment of the match he will never forget, “When Chris Woakes bowled me a bouncer that I hit over mid-wicket that was pretty special.”

The match served as a warm up match for Hong Kong’s crucial ICC Intercontinental Cup and World Cricket League Championship encounters against the United Arab Emirates, and coach Simon Cook was pleased with his team’s performance and said, “It’s a credit to Hong Kong really, with three grounds and 300 cricketers, to be able to produce cricketers at that level is incredible. What we need to do is continue producing the cricketers underneath, and that is part of my job. It was a huge learning curve for our players. We spoke after the match and I challenged them to think about the things to take away from the match to help them improve as players.”

England’s Chris Woakes said, “We have an important series coming and we need to hit the ground running, so this was an important game for us. I think the Hong Kong side should take credit for how it played today. We could have scored a bit more, but they got eight wickets down in the end. The way they batted showed that they can play against a strong England side. I think the future is bright for Hong Kong cricket. You have to take these experiences and learn from them, so as long as the side does that, I don’t see why it can’t move forward.”

At Abu Dhabi: England XI beat Hong Kong XI by 169 runs
Toss: England XI won the toss and decided to bat first
England XI 342/8, 50 overs (Moeen Ali 71, Alex Hales 64, Jason Roy 42)
Tanwir Afzal 2/40, Nadeem Amjad 2/58, Haseeb Amjad 2/80)
Hong Kong 173 all out, 40.2 overs (Babar Hayat 78, Chris Carter 34)
David Willey 4/43, Reece Topley 2/18, Adil Rashid 2/46)

Hong Kong XI
Tanwir Afzal (Captain), Mark Chapman, (Vice Captain), Aizaz Khan, Anshuman Rath, Babar Hayat, Chris Carter (Wicketkeeper), Ehsan Nawaz, Haseeb Amjad, Jamie Atkinson, Kinchit Shah, Nadeem Ahmed, Ninad Shah, Nizakat Khan, Waqas Barkat, Waqas Khan

HK Cricket Match Reports: Sunday 8 November, 2015

Sunday Championship
The HKCA Dragons made their much-awaited debut in the Sunday Championship against HKCC Optimists at Hong Kong Cricket Club. The hosts opted to bat after winning the toss and they powered their way to a total of 8/335 from 50 overs, largely through the efforts of George Clarke (104), Michael Ashton (105) and Miles Richardson (41*). However, the Dragons’ bowlers will have been pleased with their first up effort as Ady Lee claimed 3/64 from ten overs while Sydney Sixers signee Ming Li picked up 2/63.

The Dragons reply got off to a promising start as they reached 1/66 when Damien Yee departed. Jonathan Foo and Ady Lee then added 76 runs for the third wicket before Foo was out for 77 with the score on 142. Ady went on to hit 47 but after his dismissal, the innings subsided quickly from 4/180 to 202 all out. Courtney Kruger destroyed the lower order as he picked up 5/31 from five overs.
At HKCC: HKCC Optimists 8/335 from 50 overs beat HKCA Dragons 202 from 32 overs by 133 runs.

At Kowloon Cricket Club, KCC Infidels thrashed Shaffi’s Vagabonds by 227 runs. Infidels won the toss and elected to bat first. Opener Harsh Jogani scored a superb 95 before retiring hurt in the 32nd over and was unable to continue his innings. Jogani shared a 157-run partnership with Ankur Vasishta who went on to score 75, while Muhammad Khan (54) and Najeeb Amar (43) continued the momentum as Infidels finished on 344.

The Vagabonds batsmen struggled throughout and they were eventually dismissed in 34 overs for 117. Only three Vagabonds batsmen managed to reach double figures with Indunil Susitha’s 29 their best. Najeeb Amar was the pick of the bowlers for Infidels, claiming 3/12 from four overs.
At KCC: KCC Infidels 344 from 47.5 overs beat Shaffi’s Vagabonds 117 from 34 overs by 227 runs.

At Mission Road, USRC/MCC defeated DLSWCC Knights by three wickets. The Knights batted first after winning the toss and they scored 163 all out in 47.1 overs with Haroon Arshad scoring 41 and Sarfaraz Khan 32. Three USRC/MCC bowlers claimed three wickets – Balal Mohammad was their best with 3/10 while Mohammad Awais picked up 3/35 and Mudassar Hussain claimed 3/32.

The USRC/MCC batting effort got off to a reasonable start but from 1/48, they slipped to 5/85 and then 6/108 with still plenty of work to do. Furqan Tahir steady the innings with an unbeaten 35 and USRC/MCC reached their target in the 48th over. Aftab Hussain did the damage with the ball as he picked up 3/29 off ten overs.
At MR: DLSWCC Knights 163 from 47.1 overs lost to USRC/MCC 7/164 from 47.4 overs by 3 wickets.