UAE Beat Hong Kong by 9 Wickets in the Fourth Women’s T20i, 30 April, 2022

On the Hong Kong Women’s tour of United Arab Emirates, the UAE Women made it a sweep of the four-game T20 series beating Hong Kong Women by 9 wickets at the Malek Cricket Ground, 30 April 2022.

Hong Kong Women v UAE Women T20i cricket - 30 April 2022

UAE Women T20i cricket - 30 April 2022

images: HKcricket

UAE Beat Hong Kong by 26 Runs in the Third Women’s T20i, 29 April, 2022

On the Hong Kong Women’s tour of United Arab Emirates, the UAE Women win the third T20 international beating Hong Kong Women by 26 runs at the Malek Cricket Ground, 29 April 2022.

UAE Women T20i cricket - 29 April 2022

Hong Kong Women v UAE Women T20i cricket - 29 April 2022

images: HKcricket

UAE Beat Hong Kong by 28 Runs in the Second Women’s T20i, 28 April, 2022

On the Hong Kong Women’s tour of United Arab Emirates, the UAE Women go two up in the T20 series beating Hong Kong Women by 28 runs at the Malek Cricket Ground, 28 April 2022.

UAE Women T20i cricket - 28 April 2022

Hong Kong Women v UAE Women T20i cricket - 28 April 2022

images: HKcricket

UAE Beat Hong Kong by 7 Wickets in the First Women’s T20i, 27 April, 2022

On the Hong Kong Women’s tour of United Arab Emirates, the UAE Women go one up in the T20 series beating Hong Kong Women by 7 wickets (with 27 balls remaining) at the Malek Cricket Ground, 27 April 2022.

Hong Kong Women v UAE Women T20i cricket - 27 April 2022

UAE Women T20i cricket - 27 April 2022

images: HKcricket

Tammy Chu Accepted onto ICC Cricket Future Leaders Programme

Congratulations to Hong Kong’s Tammy Chu one of the 40 women, from 29 ICC Member countries, selected to be mentored as part of the ICC Cricket Future Leaders Programme.

The program is designed to support emerging female talent in cricket, accelerate the growth of women’s cricket and women in cricket and address the low percentage of women in leadership positions across global cricket. The initial intake will be split into two batches with the hope to build a pipeline of new female leaders in cricket.

image: takumi photography

Cricket Hong Kong Launches Weeknight Indoor League

It’s hot, humid and stormy outside at the moment, not the best of conditions to play cricket. However, if you still want to put bat on ball this summer then sign-up for the new Cricket Hong Kong Indoor Cricket League!

The new indoor tournament will be played on weekday evenings during July at the Hong Kong Cricket Club and Craigengower Cricket Club.

If you would like to enter a team or join a team contact [email protected] by 9 June, 2021.

Rath Leads Hong Kong at ACC Emerging Nations Cup

Captain Anshuman Rath returns to lead Hong Kong at the ACC Emerging Nations Cup, a round robin tournament, that’s being jointly hosted by Sri Lanka and Pakistan from 6-15 December.

Rath, who missed the recent South China Cup defeat to Papua New Guinea, returns with Hong Kong drawn in Group B alongside Pakistan, Bangladesh and UAE. Group B will be played in Pakistan. India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Oman are in Group A with their matches being played in Sri Lanka.

Looking ahead to the tournament Hong Kong coach Simon Cook said “The recent tour to PNG and return series in Hong Kong has been really good for Hong Kong Cricket as a whole. We have seen players like Waqas Khan and Ghazanfer Mohammad really take steps forward and start to own their place in the side which starts to strengthen the playing squad. There is now fierce competition for places within the starting 11.”

“The Emerging Nations tournament is another great chance to learn and bench mark ourselves as a team and as individuals which is critically important for us with the World Cricket League Division 2 tournament coming up in April next year,” continued Cook.

Chairman of Selectors Tabarak Dar added “The Tournament will provide Hong Kong some great opportunities to play against some quality teams.”

The top 2 in each group progress to the semi-finals and finals to be played in Sri Lanka. Hong Kong, Oman and UAE will field national sides while the ‘test nations’ will be fielding U-23 sides, with 4 over-age players permitted per team.

Group A: Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, India, Oman
Group B: Pakistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates

ACC Emerging Nations Cup
Thu 6-Dec Pakistan vs Hong Kong at NSK, Karachi
Bangladesh vs UAE at SG, Karachi
Fri 7-Dec Sri Lanka vs Oman at RPICS, Colombo
India vs Afghanistan at CCC, Colombo
Pakistan vs UAE at NSK, Karachi
Bangladesh vs Hong Kong at SG, Karachi
Sat 8-Dec Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan at CCC, Colombo
India vs Oman at RPICS, Colombo
Sun 9-Dec Pakistan vs Bangladesh at NSK, Karachi
UAE vs Hong Kong at SG, Karachi
Mon 10-Dec Sri Lanka vs India at RPICS, Colombo
Afghanistan vs Oman at CCC, Colombo
Tue 11-Dec Rest Day
Wed 12-Dec Rest Day
Thu 13-Dec SF1: B1 v A2 at RPICS, Colombo
SF2: A1 v B2 at CCC, Colombo
Fri 14-Dec Rest Day
Sat 15-Dec FINAL: SF1 winner v SF2 winner at RPICS, Colombo
Hong Kong Squad

Anshuman Rath (Captain) Hong Kong Cricket Club
Aizaz Khan (Vice Captain) Kowloon Cricket Club
Nizakat Khan – Hong Kong Cricket Club
Raag Kapur – Hong Kong Cricket Club
Kinchit Shah – Hong Kong Cricket Club
Babar Hayat – Pakistan Association Cricket Club
Waqas Khan- Diasqua Little Sai Wan Cricket Club
Ehsan Nawaz – Pakistan Association Cricket Club
Ehsan Khan – Diasqua Little Sai Wan Cricket Club
Ghazanfer Mohammad – Diasqua Little Sai Wan Cricket Club
Tanwir Afzal – Pakistan Association Cricket Club
Tanveer Ahmed – Hong Kong Cricket Club
Hassan Mohammad – Diasqua Little Sai Wan Cricket Club
Shahid Wasif – Diasqua Little Sai Wan Cricket Club
Haroon Arshad – Diasqua Little Sai Wan Cricket Club

Reserves:
Nasrullah Rana – Pakistan Association Cricket Club
Aftab Hussain – Diasqua Little Sai Wan Cricket Club
Hamed Khan – Pakistan Association Cricket Club

Additional reporting and images: Cricket HK, ACC

Hong Kong Beat Afghanistan at ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers

Hong Kong resurrected their ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier campaign with an historic triumph over Afghanistan in Bulawayo. The 30-run win was the first ever victory for Hong Kong over a Test playing nation in the One Day International format.

Results in other matches now mean Hong Kong can guarantee a passage through to the Super Six stage with one win in their remaining two matches against Zimbabwe and then Nepal.

After being dismissed for just 91 against Scotland in their opening encounter, Hong Kong’s batsmen produced a much improved performance against an Afghanistan team containing the world’s top ranked bowler, Rashid Khan.

Cameos from Nizakat Khan (28) and Babar Hayat (31) got Hong Kong’s innings going but the starts meant the innings threatened to lack substance at one stage 4-93 in the 24th over.

But 20-year-old Anshuman Rath showed great determination to hold the innings together as he compiled 65 off 90 balls from number five in the order. That allowed the lower order to chip in around him but it was the final overs assault from Tanwir Afzal (22 off 9 balls) who lifted the Hong Kong target to a more imposing mark of 241-8.

In reply it was Tanwir (1-37) who gave Hong Kong the early breakthrough but at 56-1 Afghanistan were trundling along steadily in pursuit of 242 when Ehsan was brought on from the clubhouse end in the 16th over. With loop and flight, he tempted Rahmat Shah into an expansive drive. With dip and turn, he spun the ball sharply in between bat and pad to disturb the stumps. With that, Afghanistan were 56 for 2, and Hong Kong had their opening. Before his first over was up, Ehsan had also dismissed the set Ihsanullah for 20, a gloved sweep landing in the hands of Rath, tumbling to his left at slip.

The pressure built up by the bowlers brought desperate strokes and with the required rate closing in on six an over, Samiullah Shenwari bent low to sweep Ehsan but missed the ball entirely to be bowled for 9, as Afghanistan slipped to 73 for 4.

From there Hong Kong continued to keep the scoreboard pressure on and the climbing rate brought more wickets when rain intervened at 7-167. Play did resume but Afghanistan only had 18 balls to chase a revised target 226.

Eshan later picked up a fourth wicket as Afghanistan were held to 195-9 and for his career best figures of 4 for 33, Ehsan was named Man of the Match.

Hong Kong coach Simon Cook said “We sat down after the Scotland game an had an honest chat and the players got together as a group and talked about what they needed to do to beat Afghanistan. Each individual identified how they were going to play and what impact they wanted to have and executed that in training yesterday. The pitch spun a lot and so it’s a credit to how our guys nullified their spin options. We trained with purpose and got results.”

“240 was about par, however the pitch – spun quickly and a lot so it was a challenge for anyone going out there. We learnt from the experience of playing Rashid in Hong Kong in November and it was hugely pleasing to see the improvement.” Cook continued “We had a World T20 victory against Bangladesh which stands out as our biggest – today was great but it is only one game in a tournament that means so much so we will enjoy it tonight and then refocus quickly for Zimbabwe.”

Additional reporting and images: HK Cricket