Little Sai Wan beat Hong Kong Cricket Club by 123 runs
Little Sai Wan (LSWCC) got their 2015-16 One-Day Premier League campaign off to a flying start with a 123-run victory over defending champions Hong Kong Cricket Club at HKCC on Sunday thanks to some power hitting from their middle-order batsmen.
Batting first after winning the toss, the HKCC team made most of the early running with wickets to Simon Cook, Tim Cutler and Harry Bailey restricting LSWCC to 3/58 from their first 20 overs. But from there, it was all LSWCC. Babar Hayat and Ehsan Khan made the most of some early let-offs to build a partnership that was steady at the start but which flourished towards the end. Together they combined for 162 runs, scored in 23.1 overs at a touch under 7 runs per over. HKCC’s slow bowlers had no answer to the onslaught, with Ahan Manglik, Courtney Kruger and Scott McKechnie conceding 104 runs from their collective 10 overs. Hayat fell a couple of balls after reaching his run-a-ball 100, which featured three fours and eight sixes, while Ehsan Khan hit 83 with eleven fours and one six.
If the Hayat/Khan partnership had been impressive, the partnership between Munir Dar and Shahid Wasif was explosive. From 5/237 at the fall of Ehsan’s wicket, Dar and Wasif plundered another 90 runs off the next 33 balls, at a staggering 16.36 runs per over. Dar struck three fours and six sixes in his 21-ball 54 while Wasif bettered that with two fours and six sixes in his 16-ball 49 not out as DLSWCC finished on 6/332 from their 50 overs. None of the HKCC bowlers were spared – Wasif smashed Simon Cook back over his head for two huge sixes while Tim Cutler, whose first six overs had cost just 10 runs, conceded 63 runs from his last four.
Needing a swift and solid start to their innings, the HKCC openers of David Jacquier and James Redmayne were pegged down by a tight opening spell from Jangzeb Khan and Niaz Khan. Jangzeb bowled Jacquier (5) and had Scott McKechnie (13) caught behind while the run-out of Redmayne (10) left HKCC struggling at 3/36 in the 11th over. A fine fourth wicket partnership worth 84 runs between HKCC skipper Courtney Kruger and Nizakat Khan lifted HKCC into a good position and at 3/119 after 22 overs, they were 58 runs ahead of DLSWCC at the same point of their innings. But the dismissals of Kruger (42) and Matt Twomey (1) in quick succession, set HKCC back on their haunches. Simon Cook (31) and Nizakat (46) did their best to up the run-rate but when they both fell in successive overs from Ehsan Khan, the HKCC chase was all but over. Daljeet Singh batted well for 31 and his was the final wicket to fall as HKCC slumped to 209 all out in 40.1 overs.
Ehsan Khan completed a fine all-round performance by claiming 5/37 from his eight over spell, while Jangzeb Khan picked up 2/25 from six overs at the top of the innings.
At HKCC: DLSWCC 6/332 from 50 overs beat HKCC 209 from 40.1 overs by 123 runs Scorecard
Kowloon Cricket Club beatHong Kong Under 19s by 140 runs
In the day’s other match,Kowloon Cricket Club plundered the U19s attack for 326 runs with Jamie Atkinson hitting 93 and Kincit Shah and Ryan Campbell completing half-centuries. Tanveer Ahmed was the best of the U19s bowlers, picking up 3/54 from his ten over spell.
In reply, the U19s started solidly with the openers putting on 50 runs for the first wicket. But wickets tumbled regularly and from 8/95 there was no coming back. Left-arm spinner Dan Pascoe did the damage for KCC, picking up 5/30 from his ten over spell. A last wicket partnership between Tanveer Ahmed and Saad Mohammad was the best for the U19s as the finished on 186 from 48.5 overs.
At KCC: KCC 7/326 from 50 overs beat HKCA U19s 186 from 48.5 overs by 140 runs. Scorecard
Source: HK Cricket Association