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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

Anshuman Rath Debut Century in Vain

Anshuman Rath‘s debut century was in vain as Hong Kong crumbled again in the face of victory in the first ICC World Cricket League Championship match as they lost to The Netherlands by five runs.

After being set a mammoth target of 331 to win, Hong Kong were 308-5 with 20 balls remaining but a late collapse saw the home side fall short.

Earlier, the Dutch innings was put into gear through Stephan Myburgh (88 off 98) and Roelof Van Der Merwe (62 off 48). Heroes from the Intercontinental Cup match earlier in the week Ben Cooper (43 off 37) and Pieter Seelaar (50 off 43 balls) were again in good touch.

However, given at one stage they were 183-3 in 29 overs, Hong Kong’s bowlers did well to limit what could have been an even bigger total. For Hong Kong, Ehsan Khan 2-49 and Ehsan Nawaz (2-62) were the pick of the bowlers on a surface tailor made for batting.

This was proven when Hong Kong began their innings, with 20 runs scored from the first over. Their flying started was tempered with the loss of Chris Carter (19) and Jamie Atkinson (6), but this brought together what proved a match-turning partnership between Anshuman Rath and Babar Hayat.

They put on a partnership of 197 for the third wicket from just 190 balls. Rath, despite only being 19, finally reached his long-awaited century for Hong Kong after several near misses in the last 18 months.

Hayat was dismissed for 83 off 107 balls, backing up the 174 he made in the four-day fixture. But their dismissals took the chase from cruise control to tension as the lower order continued to pick out fielders on the boundary.

Twenty runs were needed from the last three overs with four wickets left, but the Dutch showed cooler heads to triumph and move to the top of the World Cricket League table.

“Momentum swung both ways through the match. We were happy to have 330 but we lost wickets at crucial times. we were in control and probably should have made more than that,” said Netherlands captain Peter Borren.

“Rath and Babar batted really well but I have to say Hong Kong gave it to us at the end so we will have to be a lot better in two days’ time, but we are pretty stoked to get the two points in what is a huge win.”

Hong Kong coach Simon Cook lamented a major missed opportunity for his side. “One that got away, which at the halfway stage we wouldn’t have expected, definitely one that we lost.”

“Some very poor shots and poor thinking under pressure was what it comes down to. We were 250-2 and lost a wicket then we lost two wickets quickly and with new men in it became difficult. Pleased for Anshuman to get over the line, it was good see him convert those 80’s and 90s into 100 and Babar Hayat to maintain his form.”

“The guys are pretty raw at the moment, when you get as close as we did it, it hurts a bit more, there will be a bit of work to do to pick the guys up.”

The second and final match will be held on Saturday.

Additional reporting: HK Cricket

Anshuman Rath’s 88 Runs and 2 Wickets Lead Hong Kong on Day 3

Hong Kong are eight wickets from victory heading into the final day of their ICC Intercontinental Cup clash against The Netherlands, who trail by 459, at Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground.

Anshuman Rath backed up his unbeaten 98 with a sublime 88 in the second innings as Hong Kong declared at 263-6 to set The Netherlands a sizable 507 to win. The Dutch were 48-2 at stumps with Timm Van Der Gugten unable to bat due to a shoulder injury.

Earlier, Netherlands resumed their first innings 216-5 but were dismissed within the opening session for 284. Rath continued his incredible individual game by taking 2-18 with his left-arm spin.

Quick runs were in order for Hong Kong to set the Dutch a target and Chris Carter (35), Nizakat Khan (32) and Babar Hayat (31) ensured a solid start to the innings. That allowed the in-form Rath to play with freedom and he delivered a 101-ball 88 that included 5 fours and 2 sixes.

When the declaration finally came, Netherlands had to see out a minimum 116 overs to save the game. And it didn’t start well with Tanwir Afzal getting the edge of Stephan Myburgh in the first over in the innings, just as he’d done in the first.

The Netherlands endeavoured to bunker down with the total outside a realistic range and it wasn’t until the final 20 minutes in the day when Ehsan Nawaz picked up the vital second breakthrough of Max O’Dowd for 22.

Ben Cooper (19*) and Wesley Barresi (5*) will resume on day four.

“We are in a very strong position and another dominant display with the bat with Anshy playing a solid role and showing what a mature player he is at just 19,” said Hong Kong coach Simon Cook.

“The sky is the limit for him really, he’s got limits in his technique but he’s worked on those areas and with his tactical nouse it makes him a very effective and efficient cricketer in all situations.”

“I’m hugely pleased and the consistency shows on these flat wickets where you can’t just get back into the game with a turning wicket or low scores where your bowlers don’t have to be disciplined to get rewards. It’s been a very encouraging three days.”

“I think the seamers hold the key on this pitch, there’s not much assistance for spin but there is significant uneven bounce if you can bowl stump to stump.”

Additional reporting: HK Cricket
Photo: Panda Man

Hong Kong Dominate Day 2 Against The Netherlands

Hong Kong continued their dominance on day two of their Intercontinental Cup clash against The Netherlands at Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground. Resuming on 366-3, Hong Kong posted their highest ever First Class score of 527 – before reducing the visitors to 216-5 at stumps.

Babar Hayat picked up from where he left off on day one, surpassing 150 as he and Anshuman Rath took their partnership past 100. Hayat was eventually given LBW for 173, his innings off 265 balls, including 22 fours and 2 sixes.

Attention then turn to Anshuman Rath and whether he could reach a maiden First Class century. He moved into the 90s with three wickets still in hand, but the Dutch denied him by polishing off the tail (with Ehsan Nawaz not able to bat), leaving the 19-year-old stranded on 98 not out.

In response, The Netherlands innings began full of action with the first two deliveries struck firmly to the boundary by Stephan Myburgh, before Tanwir Afzal knocked over his middle stump.

In the fifth over, Tanwir struck again as he lured Max O’Dowd to edge to wicket-keeper Chris Carter to have the Netherlands in huge trouble at 23-2.

Ben Cooper and Roelef Van Der Merwe combined to finally get the Dutch innings going. They put on 102 before left-arm spinner Nadeem Ahmed drew the edge of Cooper for 52. And then two balls later he struck again to send Wesley Barresi back for a duck.

Skipper Peter Borren came in and took to the spinners with his reverse sweep, hitting three boundaries with it until the pace of Aizaz Khan took his edge.

However, Van Der Merwe was in a ruthless mood, he reached his century with a towering six off 108 balls and took the Dutch score past 200.

Speaking after play, Anshuman Rath was pleased with his side’s position.

“We started off strong with the bat and got the total we wanted to, we are happy having five wickets, but maybe we just let them get a few too many. Roelof batted really well but if we kept them to 50 or 60 less we’d really be in the driving seat.”

“I’m sure I’ll get over it (being left on 98*), I’m a bit disappointed but that’s cricket. While I was batting in the 90s I thought it’s time to convert one of these into a 100.”

“I’ve focused a lot of time in the gym getting fitter and also my boundary options which was lacking compared to others in the team. It’s been a good couple of months for me and I just want to keep it going.”

“It’s a good batting wicket but there is enough in it for the bowlers and it’s starting to turn a little bit which is a good sign for us. It’s a case of us bowling well and bowling to our plans.”

Additional reporting and images: HK Cricket, Panda Man

Babar Hayat and Anshuman Rath Steer Hong Kong to Series Victory

Babar Hayat and Anshuman Rath stared in a rain-affected match as Hong Kong triumphed in the third and final One Day International against Papua New Guinea to seal a 2-1 series win at Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground.

After being set an intimidating 245 on a slow surface, captain Babar Hayat (82*) and Anshuman Rath (52*) produced an unbeaten 120-run partnership to guide the home side to victory. The target was adjusted to 178 runs in 38 overs after rain shortened the match while Hong Kong were 170-3 after 31 overs.

In the PNG innings a brilliant unbeaten 76 off 62 balls from Mahuru Dai, smashed in the final overs, saw the visitors recover from 144-6 to 244-7 from their 50 overs.

The chase was far from comfortable for Hong Kong, especially after Nizakat Khan was dismissed for 9 with the score reading 61-3. But Hayat and Rath both scored at near a run-a-ball to quickly shift the pressure back on to the Barramundis. Rath was named man-of-the-match after also taking 3-25 with the ball.

Hayat was named man of the series and was understandably delighted after the match. “I’m really proud of how we played and came back after losing the last game to win here,” Hayat said.

“It means a lot to us to win at home in front of our family, friends and fans and really pleased that our senior players stepped up. Obviously it gives us a lot of confidence for the Kenya series in a couple of week’s time.” Hayat added “I thought we improved on our fielding and rotating the strike today which is what we wanted to do.”

PNG coach Dipak Patel said the experience for his side had been a worthwhile one despite the loss. “We don’t handle the Asian conditions all that well and to lose the series was disappointing but from what we have learned it will be valuable for us,” Patel said.

“We’ve loved it here in Hong Kong and been looked after really well and we take away a huge positive of having come back to win that second game after going behind. It’s the last game for us this year so I was really pleased with their attitude.”

Hong Kong will travel to Nairobi next week to play two ICC World Cricket League fixtures against Kenya.

Match Summary
Hong Kong 181-3 in 33.3 overs
(Babar Hayat 82* Anshuman Rath 52*) def
Papua New Guinea 244/7 (Target revised to 178 off 38 overs due to rain)
(Mahuru Dai 76* Anshuma Rath 3-25)

Additional reporting: HK Cricket
Photo: Phoebe Leung

Anshuman Rath and Nizakat Khan Half-Centuries Lead Hong Kong

An attritional second days play means Hong Kong will have to overcome a first innings deficit of 79 after being dismissed for 237 on day two of their Intercontinental Cup match against Ireland.

After losing two wickets in the first over of the day, two quality innings from Anshuman Rath (73*) and Nizakat Khan (69) were the highlight for Hong Kong who grafted all day long but lost wickets in bunches.

A partnership of 101 between Nizakat and debutant Ninad Shah (38) repaired the initial damage, while Waqas Khan (27) was the only other player to reach double figures.

Rath was left unbeaten at the other end when Tanveer Ahmed was the last man dismissed with just 8 balls left in the day.

The Ireland bowlers were relentless all day with spinner George Dockrell (3-46) and Peter Chase (3-50) the pick of the bowlers.

Play will resume at 6pm HKT with some rain forecast for the final two days in Belfast.

https://youtu.be/HRZKvacUlUQ

Highlights: Ireland v Hong Kong D2 (https://youtu.be/HRZKvacUlUQ)

Interview with Nizakat Khan
“Yeh we fought hard and just tried to hang in there after losing the two early wickets. When I was out there with Ninad we were just talking to each other a lot out there to urge each other to hang in there.”

“Their bowling was very disciplined and we got no loose balls, so we had to work really hard to score runs and they have bowled to their plans, which have succeeded most of time.”

“I think we are still short of runs and we wanted to get closer to them so tomorrow is crucial for us. We have to take early wickets so can give ourselves a score to chase down.”

“I’m pretty happy with myself – although I was looking for a big score. I was playing really well which was pleasing after I’ve worked really hard with the batting coaches in Hong Kong on a few things. And I felt really good so hopefully I will get a big score in the second innings.”

“Anshy played really well – his innings was what we really needed but unfortunately no one stuck with him. He played to the conditions and looked solid. His innings at the end there has kept us in the game.”

Additional reporting HK Cricket Association, scorecard Cricinfo

Man-of-the-Match Tanwir Afzal Smashes Hong Kong to Victory

Tanwir Afzal led from the front with a captain’s knock of 73 to lead his team to victory, and the top of the World Cricket League Championship (WCLC) table, with a 136-run win over host UAE in the second and final ODI of the series.

The day belonged to the Hong Kong skipper, who not only continued his winning streak with the toss, but went on to top score with a 33-ball 73 and snare three wickets in an unforgettable Man of the Match performance.Tanwir’s flashy 24-ball half-century was the equal third-fastest ever by an Associate player in ODI cricket. The knock steadied the sluggish Hong Kong innings and helped post a competitive total of 282 that had seemed unlikely earlier in the match.

After electing to bat, Hong Kong’s Anshuman Rath (53), Waqas Barkat (27) and Mark Chapman (27) all contributed runs, but the side regularly lost wickets and struggled for the most part to keep the run rate competitive. Three run outs in less than 13 overs added more pressure to the batting side, though it benefitted from three dropped catches in the field. With the score precariously placed at 159 for six from 36.6 overs, the skipper came to the crease, and quickly set about finding the buildings outside of the boundary rope.

Seemingly inspired by the captain’s fireworks, number nine batsman Aizaz Khan struck three consecutive sixes on his way to an unbeaten 37 from only 31 balls, and the pair put on a match winning 101-run partnership for the eight wicket at an astonishing run-rate of 11.22. The partnership was the highest stand for the eighth wicket in the competition, and the sixth-highest partnership overall.

Hong Kong piled on 109 runs in the last 10 overs, the second highest total by an Associate team in that part of the innings, to post a reassuring total of 282 for eight.

The UAE responded in similarly heavy hitting fashion, but stumbled with the loss of four early wickets to be 38 for four after 6.2 overs. Dangerman Shaiman Anwar held the innings together with a stylish 71, and the tailenders held their ground doggedly against the Hong Kong bowling attack for six more overs to add six runs, before Anshuman Rath delivered the final ball to dismiss the hosts for 146 runs in 40.1 overs.

The win seals a successful week for Hong Kong, which beat the UAE by 89 in the first WCLC ODI and by 276 in their four-day, first class ICC Intercontinental Cup clash.

Mark Chapman’s Century Powers Hong Kong to Victory

A record-breaking maiden century by Mark Chapman, making his ODI debut for Hong Kong, earned his team an 89-run victory in its World Cricket League Championship (WCLC) clash against host UAE in Dubai.

Making his ODI debut alongside Chris Carter, the 21-year-old vice-captain waltzed into the record books with an undefeated 116-ball 124, the second-highest ODI score ever made by a batsman on debut. Chapman is second only to West Indies’ Desmond Haynes (148), and he is the 10th player in ODI history to score a century on debut.

His undefeated knock of 124, which included two sixes and 11 boundaries, anchored the Hong Kong’s total of 298 for the loss of only four wickets after its 50 overs, before dismissing the UAE for 209 all out to record an 89-run victory.

Earlier, openers Anshuman Rath (36) and Kinchit Shah (34 retired) put on a 77-run partnership, but a collision between the two as they scampered between wickets sent Kinchit back to the dressing room with an injured shoulder. Number three Babar Hayat (45) continued his run-scoring streak and put on a 90-run partnership with Chapman, the highest partnership of the game. But it was Chapman, who arrived in Dubai on Saturday, who dominated the crease with a measured but aggressive knock that saw him still at the crease at the end of 50 overs.

Nizakat Khan added a career-best 28, and for the UAE, Ahmed Raza and Zaheer Maqsood picked up two wickets each.

If the UAE were intimidated by either the record-breaking centurion or the imposing run chase, it did not show it. Amjab Ali (18) and Shaiman Anwar (76) quickly set about striking boundaries, but the Hong Kong bowlers managed to take regular wickets around them. 18-year-old Anshuman Rath starred with three wickets 22 runs, while Haseeb Amjad picked up three for 49.

The sides will return for the second match in the two-ODI WCLC encounter on Wednesday 18 November.