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HK Cricket Match Reports: Saturday 12 December, 2015

Saturday Championship

Saturday Championship Division 1

HKCC Gap Ramblers v KCC Saracens
At Hong Kong Cricket Club, HKCC Gap Ramblers left it late to beat KCC Saracens.

Saracens won the toss and elected to bat first and had Saumil Shah (49) and Simondeep Singh (68) to thank for them reaching their total of 7/182 from 35 overs. In reply, Gap Ramblers lost both openers with only 23 runs on the board but a third wicket partnership of 135 runs between David Varley (59) and George Clarke (73) got them close and they eventually achieved their victory with four balls and six wickets to spare.
At HKCC: KCC Saracens 7/182 from 35 overs lost to HKCC Gap Ramblers 4/184 from 34.2 overs by six wickets.

KCC Tartars v KCC Crusaders
In the last derby match of the season at Kowloon Cricket Club, KCC Tartars beat KCC Crusaders by 55 runs.

Saeed Farooq was the only batsman to master the green tinged wicket and his innings of 53 was the stand out batting performance from either side as Tartars reached 8/155 from their 35 overs. Tartars’ bowlers then bossed the second innings with Afzaal Haider claiming 4/30 from 5.2 overs while Ateeq Ul-Rehman (3/26) and Waqar Dawood (3/20) also got into the wickets.
At KCC: KCC Tartars 8/155 from 35 overs beat KCC Crusaders 100 from 29.2 overs by 55 runs.

Saturday Championship Division 2

Lamma v USRC/MCC
At PKVR Park, Lamma scored a bonus point victory over USRC/MCC.

Lamma elected to bowl first after winning the toss and they reduced USRC/MCC to 3/34 after opener Syed Ibraz hit 31 of those runs. Sikandar Zafar (40) then dominated a 61-run fourth wicket partnership that got the score to 4/95 before another flurry of wickets saw them slump to 6/97. USRC/MCC, still going at a rate of knots, were eventually dismissed for 123 in just 18.3 overs. Brenton McDonald was Lamma’s chief destroyer, claiming 6/20 from 4.3 overs.

Lamma got off to a solid start in the second innings with the openers putting on 58. Haider Bukhari was first wicket to fall, having scored 30. Ian Beck followed with a fine 50 as Lamma reached 5/108. It was a proud day for the McDonald clan as the father and son combination of Royce and Brenton saw Lamma home in the 24th over for their fourth win of the season. Usman Mohammad was the best of the USRC/MCC bowlers, claiming 3/16 in five overs.
At PKVR Park: USRC/MCC 123 from 18.3 overs lost to Lamma CC 6/124 from 24 overs by four wickets.

DLSW Spartans v CCC Hung See
There was another bonus point victory at the Police Training College in Aberdeen where DLSW Spartans defeated CCC Hung See 88 runs. Spartans’ opener Haseeb Muhammad dominated proceedings with a fine 115 as they posted a score of 204 all out in 35 overs. Twelve-year-old Dhruv Sodhi claimed the bowling honours for Hung See with 5/40 from seven overs.

Hung See got away to a slow but steady start and they looked well placed to push on after reaching 1/46. However, a mini-collapse saw them slip to 4/51 and from there they never recovered. Hung See’s middle and lower order batsmen managed to see out the 35 overs as they totaled 6/116. Hari Virani (3/21) was the best of the bowlers for Spartans.
At PTC: DLSW Spartans 204 from 35 overs beat CCC Hung See 7/116 from 35 overs by 88 runs.

HK Cricket Match Reports: Sunday 13 December, 2015

Sunday Championship

HKCC Optimists v HKCC Wanderers
There was an entertaining Sunday Championship derby match at Hong Kong Cricket Club where HKCC Optimists beat HKCC Wanderers by 22 runs.

Wanderers got the better of the early proceedings as Optimists slumped to 3/9 after winning the toss and electing to bat with Tim Cutler dismissing both openers. Regular strikes kept the Optimists batsmen at bay and the top five batsmen were all back in the clubhouse with only 51 runs on the board. A middle-order fightback led by Miles Richardson (56), with useful contributions from Sam O’Malley (30) and Simon Cook (35) got them to a final score of 186 in 45.3 overs. Harry Bailey picked up 3/36 for Wanderers.

Simon Cook dismissed both openers as Wanderers got away to a stuttering start that left them at 3/29. An 89-run fourth wicket partnership lifted the score to 118, with Craig Johnstone hitting 40. Harry Bailey also struck 59 but a burst of wickets by Miles Richardson saw Wanderers slump from 5/162 to 164 all out in 46.3 overs. Richardson finished with 5/33 from 8.3 overs in a devastating spell.
At HKCC: HKCC Optimists 186 from 45.3 overs beat HKCC Wanderers 164 from 46.3 overs by 22 runs.

KCC Templars v USRC/MCC
It was all over before lunch at Kowloon Cricket Club where KCC Templars steam-rolled USRC/MCC by eight wickets.

On a green wicket, KCC Templars skipper Ashley Caddy had no hesitation inviting USRC/MCC to bat after winning the toss and his opening bowlers made good use of the conditions. Adil Mehmood bowled with good pace and accuracy and he was rewarded with excellent figures of 5/15 from his ten over spell. Ibrez Syed chose to attack rather than defend and he was the only USRC/MCC batsmen to prosper, if only fleetingly, with 34. Roy Lamsam mopped up the tail as USRC/MCC were dismissed for 76 in just 22.1 overs.

The Templars’ batsmen did not muck about getting to their victory target, which they reached inside ten overs with Dylan Dearing hitting 36.
At KCC: USRC/MCC 76 from 22.1 overs lost to KCC Templars 2/77 from 9.4 overs by eight wickets.

HK Cricket Match Reports: Saturday 5 December, 2015

Saturday Championship

With both Mission Road and KCC out of action this week, there were only two matches played in the Saturday Championship and both were rain-affected.

Saturday Championship Division 1

HKCC Gap Ramblers v HKCC Witherers
At Hong Kong Cricket Club, poor weather spoiled the derby match between HKCC Gap Ramblers and HKCC Witherers. With an eye on the weather, Witherers elected to bowl after winning the toss but it was Gap Ramblers who made the most of the early going as openers Raag Kapur and Isaac Poole put on 70 runs for the first wicket. However, Poole’s wicket (39) triggered a mini collapse that saw Gap Ramblers slip to 3/78, with Sean Robson grabbing two wickets. Kapur helped advance his team’s score to 4/140 after 19 overs when rain forced the players from the field and the match was abandoned with no further play possible. Kapur finished unbeaten on 68.
At HKCC: HKCC Gap Ramblers 4/140 from 19 overs drew with HKCC Witherers. Match abandoned.

Saturday Championship Division 2

Laguna Gully v Pioneers
At PKVR Park, Laguna Gully scored a bonus victory over Pioneers in a rain-affected match that reached a conclusion.

Batting first after winning the toss, Laguna Gully had scored 3/168 from 29 overs when rain stopped play. Ajay Naik was unbeaten on 38 and Shekkar Sharma not out on 68 when the players left the field. After an extended break, play resumed with Pioneers set a revised target of 105 for victory in 18 overs. However, the Laguna Gully bowlers held the upper hand in the second innings with Pranav Shah (3/11) and Abhishek Desai (3/12) doing most of the damage. None of the Pioneers batsmen mastered the slippery conditions and they were all out for 60 in 17 overs with no batsman reaching double figures.
At PKVR Park: Laguna Gully 3/168 from 29 overs beat Pioneers (target 105 from 18 overs) 60 from 17 overs by 44 runs.

HK Cricket Match Reports: Sunday 6 December, 2015

Sunday Championship

PACC v HKCC Optimists
PACC got the better of HKCC Optimists at Hong Kong Cricket Club. Optimists’ skipper David Jaquier won the toss and put the visitors into bat. Speedster Miles Richardson grabbed the early wicket of Daniyal Bukhari but Richardson had a mixed bag with the ball, conceding many wides. The PACC score progressed nicely to 61 but a flurry of wickets saw them slip from 1/61 to 5/76. Skhawat Ali (37) and Ahsan Abbasi put on 76 runs for the sixth wicket while Abbasi (71) and Zamir Ali (56*) added another 69 runs for the seventh. PACC reached 8/244 from their 50 overs with Richardson claiming 3/49 from his ten over spell.

The PACC bowlers made regular inroads into the Optimists’ batting line-up as they reduced their hosts to 5/75. Left-arm speedster Mohsin Khan did the early damage with 3/39 from his ten over spell. A 53-run sixth wicket stand between Courtney Kruger and Miles Richardson lifted the score to 110 before Kruger was dismissed for 54. Richardson and the lower-order batsmen added a further 63 runs but their efforts fell well short and Richardson was the last man out for 72.
At HKCC: PACC 8/244 from 50 overs beat HKCC Optimists 173 from 41.4 overs by 71 runs.

Vagabonds v SLCC
At PKVR Park, there was a tight match between Shaffi’s Vagabonds and Headwin Tritons SLCC with SLCC prevailing in the end.

SLCC won the toss and put Vagabonds into bat. Vagabonds were in early trouble as they lost both openers with only two runs on the board. None of the Vagabonds batsmen could master the bowling and they lost wickets at regular intervals. They were quickly reduced to 6/58 with wicket-keeper Khalid Qureshi grabbing five catches. Numan Aziz picked up three wickets as Vagabonds slumped to 8/72 but some useful hitting by their tail-enders helped them reach 130 all out. Junaid was the best of the Vagabonds’ batsmen with 26* while Aziz finished with figures of 3/35 from ten overs for SLCC.

The SLCC reply followed a similar pattern to the Vagabonds innings and they looked to be in some trouble at 5/77. A stabilizing 27 from Asad Rasheed got them to a 110 but four more wickets fell as they scrapped home with the last pair at the crease.
At PKVR Park: Shaffi’s Vagabonds 130 from 35.1 overs lost to SLCC 134 from 36.2 overs by one wicket.

HK Cricket Match Reports: Sunday 29 November, 2015

Sunday Championship – 29 November 2015

KCC Templars v KCC Infidels
As usual, the annual KCC derby between Templars and Infidels was evenly contested but it was Infidels that prevailed quite comfortably in the end.

Set a victory target of 220, Infidels chased down the total in the 47th over with Sunny Bhimsaria (44), skipper Muhammad Khan (37) and Najeeb Amar (38) making the major contributions.

Earlier in the day, Bhimsaria had grabbed three wickets as Templars were restricted to 9/219 from their 50 overs after failing to make the most of a strong start that saw them reach 1/93. Nigel Shroff with 51, Dylan Dearing 31 and Aditya Kanthan 41 were the best of the Templars’ batsmen.
At KCC: KCC Templars 9/219 from 50 overs lost to KCC Infidels 6/220 from 46.4 overs by four wickets.

HKCC Wanderers v DLSWCC Knights
In another thrilling finish at Hong Kong Cricket Club, HKCC Wanderers pipped DLSWCC Knights by one wicket.

Knights batted first after winning the toss and Shakeel Haq dominated the early batting as he scored 44 out of the first 59 runs scored. But his was the fourth wicket to fall and the fifth fell soon after to leave the Knights teetering at 5/63 but a 99-run sixth wicket partnership, featuring 46 from Tabarak Dar, helped to lift the to an eventual total of 166 from 47.2 overs. Angus Robson was the best of the Wanderers’ bowlers, claiming 3/34 from 8.2 overs.

Knights’ skipper Niaz Ali grabbed three early wickets to reduce the Wanderers to 6/42 before a steadying 38 from Stuart Tohill moved the score to 75. Amanat Khan also grabbed three wickets as the Wanderers top and middle order were blown away. A 57-run eighth wicket stand between skipper Jon Bond and Tim Cutler got the score to 132 but when Niaz grabbed his fourth wicket shortly afterwards, 25 runs were still needed for victory with the last pair at the crease. Cutler nurtured the scoring with a fine 79 not out as Wanderers earned the narrowest of victories in a nail-biting finish.
At HKCC: DLSWCC Knights 166 from 47.2 overs lost to HKCC Wanderers 9/167 from 42 overs by one wicket.

HK Cricket Match Reports: Saturday 28 November, 2015

With Mission Road now out of action due to a period of winter turf maintenance, there were only three Saturday Championship matches played this week.

Saturday Championship Division 1

HKCC Nomads v KCC Tartars
In a tight match at Hong Kong Cricket Club, HKCC Nomads bounced back from last week’s loss to beat KCC Tartars by 11 runs.

Batting first after winning the toss, Nomads recovered from the early loss of both openers to post a score of 9/194. Shephard was the best of the Nomads batsmen, scoring 63.

Tartars’ reply failed to gain much momentum as they lost wickets at regular intervals and at 7/104 they looked dead and buried however, a battling 71 from Afzaal Haider got them within 11 runs of victory. James Dillon picked up 3/42 for Nomads.
At HKCC: HKCC Nomads 9/194 from 35 overs beat KCC Tartars 183 from 34.4 overs by 11 runs.

KCC Saracens v CCC Jing Sun
At Kowloon Cricket Club, KCC Saracens continued their unbeaten start to the season with a 50-run victory over the previously unbeaten CCC Jing Sun.

Saracens have Simondeep Singh (35) and Usman Manj (45) to thank for their score of 7/161 as the pair shared an 86-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Giacomo Lamplough was the pick of the CCC bowlers, claiming 4/37 from his seven over spell.

The CCC reply got away to a good start but from 0/34, they slipped to 3/36. They recovered to 3/81 but then slumped to 7/88 as wickets fell in groups to stymy any momentum they had built up. They eventually reached 111 at which score they lost their last three wickets. Naveen Shivalingham was the best of the Saracen’s bowlers with 3/15 from five overs.
At KCC: KCC Saracens 7/161 from 35 overs beat CCC Jing Sun 111 from 31.5 overs by 50 runs.

Saturday Championship Division 2

SCC Lancers v Lamma CC
At PKVR Park, SCC Lancers got their second win in as many weeks with a seven-wicket victory over Lamma CC.

Lamma batted first after winning the toss and they were led from the front by their skipper Andy Fullard who scored 76 in an eventual score of 7/167 from 35 overs. SCC Lancers only lost three wickets in their chase that was ably finished off by Prakash Chakravarti and Nitesh Jeevan who scored 44 not out and 64 not out respectively.
At PKVR Park: Lamma CC 7/167 from 35 overs lost to SCC Lancers 3/171 from 31 overs by seven wickets.

HK Cricket Match Reports: Sunday 22 November, 2015

Sunday, 22nd November 2015
HKCC Scorpions v HKCC Optimists
The first HKCC derby of the Sunday Championship for 2015-16 saw HKCC Scorpions thrash HKCC Optimists by 160 runs. Excellent batting by the Scorpions top order saw them reach 2/305 off their 50 overs with Charlie Bright smashing an unbeaten 124 while David Varley (42), Raag Kapur (34) and James Redmayne (78*) all made useful contributions. Partnerships in the innings were impressive too with 103 runs for the first wicket; 90 runs for the second and an unbroken stand of 112 runs for the third.

If batting seemed easy, Matt Rafter dispelled any thoughts of a run chase as he grabbed four early wickets to leave the Optimists batting in tatters at 6/25. David Jacquier (30) and James Dillon (50) provided a little resistance but all it did was delay the inevitable as Scorpions ran out winners by 160 runs. Giacomo Lamplough picked up two late wickets to go with his two early strikes and finished with 4/18 from 6.4 overs. Rafter finished with figures of 4/25 from his eight over spell.
At HKCC: HKCC Scorpions 2/305 from 50 overs beat HKCC Optimists 145 from 29.4 overs by 160 runs.

HKCC Wanderers v KCC Infidels
At Kowloon Cricket Club, HKCC Wanderers enjoyed a big win over KCC Infidels on the back of a stunning bowling performance by Tim Cutler.

Infidels would have been happy to restrict the visitors to 9/217 from their 50 overs after they elected to bat first. Infidels had the better of the early exchanges but Harry Bailey (36) and Craig (49) got the Wanderers innings back on track after they had stumbled to 4/61. Wanderers were grateful for some useful knocks by the tail-enders to get them over the 200 mark.

A 50-run opening partnership between Ravi Sujanani and Sunny Bhimsaria set Infidels on the right path and at 1/79, they looked to be cruising. However, the return of Tim Cutler to the bowling crease turned the match on its head as Infidels were quickly reduced to 5/83. Bhimsaria aside, the Infidels’ batsmen appeared clueless against the spinning ball and their innings was wrapped up in 30 overs for 129. Culter’s impressive figures read 8/35 from ten overs, including three maidens, while Bhimsaria finished unbeaten on 70.
At KCC: HKCC Wanderers 9/217 from 50 overs beat KCC Infidels 129 from 30 overs by 88 runs.

DLSWCC JKN v DLSWCC Knights
At Mission Road, the derby match between DLSWCC JKN and DLSWCC Knights finished with JKN winning comfortably and earning a bonus point in the process. JKN batted first after winning the toss and they reached 225 in 41 overs with skipper Moner Ahmed top-scoring with 94 and Ehsan Khan hitting 33. With the ball, Knight’s skipper Niaz Ali picked up 3/45 while Aftad Ahmed claimed 3/32.

In reply, the Knights were quickly reduced to 4/12 with JKN’s opening bowlers Jangzeb Khan and Karandeep Singh making two early strikes each. Niaz Ali hit 66 but he couldn’t find enough support from the lower order batsmen and their innings finished on 178.
At Mission Road: DLSWCC JKN 225 from 41 overs beat DLSWCC Knights 178 from 50 overs by 47 runs.

HK Cricket Match Reports: Saturday 21 November, 2015

Saturday Championship Division 1
CCC Jing Sun v HKCC Nomads
At Hong Kong Cricket Club, CCC Jing Sun beat hosts and defending championship HKCC Nomads by four wickets.

Batting first after winning the toss, Nomads were in all sorts of trouble at 6/49 after Elliot Andrews (3/46) and Matt Rafter (3/14) destroyed the top order, with three wickets each. Some middle order resistance by Andrew Swan (40) and Sagar Chandra (33*) got them to an eventual total of 137 but the tail was knocked over by Jonathan Brunello who claimed 3/27. Andrews then top-scored with 34 as CCC Jing Sun chased down the runs in the 31st over. He received good support from Stuart Henwood who finished on 31 not out.
At HKCC: HKCC Nomads 137 from 29.1 overs lost to CCC Jing Sun 6/138 from 30.4 overs by four wickets.

KCC Crusaders v Pakistan Association
At Kowloon Cricket Club, KCC Crusaders and Pakistan Association fought a close battle than went done to the wire. Crusaders found themselves batting first after Pakistan Association won the toss and they lost wickets at regular intervals to be 3/49 and then 4/80. An unbeaten 74 from Dylan Dearing got Crusaders to 6/181 from their 35 overs.

Facing only 34 overs to chase down the total after being docked one over for slow bowling, the Pakistan Association innings followed much the same pattern as Crusaders’. Hamed Khan hit 32 but Pakistan Association found themselves in some trouble at 5/74. However, a fine unbeaten 72 from Akbar Khan, with valuable contributions from the lower order batsmen, got them home off the penultimate ball of the game.
At KCC: KCC Crusaders 6/181 from 35 overs lost to Pakistan Association 8/182 from 33.5 overs by two wickets.

Saturday Championship Division 2
DLSWCC Spartans v Kai Tak CC
DLSWCC Spartans made short work of Kai Tak CC in a Division 2 match at Mission Road. Spartans batted first and made 165 from their 35 overs with Haroon Arshad (44) and Hiren Patel (35) making the major contributions while Kai Tak skipper Mohsin Naqvi picked up 3/26 in his seven over spell.

A hat-trick by Mohsin Khan in his first over knocked the stuffing out of the Kai Tak batting line-up and their innings capitulated for just 48. Khan grabbed 7/29 and Karandeep Singh claimed 3/12 as Kai Tak were bundled out in less than 14 overs.
At MR: DLSWCC Spartans 165 from 35 overs beat Kai Tak 48 from 13.4 overs by 117 runs.

SCC Lancers v Pioneers CC
At PKVR Park, SCC Lancers enjoyed a bonus point victory over Pioneers CC. Batting first after winning the toss, SCC Lancers blasted their way to a total of 5/277 off their 35 overs with Krishnakumar Kalathil (77) and Tanmay Bijur (93) combining for a second wicket partnership of 157 runs. Uday Shetty also pitched in with a quickfire 43 at the end. Pioneers’ skipper James Chan top-scored with 52 as Pioneers were restricted to 7/132 in their reply.
At PKVR Park: SCC Lancers 5/277 from 35 overs beat Pioneers CC 7/132 from 35 overs.

Lamma CC v CCC Hung See
At PTC, Lamma CC beat CCC Hung See by six wickets. After being sent in to bat, CCC Hung See reached 8/138 from their 35 overs with Anthony Marrin top scoring with 48. Royce McDonald was the pick of the Lamma bowlers, as he claimed 5/28 in a damaging spell.

Lamma’s reply was led by Adrian Sargent with an unbeaten 48 and they did just enough to earn themselves a bonus point by the narrowest of margins.
At PTC: CCC Hung See 8/138 from 35 overs lost to Lamma CC 4/140 from 28.4 overs by six wickets.