HONG KONG DELIGHTED AFTER FIRST WIN
Hong Kong won their first game of the tournament, after the heartbreak of losing to Singapore by one run, against Saudi Arabia beating them by 17 runs at the KEC Ground in Kuwait.
Choosing to bat, Hong Kong wasted no time in getting the runs when the very first ball saw Captain Tabarak Dar (8) swing wildly at the delivery. Although he missed it completely, it signaled a clear intent from the batsman. Slow left-arm bowler, Fahad Suleiman (2-30) was introduced in the second over. Suleimans slower speed was enough to tempt Dar into swinging at the ball again but the length had Dar beaten. Dar dug the over-pitched delivery out from his feet straight into the extended hands of Suhrab Kilsingatakam.
A second-wicket partnership of 47 runs between Zain Abbas (21) and Imran Idress (30) was given a second life when Asad Butt (0-21) fumbled a catch from his own bowling in the ninth over. And again in the tenth Idress escaped when Avais Ahmed dropped a sitter. Not learning from the previous two instances, Idress sent the ball into the air yet again, but this time Saudi were third time lucky when Khawar Sohail (2-30) took the catch. Two quick wickets in the eleventh over and Hong Kong were 83-4 after 12 overs.
Any Twenty20 game has its strategy and Hong Kong had a sound one. Their top-order batsmen played wisely, in the sense that, even though boundaries didn't materialize at all times, they pushed many singles, doubles as well as threes.
Hong Kong ended their innings with two boundaries off the last over to finish at 144-7.
Afzaal Haider's (1-17) first over saw nine runs comes off it with him giving away three wides. Clearly unhappy with himself and distracted, he dropped opener Hidayat Maddas (4) in the second over. Haider's second over may have contributed to a couple of boundaries but he made up for it with the scalp of Maddas when Butt Hussain took the catch.
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| Sohail running quickly between the stumps |
Saudi's opener Khawar Sohail (34) played a superb innings smashing four fours and one six. He was just about picking up speed when an intended glance hit the edge of his bat and landed safely in the bowler's hands. The Hong Kong players erupted at the sight of his departure because they knew Sohail was Saudi's prized batsmen. With two more wickets falling in the seventh over Saudi were at 52-4.
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| Hong Kong celebrate the dismissal of Sohail |
Towards the latter part of the match, Saudi were getting their runs but they lost wickets at quick intervals; the last six of their wickets falling between the eleventh and seventeenth overs.
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| Man of the Match; Hong Kong's Ilyas Gul |
This handed Hong Kong their first win by 17 runs and Ilyas Gul (4-32) picked up the Man of the Match award for the destruction he caused the Saudi batting with the ball.
Hong Kong v Saudi Arabia at KEC Ground
HONG KONG WON BY 17 RUNS
Hong Kong won the toss and chose to bat
Hong Kong: 144 for 7 in 20 overs (I.Idress 30, Afzaal Haider 34*)
Saudi Arabia: 127 all out after 18 overs (K. Sohail 34; I. Gul 4-32)
Man of the Match: Ilyas Gul (Hong Kong)
Scorecard
Filed October 29 2007
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