Match 1 – Pakistan Association Cricket Club vs United Services Recreational Club
Sunday 1^st September 2019 – Tin Kwong Road Recreational Ground – 1:30 PM start

The 2019-20 Hong Kong domestic cricket season will kick off in style, with an exciting, high-level match between two of the biggest clubs in the country.

The Premier League is the pinnacle of the sport in HK, and it is a fitting way to start off what should be the biggest season of HK domestic cricket in recent memory. Leading off with the T20 competition, this weekend will pit last season’s runner-ups PACC against new-comers USRC, in a game that will feature many of the finest talents in Hong Kong.

PACC boast a team filled with players who have represented the country at various levels. Established HK national team players Tanwir Afzal, Babar Hayat and Ehsan Nawaz – the latter two coming off successful stints in the Canada Global T20 – will form the core of the team, alongside former Pakistani domestic cricket stalwarts Yasim Murtaza and Zeeshan Ali, both of whom represented Hong Kong ‘A’ at the 2018 South China Cup. The playing XI is likely to also feature former national squad members Manjinder Singh, Mohammad Ishtiaq, Anas Khan and Hamed Khan, giving it plenty of depth and experience. And it’s not just the senior pros that have impressive resumes – Nasrullah Rana and Hassan Khan Mohammad were both part of the HK U-19 squad that reached the finals of the ACC U19 Eastern Region 2019 this July, earning HK a spot in the 2020 U19 Asia Cup in the process, while both Bilal Muhammad and Daniyal Bukhari have taken part in the HKT20 Blitz, and have played at this level for several years now.

Last season, PACC narrowly finished second place, after losing by 6 wickets with just 1 ball to spare against HKCC. Both teams entered the game unbeaten, essentially turning their final group stage game into a final, with HKCC emerging triumphant. Ten of the eleven that lined up in that game for PACC will be taking the field again this season, and they will be hungry complete the job this time around.

Meanwhile, USRC will be playing their first ever season of Premier League cricket as a stand-alone club, having formerly taken part under the banner of ‘Independents’. Changes in CHK’s constitution, as well as the advancements made by the club in their cricket programs, now sees them compete at the highest level for the very first time. Lead by experienced former country cricketer Imran Arif, they also have a couple of current HK national squad members in their ranks, with quick bowler Kyle Christie and allrounder Ahsan Abbasi likely to play key roles this season. Former HK international batsman Skhawat Ali will return to the fold after a couple of years out of the game, and will likely form the core of the side alongside club stalwarts Umar Mohammad, Mohammad Awais Jnr and Shan Raja. They’ve also got some exciting young talent to call upon, with Zakir Hayat and Daniyal Butt both worth keeping an eye on.

The weather forecast for this week suggest plenty of rain leading into the game, but all fingers are crossed for a sunny afternoon come Sunday. Attendance to the ground is free and the match will be broadcast across on YouTube – so be sure to either attend or tune in!

- Nitesh Hemlani