14 February 2024
East Asia Cup makes return as Hong Kong China dominate first day
By Jay Dasinghani
Hong Kong China gunned down a target of 180 against Japan after registering a convincing 123-run win against China in the opening game of the Men’s East Asia Cup, which was last played in 2018.
Hong Kong China vs. China
After Hong Kong China chose to bat first, seamer Tian Senqun got the tournament off to an electrifying start, taking three wickets in the third over, including Martin Coetzee who was caught by skipper Wei Guolei at slip and Jamie Atkinson who was bowled around his legs.
However, eventual Player of the Match Anshuman Rath stitched together a 78-run stand with Aizaz Khan to rescue the innings. He was particularly severe on Luo Shilin, striking him for three fours in an over that went for 17, propelling the home side to 71 for three at the halfway mark.
Even after Aizaz (27) holed out to Chen Zhuoyue in the deep, Hong Kong China refused to slow down. Yasim Murtaza struck four sixes, including three that went down the ground, in a knock of 52 to support Rath, who ended unbeaten on 72. The duo put on 80 for the fifth wicket to set China a target of 172.
Although China could not keep up with the asking rate, they managed to bat out all 20 overs, finishing of 48 for eight. Huang Junjie top-scored for them with 10 before he lobbed a return catch back to Murtaza, who finished with figures of 2-5 in his four overs.
Hong Kong China vs Japan
Japan elected to bat first in the afternoon game and found themselves in early trouble. After pulling Haroon Arshad for six over deep square leg to get off the mark, Lachlan Yamamoto-Lake perished off the next ball, top-edging a catch to Aizaz Khan. Arshad would return the favour, holding onto a catch to give Aizaz the wicket of Watar Miyauchi, restricting Japan to 22 for two in the fifth over.
Japan skipper Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming, however, remained undeterred, peppering the straight and extra cover boundaries for four of his five maximums.
By the time he was bowled by Aizaz for 78, Japan’s score had ballooned to 119 for five in the 16th over. Declan Suzuki-McComb put the finishing touches on the innings, smashing two sixes down the ground to complement a pair of scoops over the keeper in an unbeaten knock of 45.
Chasing 180 for victory, Hong Kong China stayed ahead of the asking rate in spite of losing three wickets in the powerplay, the last of which was Martin Coetzee who was run out for 35 by an unintentional ricochet at the non-striker’s end.
Jamie Atkinson walked in at five to partner Babar Hayat and the duo wasted no time. Throughout an unbeaten knock of 68, Atkinson favoured the sweep shot to complement a pair of sixes that he muscled over a wide long on boundary.
Hayat hit five sixes in his 52 not out, including one that sailed over deep mid wicket and another, which cleared the straight boundary and crashed into the pavement on Tin Kwong Road.
Together, the pair put on 127 in 64 balls as Hong Kong China sealed the chase with 3.5 overs to spare.