Led by Martin Coetzee, Hong Kong kick off T20 World Cup Qualifiers in style

BY IRA GORAWARA

KATHMANDU, NEP - Earlier this year, Hong Kong’s bid for the 2023 Asia Cup crumbled after a 30-run defeat in a make-or-break matchup.

In the tightly-contested affair, it was Kuwait that thwarted the men in red’s ambition to grace the field alongside cricketing legends.

A quest to exact revenge was intertwined with the journey to the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup – an illustrious stage that Hong Kong has not trod upon in seven years. So in Hong Kong’s first match of the T20 World Cup Asia Qualifiers, the gateway to 2024, the squad successfully completed both tasks with a 16-run defeat against Kuwait.

Despite a coin toss going in favor of his adversary, captain Nizakat Khan readied his squad to post a commanding total with the blade.

And if anyone obeyed the skipper’s orders, it was Martin Coetzee.

The ex-South African first class batsman remains an incomplete puzzle for his opposition, as he now rides on a 83.5-run average after the past two contests.

Spurred on by a steady Nizakat Khan on the other end of the pitch, Coetzee slammed his spikes on the gas before any fielder could take cover. A third-ball boundary blasted to mid-on slung Coetzee off the mark. And from that point on, it seemed his ball and the boundary ropes had developed a magnetic relationship.

The 50-run mark seemed almost inconsequential to the batsman in form, who was capitalizing on an unprotected outfield in the powerplay. Coetzee let the ball cruise on all parts of the field, racking up 12 boundaries in six overs to propel his total to 60 off 35 by the end of the seventh, simultaneously pushing his squad’s total to 73.

The Kuwaiti men – who had surrendered 101 runs by the 11th over and were on track to commit over 200 runs – were sinking further down their boat before Parvindar Kumar snagged the catch of captain Khan to create a stumble in Hong Kong’s destructive partnership.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – there is little, if any, worry projected to Hong Kong’s pavilion when either opening batsmen are sent off their crease.

It signals the arrival of Babar Hayat – and that can never be bad news. Unless, of course, you’re the team on the other end.

With two juggernauts on the pitch, a quick dismissal was vital for Kuwait to ensure it could keep at least a finger on the game.

And when Sayed Monib bid farewell to Coetzee in the next over, Kuwait was granted the exact covet it hoped.

Although the final seven overs of Hong Kong’s attack didn’t mimic its opening seven, steady batting kept Hong Kong on a solid run rate. The Coetzee-Khan foundation had bolstered Hong Kong’s total, and all that was left was to steadily build upon this figure and maintain the control Coetzee ushered in early.

After the fall of two more wickets, that of Anshuman Rath and Yasim Murtaza, Hong Kong was gearing up with the ball as its opponents were forced to muster up 8.35 runs per over.

In an opening act between Hong Kong’s veteran and youngster – Ehsan Khan and Ayush Shukla, respectively – an expensive first over was quickly debunked by an expulsion created by the latter. Hong Kong’s young pacer got the better of Ravija Sandaruwan, Kuwait’s opening batsman who routinely posts at least 30 runs in the T20 format.

E. Khan followed suit, putting Kuwait’s opening partnership right back to the dugout after just 15 balls of play. Down two wickets – with just 13 runs to speak for it – halfway through the powerplay, Shukla churned out another wicket for Hong Kong to eliminate nearly the entirety of Kuwait’s opening lineup.

Captain Mohammed Aslam initiated a steady partnership with Usman Patel, one that lasted till the 13th over and gave Kuwait the opening they needed to establish some kind of foundation and push its total to 85 runs.

The two financed their accounts at the cost of Hong Kong’s fast bowlers, picking up 26 runs during their stint against Shukla and Nasrulla Rana. But once Aizaz Khan made his game debut with the ball in the 13th over, Kuwait’s ongoing partnership saw its culmination.

A. Khan’s removal of Usman Gani marked the onset of his three-wicket haul. He claimed his final two victims in the 19th over to almost guarantee Hong Kong’s victory as Kuwait required 29 runs in the final over.

With three Hong Kong bowlers contributing at least two wickets each, the squad defended its Martin Coetzee-led 166 run total. The men in red have positioned themselves top of the Group B table as they eye their next game against Bahrain on Tuesday at 9 a.m.