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Match Report - Hong Kong, China vs Papua New Guinea - Malaysia T20I Tri-Nations Cup 2023 - 21 September 2023 AWAY TOURNAMENT

22 September 2023

Hong Kong’s struggles continue during defeat to PNG

BY IRA GORAWARA

KLANG, ML - Another round of action at Bayuemas Oval has positioned the Hong Kong men bottom of the table – conceding defeats to both Malaysia and PNG.

Despite gaining an initial advantage in both matches as captain Nizakat Khan found luck with the coin, Hong Kong’s bowling attack allowed a sum too strong for its batsmen – who fell one after the other – to chase.

When debutant Niaz Ali forced Tony Ura – PNG’s Player of the Match the day before – back to his team’s dugout, Hong Kong flattened any prospect of an opening partnership and it looked as though they were off to a promising start. Ura’s destructive performance against Malaysia on Wednesday made him a critical figure to see out early in the match.

Regardless of the early dismissal, it didn’t take long for PNG to get on the mark. Ali and

right-arm medium-fast bowler Nasrulla Rana together conceded 28 runs in the next two overs, rocketing their opponents to 30 runs in just the first three overs.

The seamers could barely continue their reign before Captain Khan sent in right-arm off-spinner Ehsan Khan to endeavor with the ball and potentially put brakes on what was developing as a 200-run-plus performance for PNG. Soon after, Mohammad Ghazanfar conducted the bowling on the other side, finding a breakthrough for Hong Kong with Kiplin Doriga’s dismissal, as the right-hand batsman was just starting to get set in his crease.

Left-arm off-spinner Anas Khan joined in on the act soon after, as he and Ghazanfar steadied out PNG’s innings, reducing its run rate to between six and seven runs per over.

After Hong Kong’s bowling unit produced a few more wickets in the middle, PNG unleashed in the final overs to boast a 163-run total by the end of the innings, with six of its batsmen mustering double-digit runs and four striking above a run a ball. By the innings break, Hong Kong was padding up for a pursuit of 8.20 runs per over to manage a victory against PNG.

Hong Kong’s chase was spearheaded by right-hand batsman Babar Hayat, whose 62 -run showing off 49 deliveries earned him the Player of the Match honor despite his side’s loss. An early send-off for Hong Kong’s opening batsman Nasrulla Rana brought Hayat to the middle, where he would stay for the next 12 overs. An aggressive yet patient start for Hayat inched Hong Kong closer to its required run rate and brought ease to the squad’s dugout.

Confusion between Hong Kong’s batting powerhouses – Hayat and N. Khan – cut the latter’s innings short at just 18 runs, bringing frustration to the captain’s face as he walked off the field.

A veteran-youngster partnership emerged between Hayat and right-hand batsman Shiv Mathur, who delivered a composed 20-run performance by the end of his innings. The Hayat show extended to the 15th over, after the seasoned batsman added 62 runs to the team’s tally and supplemented that with three boundaries and four maximums. By the time he was sent off, Hong Kong stood at 104 for the loss of three wickets and required 11.80 runs in each of the final five overs in order to complete its chase.

And then came the domino effect.

Just one over after Hayat’s dismissal, Mathur saw his way out and then Hong Kong’s debutant Muhammad Khan and A. Khan followed suit, vacating their creases for four and zero runs, respectively.

The 19th over featured two more oustings for Hong Kong and left the squad needing 34 runs in the final over of the match.

The configuration Hong Kong needed to achieve its Cinderella ending involved five and a boundary in the final six deliveries– a feat not impossible, but also not common.

And after the first ball went for a singular leg bye, chances were nearing zero for Hong Kong. Eventually, a subpar 11-run over handed a 22-run victory to PNG and tallied Hong Kong’s second loss of the tournament in as many games.

Now having faced both Malaysia and PNG, Hong Kong gears up for rematches against both squads to exact revenge after falling to the bottom of the table. Malaysia is up first as the tournament hosts take on Hong Kong for the second time in four days on Sept. 22 at 10:30 a.m. at Bayuemas Oval.