Subscribe to our Newsletter for news and updates about Cricket in Hong Kong!

1999-2000 Season Review

1999-2000 Season - Top Teams
The 1999-2000 season will be remembered for....
  • Saturday League Champions - Nomads
  • Saturday League Runners-Up - Saracens
  • Saturday Cup Winners - Gap Ramblers
  • Saturday Cup Runners-Up - St George's
  • Saturday Plate Winners - Nomads/Saracens
  • Sunday League Champions - JKN Little Sai Wan
  • Sunday League Runners-Up - Templars
  • Sunday Cup Winners - Pakistan Association
  • Sunday Cup Runners-Up - Scorpions
  • Sunday Plate Winners - Friends XI
  • Sunday Plate Runners-Up - KCC Colts
  • Under 19 League Champions - Saracens
  • Under 19 League Runners-Up - LSWCC
  • Under 15 League Champions - Sandy Bay
  • Under 15 League Runners-Up - Saracens
  • Under 13 League Champions - HKCC "Black Rain"
  • Under 13 League Runners-Up - LSWCC
  • Under 11 League Champions - HKCC
  • Under 11 League Runners-Up - Smashers
  • HKCA / LCSD Primary Schools' Playground League:
    • Cup Winners - Quarry Bay International School
    • Cup Runners-Up - The Little Flower’s Primary School
    • Plate Winners - Hang Hau Central Shing Hang Fong Memorial School "A"
    • Plate Runners-Up - Australian International School
  • Hancock Shield - HKCC retains the trophy
  • Tony Gough Cup - KCC
  • Ted Wilson Trophy - South Island School
  • Tim Davis Trophy - Island XI
  • HKSCA Lal Jayasinghe League - West Island School
  • Ebrahim Senior Eights Tournament - South Island School
  • Junior Eights - West Island School
  • Junior Sixes champions:
    • Quarry Bay International School (U11)
    • Little Sai Wan (U15)
1999-2000 Season - HKCA Annual Awards
The following awards were given at the HKCA Annual Awards Dinner held at the Hong Kong Cricket Club on 10th June 2000:
  • Hong Kong Cricketer of the Year - Mohammed Zubair (LSWCC)
  • Hong Kong Junior Cricketer of the Year - Neeraj Savalani (KGV, Saracens)
  • Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year - Steven Hawinkels (Island School)
  • Young Dragon of the Year - Dyutish Chaudhuri (SIS)
  • Best Sunday Batsman - Rahul Sharma (Templars)
  • Best Sunday Bowler - Mohammed Zubair (LSWCC)
  • Best Sunday Wicket-keeper - Amit Argarwal (Templars)
  • Sunday Captain of the Year - Adnan Butt (LSWCC)
  • Best Saturday Batsman - Mark Eames (CCC)
  • Best Saturday Bowler - Rahul Sharma (Saracens)
  • Best Saturday Wicket-keeper - Rob Gill (Saracens)
  • Saturday Captain of the Year - Nitini Naik (HKU)
  • Jungu Vachha Umpire of the Year - Bob Fotheringham
  • Special Awards for Services to Cricket - Mr. Jackland Lai (DBS Headmaster)
1999-2000 Season - President's Report
1. INTERNATIONAL
  • Successfully staged the U13 SE Asian Championships in April 2000. HK entered 2 teams with Malaysia winning the title in final attended by Allan Border.
  • HK reached finals of Senior, U23, U19, U15 SE Asian Championships though disappointingly were not successful in any.
  • HK U19’s suffered dreadfully at Youth Asia Cup (Singapore, July ’99) being knocked out at Group stage having only been able to complete half a match due to rain and no reserve days. HK team showed spirit to reach Plate Final.
  • Glyn Davies appointed HKCA manager co-ordinator responsible for management of HK’s international team managers. Creation of the position necessary due to increasing tour schedule for our U13’s, U15’s, U23’s Senior teams.
  • Rahul Sharma appointed to chair the international committee by the HKCA Executive Committee in September 1999.
  • Working paper guidelines "HK Cricket – 2001 and beyond" written by Stewart Brew adopted by HKCA and being implemented.
  • HKCA working group created to oversee strategy and lobbying for HK in international circles.

2. DOMESTIC

  • Saturday League reduced to 16 teams after late withdrawal of Merchants.
  • Saturday League - HKCC Nomads
  • Saturday Cup - HKCC Gap Ramblers
  • Sunday League - JKN LSW
  • Sunday Cup - Pakistan Association
  • Saturday Plate - Nomads & Saracens (shared)
  • Sunday Plate - Friends XI
  • Decision to not reschedule abandoned matches had positive effect on season length being reduced by 4 weeks.
  • Clive Howard took over from David Steer as League & Cup Chairman.
  • Bonus points system introduced this season for Sunday League proved popular and ensured matched remain interesting to the end.

3. GROUNDS AND FACILITIES

  • Again, every ground being used to maximum capacity on weekends.
  • HKCA currently awaiting approval from the Jockey Club for funds to develop a site in Diamond Hill into a cricket ground.
  • Mission Road track was replaced in August 1999 and plays very well.
  • Man-hours worked at DBS increased from August 1999 have resulted in improvements to the ground conditions.
  • HKCA are investigating the possibility of creating indoor training facilities in Kowloon.
  • HKCA submitted proposals to the SDB for the construction of net and fielding practice facilities at the Shatin Sports Institute.

4. JUNIOR CRICKET

  • HKCA created an U11 Junior League to add to the existing U13, U15 and U19 Junior Leagues. Altogether – junior teams competed in regular organised junior leagues in Hong Kong in 1999 – 2000
    The winners:
    U11 League – HKCC
    U13 League – HKCC "Black Rain"
    U15 League – Sandy Bay
    U19 League – Saracens
  • Junior Player Pool
    In response to the growing number of junior cricketers in HK and the need to introduce them to League Cricket, HKCA implemented a Junior Player Poor register of junior players willing to be called on at last minute for Saturday and Sunday League matches. The Pool proved useful and will be continued in 2000-01.
  • The first "Junior Sixes Festival" was staged in April (during ICC "Cricket Week") which saw junior teams at U15 and U11 age levels fight it out for the title of HKCA Junior Sixes Champions. This proved an enjoyable and colourful occasion, which is planned to become a fixture in the cricket calendar.
  • Coaching Centres and School Visits
    HKCA started the first indoor coaching centres in Summer 1999 with six 8-week courses being run at 3 indoor games halls. These proved popular and will be increased to 5 halls this summer. Altogether in 1999, HKCA operated 26 cricket courses (8-10 weeks duration) at various locations around HK, conducted 17 school visits/courses and were active at 6 sports demonstrations/exhibitions.
  • Community Sports Clubs
    Happy CC became fully registered with SDB this year and now receives funding. Both Happy CC and Genius now compete actively in HKCA Junior Leagues and received coaching programs from HKCA. Special mention must be made of Genius CC Chairman Antoine Ng, who has translated the laws of cricket into Chinese, as well as a Chinese language rules and coaching handbook for the Club.
  • Schools Cricket
    HKCA, in cooperation with LCSD and the ICC, created and organised the first inter-primary school league in Hong Kong, the "Playground League". 16 teams from 13 schools competed in the inaugural season with the format of games designed to be played in basketball court-sized areas.
    The winners:
    Champions – Quarry Bay
    Runners Up – The Little Flower’s Primary School
    Plate winners – Hang Hau Central Shing Hang Fong Memorial School "A"
    Runners Up – Australian International School
    The Hong Kong Schools Cricket Association are running secondary schools cricket under the Chairmanship of Julian Harniess. HKCA are working with HKSCA for cricket to become recognised by the HK School Sport Federation.

5. ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

  • The HKCA has a stable staff of 4 full time and 2 part-time employees:

    - Mark Burns (Operations Manager) – Management and implementation of policy
    - Lal Jayasinghe (Coach Coordinator) – Overseeing of coaching and coach development
    - Simone Kwan (Sports Executive) – Administration of elementary centres, development projects, Cantonese PR
    - Rahuman Farcy (Sports Executive) – Administration of junior centres, coaching, book-keeping
    - Ron Brierly (Sports Administrator) – Administration of all League and Cup matters (fixtures, ground bookings, statistics etc), 500 Club
    - Ravi Nagdev (Development Executive) – Implementation of development projects (Playground League, Junior Leagues, website etc.), coach administration
  • The SDB funding procedure for HKCA changed in 1999 with subvention now being received on a project by project basis rather than the previous "lump sum" arrangement.
  • The HKCA website is improving all the time and is superbly maintained and designed by Travis Pittman. HKCA are currently developing a junior members website due to be launched in September 2000.
  • The HKCA 500 Club was created in 1999 and held its first draw in December 1999. Designed to provide funding for HKCA international tours and events and other development projects. Membership intake of the Club has been slow. However, the Club has already benefitted international players by giving them a fundraising opportunity to offset tour costs. The 500 Club pays our $6,000 in prizes every month.

6. COACHING AND COACH DEVELOPMENT

  • HKCA Coaching Awards are now integrated with the SDB accreditation system and the ICC.
  • HKCA has developed, through the ICC Development Program, good relations with the Auckland Cricket Association. As a result, the ACA Director of Coaching Development Kaushik Patel conducted a NZ Level 2 (HKCA L3) course in October, the highest level coaching course ever held in HK (5 of the 6 candidates passed). It is planned that Mr Patel will come to HK annually to conduct coaching courses.
  • HKCA ran Level 1 courses in 1999/2000 with candidates qualifying and receiving certificates.

7. THANK YOU

  • The HKSDB for funding and all-round assistance.
  • The LCSD for grassroots support.
  • HKCC, KCC for provision of their facilities.
  • Travis Pittman, HKCA webmaster.
  • All members (and non-members) who have volunteered their time and assistance during the season.
  • Parents and managers of teams playing in HKCA Junior Leagues.
  • All of the umpires who have stood in HKCA competitions this season, especially: Allan Swift, Bob Fotheringham, Fahmy Jowarsha, Kanu Gohel, Mike Walsh, Shiroy Vachha, James Middleton.
  • All who have helped fundraising and sponsorship during the season.
  • Andrew Eade, ICC development officer.
  • The staff of HKCA.