Hayat, Rath seal series win for Hong Kong

Hong Kong 181 for 3 (Hayat 82*, Rath 52*) beat Papua New Guinea 244 for 7 (Dai 76*, Bau 44, Rath 3-25) by seven wickets (D/L method)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Hong Kong captain Babar Hayat scored a career-best 82 not out to take his team to a seven-wicket win (D/L method) in the rain-affected third ODI against Papua New Guinea and claim the series 2-1.

Hong Kong, who were set 245 to chase, found themselves struggling at 61 for 3 by the 14th over before 19-year-old Anshuman Rath (52*) joined his captain to steady the innings. The pair had put on 109 and taken Hong Kong to 170 for 3 when rain halted play in the 33rd over.

The delay lasted for more than an hour and forced the implementation of the Duckworth-Lewis method. Hong Kong's revised target was 178 in 38 overs. They achieved it promptly after play resumed, as Rath brought up both the win and his fourth ODI fifty with a boundary.

Earlier, Rath took 3 for 25 - his third consecutive three-wicket haul - including two wickets off consecutive overs as PNG's top order failed to capitalize on a 56-run opening stand and fell to 79 for 4 in a span of eight overs. But a late surge from No. 7 batsman Mahuru Dai lifted them to 244 for 7. Dai scored an unbeaten 76 off 62 balls. Sese Bau (44) and Vani Morea (35) were the only other batsmen to score more than 30 for PNG.

Anshuman Rath was named Man of the Match, while Babar Hayat claimed the Man-of-the-Series award after scores of 77, 0, and 82*.