2011-12 HKCA Premier League Preview

The HKCA Premier League is only a few days away and already tongues are wagging and the armchair experts are out.

Lights, camera and pen's ready as we see Kowloon Cricket Club take on the Lightning XI at KCC while Hong Kong Cricket Club host Lttle Sai Wan Cricket Club in the first round of one day games on 4th September 2011.

"There is no clear winner and it feels like we are approaching finals - that is how keen everyone is," said Matthew Collins, selector of the KCC Premier side.

The concept behind the Premier League is to ensure our best players in Hong Kong not only get the chance to compete against one another but also to show how good they really are when they have to face an attack of high standard where batsmen have to face bowling against line-ups that are not just hot at the top.

Who does the National Coach, Charlie Burke, think has the strongest squad?

"Well, it's hard to pick as I'm wearing two hats this season. I'm coach and loyal to my Lightning team but if they were not in the competition I would pick Little Sai Wan to pip Kowloon Cricket Club in the final round of the Premier League in April 2012," said Charlie Burke.

"The One Day competition will be tight, with all teams used to playing this format - 10 overs per bowler; front foot free hit; power plays etc,. Little Sai Wan and Pakistan have traditionally been very strong teams in this format and they will again, in my view, be the leading teams in the one day competition," said Burke.

"In the two day competition it will be a level playing field. We have five captains who have all represented Hong Kong at senior level, either in the Sixes or at ICC level, but Hong Kong is not known for it's multi-day cricket. So how will batsmen perform trying to face 30 plus overs a session over multiple sessions and how will bowlers bowling cope with bowling three or four spells a day of eight to ten overs each?"

"Then you have the question of when to declare; when to bowl the spinner or even when to attack or take the new ball? Can our Captains read the wicket well; look at the weekend's forecast and will this determine the toss decision? Or maybe sides will go on past history of the opposition not liking to set a target."

"There is no doubt the two-day competition will decide the winner," reckons Burke.

Pakistan Association will rely heavily on their captain Hussain Butt this season after losing last year's leading Sunday League batsman Imran Ahmed who went back to Pakistan and National wicket-keeper Waqas Barkat who transferred to KCC where he believes he will get better opportunities. Tanvir Afzaal is still playing cricket in the UK and won't be available until October.

Pakistan Association will have to fight harder than ever to be one of the top teams, a challenge that I'm sure there captain and National Squad player will be looking for.

"There are no major changes at the moment. I think we should be par with the other teams this year, we are short a couple of players and it will be good for us to play more competitive cricket to challenge our players," said Butt.

"I think the one day format is still our strength and I expect us to do well in that format. Tanwir and Aizaz Khan will be players to watch as I think these two have improved a lot over the summer, but I still think LSW will be good challenge for us," he added.

Hong Kong Cricket Club are missing some important senior players that have been close to Hong Kong selection before, including Phil Pemberton, but have gained a star recruit in Andrew Nicholls, a top order batsmen from Australia who has scored over three and a half thousand runs at 1st grade level, with a highest score of a 154. There is no doubt that Courtney Kruger, who will skipper the side, is looking for a big season, not only for National honours but also he is keen to lead by example.

"We have 2 new players to HKCC this season in Andrew Norwood and Andrew Nicholls. Both players have arrived from Australia in the off-season and have proven pedigrees in District 1st and 2nd XI cricket in Melbourne and Perth respectively. In addition we have one of the most talented juniors in Hong Kong in Anshuman Rath and we look forward to seeing how all of these guys fit in this coming season" said HKCC coach Mark Wright.

"Our strength is that we have had a fantastic record in 2-day cricket over the past 4-5 seasons in Hong Kong. We have a vast amount of experience within our squad and also we have 3-4 players who are competing with the National squad and we hope that their work ethic and performance will help to push on to be a competitive team within this competition" Wright added.

KCC have a relatively young side but still have some experienced players like Afzaal Haider, Ravi Sujanani and their captain/coach Peter Wooden to give them some confidence.

KCC has a solid opening bowling attack in Aditya Kanthan and Haider and spin options in Wooden, Dawood and Kinchit Shah, who was as one of KCC's better performed players at a recent T20 tournament in Singapore. But where will the runs come from? A lot will depend on Hong Kong opener and former vice captain Roy Lamsam, new recruit and Hong Kong Player of the Year in 2010-11, Babar Hayat and skipper Wooden who averaged over 50 in Sunday cricket last year.

KCC have also named former New Zealand test cricketer and current Sussex County batsmen, Lou Vincent, in their squad and he may possibly play a few games this season but KCC are giving nothing away when he will be available.

The Lightning XI will no doubt be a side that other clubs will feel can achieve anything on their day. Captain Nasir Hameed will be one player that other teams will be after, having scored over 500 runs at an average of 64 in 2010-11.

They also have one of the most exciting all-rounders in Nilathan Wijekoon, who could tear any opposition apart with his bat and his handy medium pace bowling that brought him 25 wickets last season. But how will this side go, they have only had a few training sessions and some of the players don't know each other that well.

Will Little Sai Wan be the powerhouse team they have been in recent seasons and will the Ahmed brothers, Nadeem and Irfan, play a major role this season?

Moner Dar will lead LSW's Premier League team which has good experience mixed with some of the most talented young players in Hong Kong in Nizakat Khan, Amandeep Singh and Amanat Khan. Mix in the Ahmed brothers and the experience of Tabarak Dar and last season's leading wicket taker in Hasseb Amjad and you have a potent combination.

"LSWCC squad is pretty much same as in previous seasons. The new talent comes from our Junior Development panel. Outstanding performances from Amanat Khan and Amandeep Singh in Junior Cricket / Saturday Cricket have earned them a position with the LSWCC Premier League Team. Also U17 Player Furquan Tahir has made his way into the Premier side as LSWCC's main wicket keeper based on performance he had last season," said Ravi Nagdev, Team Manager.

"I think our strength is that we have a number of match winners who can turn a game at any moment. The dangerous players will be Nizakat Khan, skipper Moner Dar and bowler of the year from last season, Haseeb Amjad," he added.

"I think all teams will be dangerous and it is going to be the first Hong Kong domestic competition in a long time where it will be difficult to pick a favorite," concluded Nagdev.