China Women edge closer to Hong Kong Women

The China Women's cricket team is edging closer to their Hong Kong counterparts, evidenced by their performance in the one-off international friendly played at Kai Tak Cricket Ground on 18th February 2010. While the Hong Kong Women eased to a 35-run win, the small margin of victory highlights the narrowing gap between the two sides.

Hong Kong batted first after winning the toss but they were in early trouble when Mariko Hill was bowled by Wang Meng for 0 in the second over of the match. Keenu Gill and Chan Sau Har took the score to 40 before Chan Sau Har was caught out for 12, also from the bowling of Wang Meng. Keenu's innings of 23 came to an end when she was caught from the bowling of Yu Miao with the total on 55. Hong Kong's skipper Neisha Pratt combined with Connie Wong for the best partnership of the innings but when the score had reached 99 Connie was dismissed for 15. Pratt was doing her best to keep the score ticking over but she was unable to find any long stay partners as Hong Kong wickets fell at regular intervals. Yasmin Daswani (11) and Dominique McCusker (5) helped push the score on to 147 but another flurry of wickets saw Hong Kong slip to 149-8. Godiva Li (2*) hung around for a few overs while Pratt blazed away at the over end. Pratt's innings finally came to an end with her personal tally on 64 and Hong Kong's score on 162. That was how it finished as Wu Juan wrapped up the innings with Hong Kong's last two wickets falling on consecutive balls.

For China, Wang Meng finished with the fine figures of 3-38 from ten overs while Zhou Haijie, Yu Miao and Wu Juan claimed two wickets each.

China's reply got off to a quiet start as openers Sun Meng Yao and Zhang Mei struggled to get away the tight bowling from Connie Wong and Keenu Gill. Gill made the first breakthrough when she bowled Zhang Mei for 2 in the sixth over. Sun Meng Yao and Huang Zhou moved the score a long to 34 when Sun was caught behind by Emma Phillips off Yasmin Daswani for 13. A 36-run partnership between Huang Zhou and Mei Chun Hua lifted the score to 70 but Mei Chun Hua became Chan Sau Har's first victim when she was caught by Neisha Pratt for a hard-hit 11, including a big six off Godiva Li. Emma Phillips was again in the action when she caught Yu Miao for 4. The impressive Huang Zhou was the next to fall when she was caught by Connie Wong from the bowling of Godiva Li for 39 with China's total on 104. Zhong Yuan (15) helped push the total on to 121 but when Zhou Haijie (6) and Zhang Jing Jing (1) fell in one Cha Sau Har over, the end of the innings came quickly. Keenu Gill grabbed the final wicket to fall as China was eventually dismissed for 127 in 44 overs.

For Hong Kong, Keenu Gill picked up 3-15 from eight overs (including 3 maidens) while Chan Sau Har grabbed 3-30 from ten overs. Godiva Li claimed 2-33 while Yasmin Daswani and Connie Wong picked up one wicket each. Hong Kong's wicket-keeper Emma Phillips also claimed four catches.

Scorecard: Hong Kong Women v. China Women

In the end, it was a comfortable victory for the Hong Kong Women's team but the relatively narrow margin of victory shows that the China Women's team are improving with every outing.