Hong Kong clinch third place at ACC Trophy Elite 2010 after beating Malaysia by seven runs

Defending champions Hong Kong beat Malaysia by seven runs in the 3rd/4th Place Play-off match at the ACC Trophy Elite 2010 played in Kuwait. Hong Kong can thank their rising star Nizakat Khan for helping them to post a handy total of 251-6 off their 50 overs, with the 17-year old hitting a brilliant 72 not out just when the Hong Kong innings appeared to be floundering. Hong Kong's bowlers then held their nerve to restrict Malaysia to 244-8 in reply, despite Rakesh Madhavan hitting a brilliant 129.

Earlier in the day, Hong Kong had won the toss and elected to bat but they got off to a disastrous start as two of their in-form batsmen, Nasir Hameed and Hussain Butt were dismissed for ducks with just four runs on the board. Roy Lamsam and Ilyas Gull put on a foundation building partnership worth 110 runs but it consumed 29 overs and when Lamsam was dismissed for 50, the Hong Kong total was just 114-3 after 33.3 overs. Nizakat Khan joined Ilyas Gull at the crease and the pair combined for another useful partnership worth 51 runs before Gull was run out for 75 scored off 102 balls. Hong Kong's total was now 165-4 after 41 overs and a late surge was expected but when Irfan Ahmed was dismissed cheaply, it looked as if the impetus had been lost. However some fine batting by the middle order turned what looked like a modest total into one that proved unbeatable. Moner Ahmed scored a run-a-ball 13 and then skipper Najeeb Amar smashed an unbeaten 25 off 11 balls but it was Nizakat Khan who provided the bulk of the runs. Nizakat rode his luck at times, surviving two dropped catches and a very close run out shout, to score an unbeaten 72 off just 46 balls including seven fours and three huge sixes. Hong Kong piled on 86 runs in the last nine overs as they finished on 251-6 at the end of their 50 overs. For Malaysia Suresh Navaratnam picked up 2-42 including three maiden overs while Shahrulnizam Yusof claimed 2-35 off his 10 overs.

Malaysia's reply got off to a solid start with the right-handed Faris Almas and the left-handed Rakesh Madhavan combining for an opening stand worth 77 runs in 15.4 overs. Najeeb Amar made the first breakthrough for Hong Kong as Faris feathered an edge to Nasir Hameed behind the stumps for a well struck 42 off 57 balls. A similar fate befell Ahmad Faiz as Najeeb picked up his second wicket with the total on 89. Madhavan was ensuring the run-rate continued to tick over as he dealt to all the Hong Kong bowlers with little trouble. Nizakat then grabbed the vital wicket of Malaysian skipper Suhan Kumar and Malaysia had slipped to 105-3. Suresh Navaratnam and Madhavan then took the total to 151-4 after 35 overs at which stage Navaratnam was stumped off the bowling of Nadeem Ahmed. Needing 101 runs from the last 15 overs, Madhavan combined with Shafiq Sharif and the pair batted sensibly to raise the total on 234, however at that score Sharif was was caught and bowled for 24 off the bowling of Nadeem. Malaysia now needed 18 runs for victory with 18 balls and five wickets in hand and with centurion Madhavan still at the crease. Damith Warusavithana tried to hit Moner Ahmed out of the ground but he only succeeded in finding the safe hands of Hussain Butt at long off. Disaster then struck for Malaysia when, from the first ball of the 48th over, Madhavan was run out at the non-strikers end going for a second run. Madhavan's briliant innings had contributed 129 of 137 balls, including nine fours and four sixes. With two new batsmen at the crease, the Hong Kong spin bowlers turned the screws and the Malaysian tail-enders could not cope with the pressure. Only two more runs came off the 48th over and Malaysia were left needing 12 runs off the final over. Three runs came off the first three balls but when Hassan Ghulam was bowled by Najeeb, Malaysia needed still needed nine runs off two balls. Two singles was all they could manage and Hong Kong had snatched victory by a margin of seven runs.

For Hong Kong, Najeeb Amar with 3-34 from ten overs was the pick of the bowlers while Nadeem Ahmed claimed 3-50 to finish as the top wicket-taker for the tournament. Hong Kong's Nizakat Khan was named Player of the Match - his second such award for the tournament.

Scorecard: ACC Trophy Elite 2010 3rd/4th Play-off - Hong Kong v. Malaysia

It was another nerve-tingling victory for Hong Kong and yet another heart-breaking run chase for Malaysia, having earlier lost by 8 runs to Nepal and a single run to Afghanistan.

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