Hong Kong continue to struggle in PNG
Hong Kong's struggles in Papua New Guinea continued as they slumped to their third defeat in as many games at the Ar New Guinea International Super Series being played in Port Moresby.
Hong Kong Cricket Association
05-Sep-2010
Hong Kong's struggles in Papua New Guinea continued as they slumped to their third defeat in as many games at the Ar New Guinea International Super Series being played in Port Moresby. This time it was the hosts that benefitted from Hong Kong's poor showing as Papua New Guinea ran out comfortable winners by 56 runs.
For the third match in a row, Hong Kong lost the toss and found itself chasing leather in the first innings. Hong Kong's bowlers did well to make in-roads into the PNG batting line-up and would have been pleased to peg them back to 5-80 with Khalid Khan, Zafaran Ali and Asif Khan all picking up wickets. Vala (41) held the batting together and when he departed Arua (61) took up the run charge with the middle and lower order batsmen, adding 125 runs to the total. PNG was eventually dismissed for 205 in 49.2 overs with Asif Khan grabbing 4-46 from 9.2 overs while Khalid Khan and Zafaran Ali grabbed a brace each.
Hong Kong's reply got off to a steady start but the run out of Roy Lamsam (16) sparked a mini collapse that saw Hong Kong reduced to 3-39. Some solid batting from Ilyas Gull (48) steered Hong Kong to a position of relative strength at 4-105 but then the innings folded rather meekly as paceman Baeau (4-31) ran through defenses of the middle and lower order batsmen. Hong Kong was all out for 149 in 46 overs.
Hong Kong will be hoping that a change in format will bring with it a change in fortune as the competition now changes to a three match Twenty20 format followed by a Grand Final on Sunday.