Hong Kong retains ACC Women's T20 title after thrilling victory over China

The Hong Kong Women's cricket team has successfully defended its title at the ACC Women's Twenty20 Championships 2011 in Kuwait after beating China by three wickets in a thrilling final.

Hong Kong skipper Neisha Pratt won the toss and elected to bowl at the KEC cricket ground in cool and overcast conditions with rain threatening. Zhang Mei and Sun Huan opened the batting for China while Connie Wong and Mariko Hill opened the bowling for Hong Kong. China had the better of the early exchanges but Connie Wong struck with the last ball of her second over to dismiss Zhang Mei for 6, with the score on 17. In the next over, China scored eleven runs but lost the wicket of Sun Mengyao - the first by Hong Kong spinner Chan Sau Har. Huang Zhuo joined Sun Huan at the crease but the players were soon scurrying for shelter as a passing rain shower forced the players from the field with the score at 2-34 after six overs.

Upon resumption of play, the partnership between Huang Zhuo and Sun Huan added a further 37 runs in seven overs before Sun became Chan Sau Har's second victim. A wicket to Betty Chan off the first ball of the 14th over saw China reduced to 4-73 but Huang Zhuo and Yu Miao saw them to the end of their 20 overs with no further loss and a final total of 107 for four wickets.

Hong Kong had failed to chase down China's score in the opening match of the tournament and they were pegged back early when free-scoring Keenu Gill was bowled by Wang Meng in the third over with the total on 13. The key pairing of Neisha Pratt and Connie Wong came together at this stage and it was vital for Hong Kong's chances that they stick around for the majority of the run chase. The pair batted sensibly but punished any bad deliveries. Just when they looked to take charge of the match, China grabbed an important breakthrough when Connie Wong was caught for 18 off the bowling of Zhang Jingjing from the first ball of the 11th over. Worse was to follow for Hong Kong when Mariko Hill fell two balls later and Hong Kong was teetering at 3-49 with 59 runs still needed from the remaining 57 balls.

Betty Chan joined Neisha Pratt at the crease and the pair added a valuable 29 runs in quick time to tip the balance of the match back in Hong Kong's favour. Chan fell with the score at 78 and new bat Chan Sau Har could only add 1 before being run out while trying to give the strike to her captain. Neisha Pratt brought up her fifty in style with a boundary that took Hong Kong to within a dozen runs of their target but when she was run out shortly afterwards China sensed an historic victory. But they hadn't counted on Yip Sze Wan who smote a huge six over long on to take Hong Kong to within touching distance of the trophy. Two runs were needed off the last over bowled by Mei Chunhua and these came courtesy of a bye and a wide. Hong Kong had won a thrilling match by three wickets with three balls to spare and in doing so had retained the ACC Women's Twenty20 Championship title that they won in Malaysia in 2009.

Neisha Pratt was named Player of the Match for her brilliant innings of 51 runs, scored off 35 balls, including 6 boundaries.

Match Summary : Final : Hong Kong Women v. China Women

China Women 107-4 from 20 overs (S. Huan 24, H. Zhuo 40*; Chan Sau Har 2-27) lost to Hong Kong Women 108-7 from 19.3 overs (Neisha Pratt 51; Z. Jingjing 3-16) by 3 wkts