PNG beat Hong Kong by 9 wkts (D/L Method) as rain plays havoc on the final day
Hong Kong's campaign a the ICC WCL Division 3 tournament came to a sorry end when they were thrashed by Papua New Guinea at the Hurlingham Club today.
Hong Kong Cricket Association
31-Jan-2009
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In a must-win match for both sides, Hong Kong won the toss and decided to bat on an overcast day with showers threatening. Hong Kong never recovered from a disastrous start that saw them slump to 6-50 and they could only muster a total of 91 from 42.3 overs with Loa Nou claiming the best figures of 3-14 for PNG. Ilyas Gull's rearguard effort worth 25 runs was the best of the Hong Kong batsmen in an innings where only three players registered double figure scores.
Rain interrupted proceedings during the change of innings and the teams were forced to take an early lunch. When PNG eventually started their chase, the target had been reduced to 87 from 45 overs. Knowing that they had to improve their run-rate to have any chance of making it into the top two, and with further rain threatening, the PNG openers set about their task in positive fashion. Vani Morea smashed an unbeaten 41 from 30 balls and Chris Amini scored 38 off 44 balls to bring the game to a swift conclusion in just 12.3 overs. Najeeb Amar was the only wicket-taker for Hong Kong. The official result was a nine wicket (D/L Method) victory to PNG.
PNG's victory puts them at the top of the points table and their quickfire response to their run-chase will see them with a much improved run-rate. But they will have to wait until tomorrow to know their fate as the other two matches were abandoned and will need to be replayed.
Rain couldn't save Hong Kong today but it did save both Uganda and Afghanistan who were both precariously placed when their matches were abandoned. At the Belgrano Club ground, Argentina had Uganda in a spot of bother at 69-4 after 30 overs when the heavens opened and no further play was possible. Afghanistan were given an even greater reprieve at the Corimayo ground. Afghanistan struggled to 68-5 from 31 overs when rains interrupted their match and an early lunch was taken. However late afternoon sunshine allowed the match to resume with the Cayman Islands being set a revised target of 63 from 20 overs for victory. They had reached 35-2 from seven overs when a further downpour forced play to be abandoned for good, with the Caribbean team a mere 28 runs from victory.
The tournament rules allow for the two abandoned games to be replayed tomorrow as the outcome of the matches will determine the top four positions. The final and play-off matches will not be played and the points table will be used to determine the final placings of the teams. At this stage, only Argentina's fate is known - they will definitely be relegated to Division 4. Hong Kong must now wait nervously to see if they will join them.
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