HK eye crucial win against Malaysia to secure final spot
Batsman Rath says team only ‘taking the positives’ from losses to Kuwait in Tri-Nations tournament
Hong Kong batsman Anshy Rath said the team were “taking the positives” from back-to-back defeats against Kuwait, who they had not lost to on three previous occasions.
The city’s cricket team face hosts Malaysia today in their fourth game of the Tri-Nations T20i Series, knowing a win will put them into a final and a third clash with the team from the Gulf.
After being comfortably beaten last Wednesday, Hong Kong should have evened the score three days later, but not for the first time, their bowling at the death let them down.
Hong Kong made 144 for six in their 20 overs, and Kuwait were reeling at 87-6, needing almost 10 runs an over to win on Saturday. But Bilal Tahir and Muhammad Umar, batting eight and nine, respectively, piled on 48 runs in just 22 deliveries, guiding their side to victory with two wickets and three balls remaining.
Still victory against Malaysia, who Hong Kong beat comfortably last Friday, will see them into the final, and Rath said everyone knew “what was on the line”.
“Two very narrow losses to Kuwait when we were in winning positions is not the worst thing in the world, so we’re taking the positives from that,” he said.
“We have a good record against Malaysia, and T20 cricket is such a confidence-filled game. We’ve got to just piece everything together.”
While the bowlers, and a significant number of the batsmen have struggled, skipper Nizakat Khan and the ever-reliable Babar Hayat have been the one constant the team could rely on. Of the 414 runs Hong Kong have scored in three games, the pair have contributed 254, with the skipper making 152 of those, including the 61 he scored in the second game against Kuwait.
In contrast, openers Martin Coetzee and Rath have managed 37 between them, of which Rath has 28.
Rath said it was “fulfilling” to see his captain in form, even if he was largely shouldering the team’s batting responsibilities.
“Nizakat is someone who works the hardest in the team, and it’s nice to see when that hard work pays off,” Rath said.
“It is inspirational for the other guys. He is batting beautifully and I hope that this run of form continues because it’s brilliant for the team.”
While Hong Kong have struggled against Kuwait, there is little evidence to suggest they will do so against Malaysia today, and head coach Simon Willis can take solace from the way his side demolished the hosts in the first game.
Spin bowler Yasim Murtaza took four wickets for nine runs from his four overs, ripping the heart out of the opposition middle order, as Malaysia limped to 101-7 in their 20 overs.
Ehsan Khan, who took four for 22 in the most recent loss to Kuwait, also weighed in with a wicket, while Nizakat (37) and Hayat (34) provided the runs as Hong Kong won with six wickets and 19 balls to spare.
“The way our bowlers came back after a close loss against Kuwait was really good,” Rath said. “In tournament cricket, games come hard and fast so you need to be ready for anything, and I thought we responded very well.”