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Hong Kong win three-nation East Asia Cup
20 Feb, 2024
The home team remains unbeaten throughout the tournament beating Japan thrice, including in the final, and thumping China twice. Skipper Nizakat Khan shines in the final with 81 off 48 balls in Hong Kong's 34-run win at Mong Kok
Hong Kong defeated Japan by 34 runs in the final to win the East Asia Cup that also included China as the third team.
The T20 tournament was played in Mission Road Ground at Mong Kok in Hong Kong and culminated with an exhibition match between Hong Kong Dragons and China after the final.
China, who couldn’t make the final and lost all the league games miserably, however, won the exhibition game against the second-string Hongkongers by five wickets.
China had failed to get to 100 even once; in fact, in two of the four matches, they couldn’t even reach 50.
So, in the main tournament, the competition was between two teams – Hong Kong, who have been to Asia Cup, and Japan, who turned up fresh from their semi-final effort in the ACC Men’s Challenger Cup.
Hong Kong won all their league matches, beating China by 123 runs and 10 wickets and trumping Japan by seven wickets and 27 runs.
Japan had beaten China by 180 runs and 44 runs in the two matches.
In the final, it was Hong Kong captain skipper Nizakat Khan who set early pace, racing to 81 off 48 balls. He hit five fours and four sixes.
Aizaz Khan scored a 20-ball 34, batting at No.6, while there were significant contributions from Anshy Rath (30 off 26 at No. 3), Yasim Murtaza (20 off 6 at No. 7) and Nasrulla Rana (26 off 7 at No. 8). The host made 219/7 in 20 overs.
Getting to 220-run target was always going to be tough for the Japanese. Yasim Murtaza’s three wickets and Ehsan Khan’s one in the power-play stage made it even tougher as Japan were reduced to 40/4 in the sixth over.
But some contributions from No. 4 Sabaorish Ravichandran (20 off 12 balls), No. 6 Declan Suzuki (37 off 28), No. 7 Ibrahim Takahashi (29 off 18), No. 8 Makoto Taniyama (19 off 8) and Charles Hinze (23 off 17), took the Japanese to 185/8 in 20 overs.
Nizakat was adjudged Player of the Final.
Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming of Japan was the top-scorer of the tournament with 217 runs at an average of 72.33 while Sabaorish Ravichandran, also of Japan, was the tournament’s top wicket-taker with nine scalps.
T20, Cricket, Hong Kong, Japan, China, East Asia Cup