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Hosts Qatar went down to Hong Kong by 96 runs for their second successive loss in the Asian Cricket Council U-16 Elite Cup at the Mesaied Industrial City Ground yesterday. |
Batting first after winning the toss, Hong Kong posted a competitive 221-8 off the stipulated 40 overs. Several dropped catches didn't help Qatar's cause too.
Qatar, in reply, were up to a blistering start, racing to 91 for no loss in 11 overs, with Jassim scoring the bulk of the runs in the opening partnership. Jassim's 63 came off 63 balls and was studded with two mighty sixes.
But after his departure, wickets fell in quick succession and Qatar were restricted to 125.
In Thursday's evening match, Hong Kong beat Kuwait by 67 runs, though the margin of victory is not truly indicative of how competitive the match was for long periods.
Hong Kong were indebted to a captain's knock of 79 by Jhatavedh Subramanyam. The wiry lad played straight initially but opened out towards the end of the Hong Kong innings. Hong Kong put on 55 in the last 34 balls of their innings, which took the game away from the doughty Kuwaitis.
Kuwait bowled and fielded well but couldn't maintain enough pressure on the Hong Kong batsmen. When they came to bat, opener Allen Thomas (43 off 55 balls) anchored the Kuwait innings well but the fall of his wicket in the 19th over spoiled the innings' momentum. Hong Kong's Mohamed Usman took a hat-trick to be adjudged Man-of-the-Match.
