Chapman happy with Hong Kong cricket’s progress

AFP/DubaiRecord-setting Hong Kong batsman Mark Chapman believes the thriving nation is progressing well at the international level and will express themselves when they feature in next year’s World Twenty20 in India. The 21-year-old became the 10th batsmen in all one-day cricket to hit a debut hundred, which came in Hong Kong’s upset 89-run win over a more formidable United Arab Emirates team in Dubai last week. He hit a 116-ball 124 which set up Hong Kong’s 298-4 in 50 overs. Chapman said 2015 has been a great year for Hong Kong. “It’s been great year and I have grown up through this sort of era in which Hong Kong has grown from strength to strength,” Chapman told reporters yesterday. “Since we have gained the High Performance status and we will be playing in the second World Twenty20 coming up which shows the guys have improved and there is a lot of professionalism in them.” Hong Kong are one of the six qualifiers who will feature in the World Twenty20 to be held in India from March 11-April 3 next year. Chapman admitted Hong Kong still have a long way to go in international cricket. “We still got a long way to go but I am happy the way the guys have progressed and feel that we can have more success at the top level,” said Chapman who believes Hong Kong can upset a few teams in World Twenty20. “I think the Twenty20 format levels the playing field. “We have a tough group with Zimbabwe, Scotland and Afghanistan and we will be looking to knock out one of them, so we will be looking to putting some strong performances and will express ourselves.” Chapman said he was honoured to be amongst the 10 batsmen who scored a hundred in their first-ever one-day international. “It’s certainly an honour and it’s something I wasn’t thinking about but to be amongst some great players is a great honour,” said Chapman who also hit a half-century against Pakistan in the warm-up Twenty20 game in Dubai on Monday. Chapman admitted he can qualify to play for New Zealand, where he is studying mechanical engineering. “I was actually born and raised in Hong Kong so I have just gone to New Zealand for my education and I am a Hong Kong through and through and I am actually in the Auckland set up (in cricket) at the moment and I guess that (to play for New Zealand) is something still on the cards. I have got dual nationality and that can work in my favour but to reach that level I have a lot of work to do,” he said.