Rewind to Mar 2018 and Hong Kong were massively disappointed to not only miss out on qualification for 2019 Cricket World Cup but also lost their ODI status for the next 4 years. Following non-inclusion of cricket in the 2018 Asian Games, Sports Institute of Hong Kong also cut the funding for the national cricket team.
The same team has now secured qualification for the 2018 Asian Cricket Council Asia Cup with a nerve-wrecking two wicket win over the United Arab Emirates in the final of the qualifying tournament in Kuala Lumpur to join India and Pakistan in Group A of the tournament. What is even more great news for the team is that their matches in the Asia Cup 2018 will have official ODI status.
International Cricket Council have confirmed the ODI status given to Hong Kong matches in 2018 Asia Cup and Asian Cricket Council confirmed the same on their twitter timeline.
UPDATE:
The International Cricket Council has granted ODI status for all matches involving Hong Kong in #AsiaCup2018
We thank the @ICC for their support. @BCCI @CricketHK @TheRealPCB @OfficialSLC @ACBofficials @BCBtigers pic.twitter.com/lKrbpb84L9— AsianCricketCouncil (@ACCMedia1) September 9, 2018
Hong Kong on the virtue of winning the Asia Cup qualifiers have also secured their spot in the 2018 ACC Emerging Nations Asia Cup, slated to take place in Dec 2018. Hong Kong’s Aizaz Khan was adjudged the man-of-the-match and UAE’s Ahmed Raza was adjudged the man-of-the-tournament.
UAE will be massively disappointed to miss out on the chance of playing in the Asia Cup at home and after stuttering at 65/3 in the 16th over were looking in a spot of bother when the rains came down at Kinrara oval. If there was no result in the match due to weather conditions, UAE would have qualified for the Asia Cup on the basis of their group stage points standings.
After the match resumed and it was reduced to a 24-overs-a-side match, UAE’s Ashfaq Ahmed and Shaiman Anwar came out all guns blazing from the start. UAE lost 6 wickets in the next 8.3 overs but smashed an insane 111 runs at a run-rate of 13.37!! Hong Kong’s Aizaz Khan managed to pick up a 5-for as UAE batsmen took all kind of chances to increase the scoring rate and will be on a hat-trick the next delivery he bowls in the Asia Cup.
Hong Kong started well with a 64-runs partnership for the opening wicket in 6 overs with Nizakat Khan and Anshuman Rath taking the attack to UAE bowlers. However, UAE came back strongly as they removed 4 in the next 4 overs to reduce them to 82/4 in the 10th over.
Things would have gone very much wrong for Hong Kong from there on but a crucial 53-runs partnership for the 5th wicket between Chris Carter and Ehsan Khan was the major contributor towards their victory charge, UAE managed to pick up 4 more wickets but some strong hits from Scott Mckechnie and Tanwir Afzal took them home to victory in the 24th over to script a great finish and a brilliant advert for Associate cricket.
Brief Scores:
UAE 176/9 in 24 overs (Ashfaq Ahmed 79, Shaiman Anwar 22, Aizaz Khan 5/28, Nadeem Ahmed 3/28) lost to Hong Kong 179/8 in 23.3 overs (Nizakat Khan 38, Chris Carter 33, Ehsan Khan 29, Anshuman Rath 28, Tanwir Afzal 15, Mohammad Naveed 2/47, Amir Hayat 1/22) by 2 wickets
