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Singapore and Hong Kong through to Asia Cup Qualifier

kriralok desk:

Singapore and Hong Kong won through the Asia Cup Eastern Regional Qualifier in Bangkok to claim the remaining two berths at the four-team Qualifier final, to be held in Malaysia in August, where they will join the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, the finalists at last week’s Western Qualifier.

Singapore went unbeaten through the tournament, a washout against Nepal in their final match the only blemish on their otherwise perfect run, whilst Hong Kong bounced back from a 0-5 whitewash at the hands of Malaysia in a warm-up series ahead of the tournament to turn the tables in their must-win final game to claim the second spot.

While underdogs Thailand went winless through the tournament, failing to pass 100 in any of their four matches, the hosts’ disappointing tournament was at least expected. For Nepal, who finished in fourth place with only a single win over the home side to their credit, the showing in Bangkok represented a new nadir in their T20 fortunes.

The only side in the tournament with ODI status, Nepal were ranked 12th in the ICC rankings before play commenced on the 29th. Consecutive losses to Malaysia and Hong Kong would see them drop to an arguably still-flattering 15th by the end of the week, and mark the second time they failed to progress from an Asian regional T20 tournament, having missed out on a spot at the Global T20 World Cup Qualifier when they finished 3rd behind Singapore and Qatar at the Asia Regional Final last year.

While Nepal’s travails mirror those of hosts and fellow ODI-nation Oman in the Western Qualifier, leaving the Emiratis as the sole ODI country to make it through to the Qualifier Final, Singapore’s unbeaten streak hints a growing parity in East Asian cricket that has seen the city-state shake off it’s reputation of perennial nearly-men. For Hong Kong the come-back qualification suggests the beginnings of a recovery after a nightmare run that has seen them lose ODI status as well as nearly half their first choice squad to a combination of match-fixing suspensions, dressing room mutinies, career changes and switches of allegiance.

Singapore opened their campaign with a convincing win over Thailand, tournament top-scorer Sidhant Singh providing the backbone of the eventual total of 137-7 with a 50-ball 59 from the top of the order, the hosts falling 43 runs short in reply with Daniel Jacobs’ run-a-ball 28 the top score in what would prove Thailand’s highest total of the tournament, bowled out for 96 with an over remaining.

Malaysia would also open with a win over Nepal as Syed Aziz carried over his fine form from the preparatory series against Hong Kong, striking an unbeaten 51 off 35 from number five after Sandeep Lamichhane had taken three consecutive wickets to reduce them to 53-3 in the ninth over, Aziz building partnerships with skipper Ahmed Faiz (30 off 26) and Aminuddin Ramly (29 off 18) to see Malaysia post 154-6. Despite Nepal skipper Gyanendra Malla’s 38 off 33 putting Nepal in a strong position at 89-2 by the 13th over, the innings would begin to come apart after he became Pravdeep Singh’s second victim, Dipendra Singh Airee (38 off 40) and Pawan Sarraf (19 off 14) the only other batsmen to make double figures as Nepal lost their last six wickets for just 22 runs, collapsing from 110-4 to 132 all out.

Nepal would fair little better in their next game, young seamer Haroon Arshad bagging a career-best 5-16 – the first five-wicket haul for Hong Kong in T20Is – to see Nepal fold for 111 in 18.1 overs in pursuit of Hong Kong’s 154-6. Nizakat Khan’s 29-ball 48 from the top of the order had provided a strong start for Hong Kong, with Arshad and Shahid Wasif also contributing runs at the top of the order, while skipper Aizaz Khan put on valuable runs with the tail before being run out for 29 off 20. Malla was again his side’s stand-out bat, the Nepal captain putting on a 42-run opening stand at almost ten an over in the company of namesake Kushal Malla, but when he was stumped off Aftab Hussain for 46 the chase rapidly unravelled as Nepal slid to a 43-run defeat.

Malaysia would go two-from-two the following day as they handed Thailand their second defeat, Pavandeep Singh the pick of the bowlers as Thailand stumbles to 85-9 from their 20 overs and Virandeep Singh unbeaten 41 marshalling a comfortable chase as Malaysia romped to an 8-wicket victory inside of 12 overs.

Malaysia’s winning streak would be brought to an end on the other side of the rest day, however, as

Perth Scorches’ Tim David would make an immediate impact upon his late arrival at the tournament. David smashed an unbeaten 32-ball 92 as Singapore racked up a record 239-3 on their way to a mammoth 128-run win, leg-spinner Anantha Krishna bagging four wickets as Malaysia collapsed to 111 all-out.

The afternoon match saw the hosts eliminated from contention as Ehsan Khan and Kinchit Shah both bagged figures of 2-9 in 4 overs to restrict Thailand to 77-8 by the break, Nizakat Khan again top-scoring for Hong Kong with 36 off 19 before Shah and Jamie Atkinson took Hong Kong over the line with more than 12 overs to spare. Things would only get worse for the hosts the following day, Karan KC leading the charge for Nepal with figures of 3-12 as Thailand were skittled for just 66, before Kushal Malla (36* off 18) and Pawan Sarraf (27 off 10) ensure Nepal would make light work of the chase, sealing their first and last win of the tournament in just 5.3 overs.

Singapore would cement their place at the top of the table in the afternoon match, David again top-scoring with 58 and keeper-bat Manpreet Singh providing some late acceleration with a 29-ball 42* from number 5 to take Singapore to 168-5. Jamie Atkinson struck adogged half-century in Hong Kong’s reply, but the left arm spin of young Aahan Achar kept the scoring in check, his return of 2-21 in four ensuring Singapore held on to claim the title with a 16-run win.

A waterlogged outfield at the Terdthai Ground prevented any play on the final morning, ensuring Singapore retained their unbeaten record while Nepal were left marooned mid-table, leaving only the decisive afternoon encounter between Hong Kong and Malaysia to determine the second qualifier.

With Malaysia having completed a remarkable 5-0 sweep of the recent inter-port series between the two sides Ahmed Faiz’s side might be forgiven for heading into the game with a fair degree of confidence, but Hong Kong would turn things around when it mattered. Aftab Hussain and Haroon Arshad would claim matching figures of 1-23 in four to keep Malaysia pegged back, whilst Waqas Barkat’s two overs of legspin would tield just eight runs and the wicket of Virandeep Singh, who top-scored for Malaysia with 33 off 30. Shahid Wasif’s run-a-ball half century from the top of the order would underpin the chase as Hong Kong set off in pursuit of the 133-run target, taking them to triple figures by the 17th over before he became Pavandeep Singh’s second victim with 27 still to get, before Atkinson and Arshad calmly closed out the win 7 balls to spare.

The victory ensured that Hong Kong would join Singapore, the UAE and surprise qualifiers Kuwait at the Qualifier Final, keeping alive their hopes of defending their title to claim the sole qualifier berth at the tournament itself, where they came so memorably close to shocking India at the previous edition.

But if Hong Kong rebounding with a new-look young squad was the most heartening story of the two regional qualifiers, it ill be of little comfort to Oman and Nepal, the top-ranked teams at each tournament both failing even to reach the qualifier. That remarkable outcome leaves the UAE as clear favourites to make another Asia Cup appearance, but likewise illustrates just how far the pack has caught up to leading Asian Associates, meaning the Emiratis will not be celebrating just yet.

ahs/kri/007