Asia Cup Qualifiers 2022, Match 4: Hong Kong thump Kuwait by 8 wickets

Hong Kong defeated Kuwait by eight wickets in the fourth match of the Asia Cup Qualifiers 2022 in Al Amerat on Tuesday (August 23). Bowling first after winning the toss, Hong Kong did a good job of restricting Kuwait to 151 for nine. In response, Babar Hayat (53* off 30), skipper Nizakat Khan (50 off 43), and Yasim Murtaza (46 off 33) played impressive knocks to ensure victory for Hong Kong.

Chasing 152, Hong Kong got off to a blazing start as their openers added 59 inside eight overs. Murtaza whacked Sayed Monib for three consecutive fours in the second over to gain early momentum into the innings. In the next over bowled by Yasin Patel, he slammed a four and a six.

Murtaza kept finding the boundaries at regular intervals and raced into the 40s. He looked set for a fifty, but was bowled by Adnan Idrees for a scintillating knock of 46 off 33 balls. With no pressure of the run rate, Nizakat and Hayat enjoyed themselves.

Hayat struck Mohammed Aslam for a six in the 11th over. Two more maximums followed off Edson Silva as Hong Kong went past 100 inside 13 overs. With the result of the match becoming a formality, Nizakat decided to take on leg-spinner Shiraz Khan and slammed the first three balls of the 16th over for four, six and a four.

He fell to Mohamed Shafeeq immediately after completing his half-century. However, Hayat whacked the next ball for a maximum to bring up his fifty and Hong Kong’s victory.

With their second win in as many games, Hong Kong are on top of the Asia Cup Qualifiers 2022 points table.

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Edson Silva’s rapid 56 lifts Kuwait to 151 for 9 against Hong Kong

No. 8 batter Silva hammered 56 off 30 as Kuwait recovered from 57 for six to post a competitive 151 for nine. Silva smashed one four and six sixes to boost his team’s chances after they were sent into bat.

Kuwait opener Meet Bhavsar hit two fours off Ayush Shukla in the first over of the match. However, he was dismissed for nine by Aizaz Khan in the very next over. Shukla then dealt the batting side another big blow when he dismissed Idrees for four. Aizaz claimed his second when he had Ravija Sandaruwan caught behind for six.

Left-arm spinner Murtaza struck twice in the 10th over to reduce Kuwait to 57 for five. He cleaned up Usman Patel for 19 before sending Bilal Tahir back for a duck. There was more trouble awaiting the batting team as Shiraz (one) was trapped lbw by Mohammad Ghazanfar.

Having got his eye in, Silva took on Kinchit Shah and clubbed him for two sixes and a four in the 16th over. Two more maximums followed in the next over, bowled by Aizaz, as Kuwait got some belated momentum into their innings.

Skipper Mohammed Aslam (21 off 28) provided good support to Silva before being caught behind off Ehsan Khan. In the same over, Silva struck two sixes to race past his half-century. His fantastic innings ended in the penultimate over when he fell to Haroon Arshad.

Ehsan dismissed Mohamed Shafeeq (six) in the last over, but Monib (16* off six) clobbered the last two deliveries of the innings over the ropes to take Kuwait's score past 150. However, the total proved way too inadequate in the end.