Hong Kong dispatch USA, to guarantee a top three finish

After a day off from matches, Hong Kong returned to complete their fifth win from six as they beat USA by 67 runs at the Abu Dhabi Nursery Two Ground.

USA winning the toss opted to field and give Hong Kong first use of the wicket, after heavy rains on Thursday the pitch was looking in good condition on a day which didn't have the normal intense heat.

Hong Kong got under way as USA attack containing more than the usual amount of spin options looked to stunt Hong Kong's progress by taking pace off the ball, Hong Kong had reached 22 when Irfan Ahmed used his feet to hit over the top but the ball held up in the wind and he holed out. Inform skipper Jamie Atkinson joined Waqas Barkat at the crease. Atkinson who has found his form in recent matches after an indifferent first few matches in the tournament began as he left off in the match against Namibia and with Barkat who has had is own good run of form, providing Hong Kong with a solid and reliable platform from which they have set testing targets and chased down whatever has been put in front of them. The pair had moved the score onto 43 in the 7th over when Barkat who had used his feet well to hit over the top and through extra cover looked to give himself space on the offside and was bowled.

The run of inform batsmen didn't cease there as Nizakat Khan came to the crease, Hong Kong's finisher for the tournament so far who has shown great composure and skill in several of their run chases. They both initially knocked the ball around not look to take any undue risks but just keep the run rate ticking along. Khan was given a lifeline as he was dropped on the deep cover boundary as the fielder failed to make sufficient ground running to his left. Atkinson and Khan then both fired boundaries off the 12th over. Khan then used his feet to hit Awan, USA's only seamer in the match over wide long off for six and the tempo of the innings started to pick up as they both took at least one boundary of the following overs before the slow left armer bowled the 17th which first Atkinson and then Khan launched into taking 25 from the over with 2 two towering sixes a piece. Off this spring board Hong Kong launched a final assault in the closing over that saw them close on 169 for 4, despite losing Khan for 57 (38 balls) and Atkinson off the final delivery for 74 (52 balls).

In reply USA got off to a steady start from Steven Taylor and debutant Fahad Babar before Babar was deceived in the flight by Munir Dar and bowled in the final over of the powerplay with the score on 29, new batsmen Dodson pushed hard at one first ball and was caught at point by Nadeem Ahmed. From this moment on Hong Kong took control as wickets fell regularly and the run rate climbed, Nadeem Ahmed tempted USA's danger man Taylor into taking on the sweep and much to his dismay he holed out to Babar Hayat on the square leg boundary. New batters Ganesh and Santhanam showed some resistance as the pair added 29 but not at a rate that would quell the rapid increase in the rate required and when Santhanam played one too many forcing shots and was bowled off an inside edge by Aizaz Khan and Ganesh followed him in the following over when he tried an ungainly slog sweep off Nadeem Ahmed as was bowled as he was through the short far too early. This left the USA on 77 for 5 in the 14th over and the situation worsened soon after as they lost two more wickets in the next two overs with only the addition of 2 runs to the score. Aizaz Khan picking up his second in a tight spell of bowling as he bowled Bartley and then returning to the attack Munir Dar added to his two from earlier when he had Patel caught on the mid-wicket boundary by Tanwir Afzal. Timroy Allen then supplied some minor resistance as he and Daniel Ahmed added 22 for the 8th wicket in just over 3 overs but with the task becoming impossible he back away one too many times to hit over the offside and was bowled by Haseeb Amjad. Three balls later he struck again as his well-disguised slower ball completely undone Allen and with injured skipper McGarrell coming to the wicket, their misery was short lived as Awan was trapped lbw by Munir Dar with the first ball off the next over to give him figures off 4 for 17 and bowl out USA for 102 with five balls to spare with a victory margin of 67 runs.

The win leaves Hong Kong with a guaranteed top 3 finish and a head to head match with Ireland on Sunday to see who goes through as group winners and secures the first automatic World Cup qualification spot.

Match Summary: Hong Kong 169-4 from 20 overs (Waqas Barkat 20, Jamie Atkinson 74, Nizakat Khan 57) beat USA 102 from 19.1 overs (Karan Ganesh 29; Moner Ahmed 4-17) by 67 runs [Full Scorecard]