Hong Kong keep dreams alive with 5-run victory over Uganda

Hong Kong kept their dreams of playing at the ICC Under-19 World Cup alive with a narrow 5-run victory over Uganda in the qualifying tournament being played in Toronto, Canada.

Batting first after winning the toss, Hong Kong were once again pegged back by the early loss of their skipper James Atkinson. Vikash Gope and Nizakat Khan steadied the ship and progressed the score to 50 before Nizakat (16) was caught and bowled by Emmanuel Nakana. Vikash (26) fell shortly afterwards to the same bowler and when Irfan Ahmed was dismissed after a quick-fire 14, Hong Kong was struggling at 4-67. Ashish Gadhia (27) and Shivang Baird (18) shared a 52-run partnership that lifted the score to 119 but both batsmen fell at that total and another period of consolidation was required for Hong Kong. Small partnerships continued to move the score along but wickets fell at regular internals. Hong Kong looked as if they would post a disappointing score when they slipped to 9-157 but a vital unbroken last wicket partnership between Niaz Ali (18*) and Zuiad Khan (13*) worth 32 runs took Hong Kong to a final total of 189 at the end of their 50 overs. Although no single batsman reached 30 runs, nine batsmen reached double figures in the innings - a marked improvement over earlier matches. For Uganda, Moses Okwera picked up the best figures of 3-43 from his ten overs while Emmanuel Nakana finished with 2-29 from nine overs.

Aizaz Khan gabbed an early wicket for Hong Kong and when Andrew Ochan (11) was run-out, the Ugandan total was 2-33. A 69-run partnership between Henry Ssenyondo (33) and Emmanuel Nakana (46 from 73 balls) lifted the Ugandans to 102 but another run-out robbed Nakana of his half-century. Irfan Ahmed grabbed a couple of quick wickets and when Ssenyondo fell to Ashish Gadhia, Uganda had been pegged back to 6-129. Uganda's skipper Ahmed Yakub was left to eke out the remaining runs with the tail as Hong Kong's opening bowlers, Aizaz Khan and Niaz Ali, came back for their second spells. Aizaz grabbed two more wickets to leave Uganda at 9-164 but Yakub stood firm as the victory target loomed near. However, with the score on 184, Niaz Ali grabbed a return catch from Yakub (45 from 49 balls) and Hong Kong had secured their first victory of the tournament, albeit by a very slender margin.

Aizaz Khan was later the man of the Match for his bowling spell of 8-1-36-3. Irfan Ahmed also bowled steadily to claim 2-36 from nine overs while Niaz Ali grabbed 1-28 from nine overs and Ashish Gadhia claimed 1-26 from ten.

Scorecard: Hong Kong Under-19 v. Uganda Under-19

Hong Kong's victory keeps alive their hopes of reaching the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup and will give them a much needed boost in confidence going into the last three matches of the tournament. Considering other results in the competition, Hong Kong will need to win at least two matches and hope that some of the other teams stumble in their remaining fixtures.