YOUNG HK GUNS GIVE CAUSE FOR OPTIMISM
Head coach has much to think about before squad named for ACC Premier Cup after strong showing by juniors against senior counterparts
Hong Kong cricket provided a window into the future when a corps of emerging talents seized opportunities to impress for the second-string A team against their senior counterparts yesterday.
Daniel Mapp, a willowy right-arm bowler who turned 16 only last month, claimed the scalp of opener Martin Coetzee in his first over.
The all-round wild card Rajab Hussain took the prize wickets of Anshy Rath and Babar Hayat in his two overs, and late-blooming opening batsman Jason Lui, 30, cracked 58 from 40 balls as the A team mustered 165 for seven to lose by 70 runs. Hong Kong had posted a daunting 235 for four.
What head coach Simon Willis would have given for his side to amass a 200-plus total against Papua New Guinea (PNG) on Tuesday. Instead, they crumbled to 121 all out and thumped by 10 wickets.
That loss condemned Hong Kong to a morning game with their understudies, prior to PNG crushing Nepal by 86 runs in the tri-series final later in the day.
The all-Hong Kong match, nevertheless, allowed Willis a close look at his next cabs off the rank. The only disappointment was the absence, because of “school commitments”, of Shiv Thakur, 16, who compiled a fabulous innings of 115 for the A side against the first team in a 50-over contest last month.
“I know how good he is, so we could not have found out anything more about him,” Willis said. “I know exactly where he fits into our plans long term, and we just have to keep helping him grow.”
Mapp, who, like Thakur, performed well for Hong Kong under-19s when they reached the final of a World Cup qualifying tournament in Malaysia this month, caught Willis’ eye “very early on” in the youth programme.
Against the senior team, Mapp lured Coetzee into holing out on the long-on boundary for a breezy 45, before joining a distinguished group of bowlers who have suffered at the flashing blade of Hayat.
“He has a lovely action, and can swing the ball away from the right-handers,” Willis said.
“He very quickly developed the ability to go around the wicket to left-handers, which tells me he is a fast learner. He has all the attributes to be a fast bowler, and showed everything and more today.”
Willis and Mark Farmer, the Hong Kong Cricket high performance manager, will plan a 12-month programme “throughout the pathway” after next month’s ACC Premier Cup in Oman.
“From the ages of 16 to 21, we have some quality, and need to invest coaching time in them,” Willis said. “We will get together fast-bowling and spin-bowling groups, and, hopefully, in future, see the benefits.”
Top-order heavyweights Rath and Hayat were both motoring when dismissed by the uncapped Hussain, who fell for seven when opening the batting.
“The way he plays is a bit different from what we have in Hong Kong,” Willis said of Hussain, 21. “He is very unorthodox, and shows no fear. I liked his approach to the game today, he was willing to try things, and was disappointed if they did not go his way. He showed promise.”
Batsman Lui, born in the United States, made his Hong Kong debut against China in the recent East Asia Cup. Playing for the A team, he hit three sixes and six boundaries, and recorded a strike rate of 145.
“He played with freedom, and looked dangerous,” Willis said. “He knows, now, what is expected at this level, it is over to him to see how far he wants to take it.”
In a one-sided final, Tony Ura scored 61 and Alei Nao smashed 30 from just 10 balls as PNG recovered from 43 for four, to post 172 in their 20 overs. Nepal were never in the hunt, and slumped to 85 all out.
From the ages of 16 to 21, we have some quality, and need to invest coaching time in them
HK HEAD COACH SIMON WILLIS