Commanding wins for Malaysia, Hong Kong China and Kuwait on Day One

The top two teams from this event will progress to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia-EAP Final, getting one step closer to their World Cup dream.

Hong Kong China’s spinners, led by Anas Khan who took 2/9, restricted Myanmar to 50/7 before their top order made short work of the target. The other morning game saw Malaysian skipper Syed Aziz and Ahmad Zubaidi muscle a 111-run opening stand that set the foundation for a 94-run win over Maldives.

In the afternoon game, Kuwait’s Clinto Anto and Ravija Sandaruwana continued the trend of large opening stands, putting on 103 inside the first 11 overs against Mongolia. Sandaruwan was brutal in an innings of 57, but it was Clinto Anto who stole the spotlight with his career-best 75 that included six maximums. In response, Mongolia was bowled out for 50, falling 160 runs short of Kuwait’s 210/8.

Hong Kong China vs Myanmar

Put into bat at the UKM-YSD Oval, Myanmar started steadily as Ko Ko Lin Thu scored a pair of boundaries in the first five overs to push the total to 20. Anas Khan, however, changed the complexion of their innings, getting Thu caught by Nizakat Khan for 15.

Pyae Phyo Wai was his next victim, offering a simple return catch to reduce Myanmar to 25/3 after nine overs. The next eleven overs would see Myanmar double their score, setting their much-fancied opponents a target of 51. Yasim Murtaza took figures of 2/10 to complement Anas, his fellow left-arm spinner.

Unsurprisingly, Hong Kong China rushed off the blocks in their chase. Zeeshan Ali smashed a six and two fours in a brisk eight-ball innings before Thu ran him out for 18. This was the only blip in an otherwise clinical chase. Jamie Atkinson and Babar Hayat finished unbeaten on 14 and 17 respectively to guide their team home with more than 15 overs to spare.

Brief Score:

Hong Kong China 51/1 in 4.3 Overs (Zeeshan Ali 18, Babar Hayat 17) beat Myanmar 50/7 in 20 Overs (Ko Ko Lin Thu 15, Anas Khan 2-9, Murtaza 2-10) by 9 wickets*

Player of the Match: Anas Khan (Hong Kong China)

Malaysia vs Maldives

Maldives would have been hoping to take early wickets after winning the toss and putting Malaysia into bat at the Bayuemas Oval. Instead, they ran into Syed Aziz and Zubaidi who were in no mood to go slow.

Aziz started as the more aggressive of the two partners, smashing Hassan Ibrahim for two sixes in the third over on the way to Malaysia reaching 57 at the end of the Powerplay. Starved for the strike at first, Zubaidi soon caught up, smashing the final ball of the 10th over beyond the leg-side boundary to push the score to an even 100 at the halfway mark.

In spite of losing both openers within half an hour of the post-drinks resumption, unbeaten cameos of 25 and 21 from Virandeep Singh and Aqeel Wahid respectively launched the host nation beyond 200.

Chasing more than 10 runs an over, Maldivian vice-captain Adam Nasif would not go down without a fight. After a quiet first four overs, he smashed both Pavandeep Singh and brother Virandeep for a pair of sixes in the fifth and sixth over.

With spin not doing the trick, Syed Aziz brought himself on and struck in his first over, trapping Nasif in front for 46.

The breakthrough decisively shifted the momentum in Malaysia’s favour, who only conceded three further boundaries in the rest of the innings. Maldives skipper Yoosuf Azyan chipped in with 25 but his side was thwarted by a disciplined Malaysian attack, including Sharvin Muniandy who took a handy 2/7 in his two overs.

Brief Score:

Malaysia 203/3 in 20 Overs (Zubaidi 72, Syed Aziz 59, Azyan 1-12) beat Maldives 109/6 in 20 Overs (Nasif 46, Azyan 25) by 94 Runs

Player of the Match: Syed Aziz (Malaysia)

Kuwait vs Mongolia

Put into bat, Kuwait couldn’t have asked for a better start. Sandaruwan smashed a six in each of Od Lutbayar’s first two overs as Anto bided his time. Anto may have scored 15 off 14 balls in a 60-run Powerplay but was in no mood to be left behind. He greeted Mohan Vivekanandan to the crease with two monstrous sixes in the seventh over and would go on to clear the ropes another four times in his innings to go with three fours.

An accurate throw from Zoljavkhlan Shurentsetseg eventually spelt Anto’s demise, but not before he’d propelled the Gulf nation to 145/3 in the 14th over.

Kuwait skipper Mohamed Aslam struck a brisk 28 to close out the innings but was bowled by his opposite number Luvsanzundui Erdenebulgan, who also had Shiraz Khan caught behind to finish with figures of 2/30. He was well-supported by Turmunkh Tumursukh’s 2/31.

Mongolia suffered early blows in the first six overs, reaching a modest 12 for three. Things would soon go from bad to worse. Given a fourth straight over, Yasin Patel bowled Gandemberel Ganbold for a duck to record figures of 2/14.

Shiraz Khan compounded Mongolia's problems, taking two wickets in the ninth over to reduce them to 15/6.

Temuulen Amarmend gave his dugout something to cheer about, striking two boundaries in a stoic unbeaten 21. Yet, he ran out of partners as Mongolia’s innings wrapped up halfway through the 19th over.

Brief Score:

Kuwait 210/8 in 20 Overs (Anto 75, Sandaruwan 57, Erdenebulgan 2-30) beat Mongolia 50/10 in 18.3 Overs (Amarmend 21, Shiraz Khan 3-8, Aslam 2-6) by 160 Runs*

Player of the Match: Clinto Anto (Kuwait)

Tomorrow’s fixtures will see Singapore open up their campaign in the morning game against Maldives. Malaysia will look to go two for two when they face Myanmar across town at the UKM-YSD Oval. Similarly, Hong Kong China will hope to maintain their unbeaten record when they face Mongolia at the Bayuemas Oval in Saturday’s only afternoon fixture.