Was going to write a few match summaries cut that plan short but have written a summary at end of this post for Free HK v ataraXIa. May try and do one for a game or 2 on Saturday.
CWC6 Pool A Proper
CWC6 Pool B Proper
CWC6 Pool C Proper
Andy Li heist sees Free HK beat ataraxia
ataraXia narowly missed making it 2 wins from 2 and taking a commanding position in Pool C as an Andi Li (91 off 61) inspired Free HK pulled off an improbable chase of 250 with 8 balls remaining. ataraXia choosing to bat first on a good batting surface got off to the best of starts as openers Ghous Saadi (63), Ibrahim Zahid (54) powered ataraXIa to an opening stand of 101 inside 16 overs. Ibrahim Zahid was the aggressor, taking a particular liking to the additional pace afforded by Jim Winthrop and Ted Hui.
However, from the very last ball of the 16th over Ibrahim Zahid slogged a wayward ball from spinner Adesh Edulbehram (3-43) into the hands of Jim Wintrhrop to leave ataraXIa 101-1 after 16 overs.
That dismissal brought the arrival of Richard Simmonds who would go on to extend his record to 422 runs for one dismissal in Dev Friendly matches as he helped provide the impetus in a 2nd wicket stand with Ghous Saadi worth 61 off 56 balls before Andi Li (3-45) made what would prove to be his first crucial intervention tempting Saadi down the pitch before wicket-keeper Afzaal Rehman completed the stumping. Simmonds and Roopak put on 42 together in 39 balls before Adesh Edulbehram clean bowled Vedanga Roopak with a delivery darted in at legstump.
At that stage with ataraXIa 204/3 and 49 deliveries remaining, the team would have had designs on a total well above 250. However, Free HK hit back taking regular wickets thereafter and suffocating the ataraXIa lower middle-order as the side collapsed from 204/2 to 237/8 in the space of 40 balls as spinners Edulbehram and Li in particular began to cause trouble for ataraXIa batsman. In the end ataraXIa were indebted to Richard Simmonds hitting two of Tiffany Yuen's last three deliveries to the boundary in reaching their eventual total of 249/8.
In response Free HK suffered the worst possible start chasing 250 as opener Chow Hang-tun got a golden duck, pinned in front of leg stump of the fifth ball of Callum Wilde's opening over. Zac Chambers then completed a stumping standing up to the medium pace of Liam Kotze (4-39) to dismiss Tong Ying-kit (7) in the fourth over.
When Liam Kotze pinned Tam-Tak Chi for a duck in his very next over,Free HK found themselves 21/3 after 5.4 overs. However, with the arrival of Andi Li marked a change of fortunes as Li took 15 runs off the 10th over of the innings bowled by Alex Darnell and then 12 runs off the final powerplay over by Callum Wilde as Free HK ended the powerplay at 90/3. The free-scoring continued as Free HK got ahead of the required rate and the fourth wicket partnership had swelled to 103 off 82 before opener Jeremy Tan chopped on for 37 off the bowling of Eddie Oakes. Andy Li struck three successive boundaries off Oakes next over however to ensure Free HK remained ahead of the required rate with 103 runs required from the final 18 overs. However, the impressive Liam Kotze returned to get the big wicket of Andi Li for 91. Tiffany Yuen's (23) departure four overs later along with Sze-yiu Koo caught behind for 1 saw Free HK slip to 170/7. Thereafter Afzaal Rehman (45 not out) marshalled the tail admirably and found able support from Jim Winthrop in an enterprising eighth wicket stand of 65. Despite the late dismissal of Winthrop, Rehman saw Free HK over the line with a six.