Sunday win comes on Saturday for Sai Wan
Little Sai Wan emerged as winners of cricket's Sunday League Grand Final yesterday, following its controversial postponement last week.
The presence of opponents Pakistan Association in the final might have not gone down well with Kowloon Cricket Club, but justice seemed to be done, and in the proper place - out on the field, rather than in the committee rooms - after a splendid century from Tabarak Dar anchored Little Sai Wan to a five-wicket victory at Hong Kong Cricket Club.
Dar hammered 109 and received ample help from Nizakat Khan (66) and Munir Dar (42) as Sai Wan successfully chased down a target of 251 in the 44th over of the season-ending showpiece which had been surrounded by controversy.
Pakistan Association had fielded an ineligible player in their semi-final win over KCC Infidels last month, leading KCC to demand their disqualification. But league chiefs ruled Pakistan Association be allowed to play. In response, KCC prevented the final from being played at their Cox's Road ground last Sunday.
There were fears an executive committee meeting of the Hong Kong Cricket Association at KCC yesterday would turn stormy, but it seems a week's reflection on events calmed everybody's nerves.
KCC were apologetic, defusing the tension, and all parties agreed that the rules and by-laws of the constitution had to be tightened to prevent the situation which sparked the row in the first place.
'It was a non-issue. Everyone acknowledged that things had got a bit over-heated and over-zealous at one stage but everything was sorted out amicably,' HKCA chairman Dinesha Tandon said. 'Going forward, however, we will have to look at the rules again so as to make sure something like this doesn't happen again.
An observer at the meeting added: '[KCC] apologised for [locking their doors for the final] and everything turned out well in the end.'
It did not turn out all that well for Pakistan Association, who won the toss and opted to bat first on a gloomy morning. Openers Hussain Butt and Ankur Sharma were back in the pavilion with just 25 runs on the board. But Skhawat Ali (46) , Tanvir Afazaal (48) and Aizaz Khan (46) revived hopes as Pakistan Association set a fighting total of 250.
But it was not enough. Tabarak Dar's composed knock coupled with a solid performance from Nizakat and a breezy innings from Munir Dar paved the way for a convincing Sai Wan victory.
