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THE paucity of strike bowlers among the two established clubs in Hong Kong was highlighted as batsmen went on a run feast on the opening day of the two-day Hancock Shield encounter.

 A placid wicket at the Hong Kong Cricket Club also aided the batsmen as a total of 435 runs were scored while only eight wickets fell.

 Kowloon Cricket Club won the toss and skipper Mark Eames rightly opted to bat. They scored a massive 333 for seven declared. In reply, HKCC were 102 for one at the close.

 KCC suffered an early setback when youngster Dyutish Chaudhuri was out leg before to Adrian Ashman on the fourth ball of the day.

 Rahul Sharma then joined Eames and the pair set about building a huge total, dominating an attack as toothless as a new-born baby. But nothing can be taken away from their batsmanship which was both elegant and ruthless as they piled on 263 runs for the second wicket.

 Sharma was given a reprieve early in his innings. Wicketkeeper Tim Smart failed to hold on to a thin edge as Sharma tried to hook Ashman out of the ground. HKCC were made to pay for that missed chance - Sharma was on two - as the pair put on 164 runs by lunch.

 And they continued in the same vein in the second session. Their innings were filled with boundaries. Left-hander Eames hammered four sixes and 19 fours in his 131. Sharma hit five sixes and eight fours in his 124.

 Both were dismissed in the deep as they went for quick runs to enable an early declaration. A cameo performance by Ravi Sujanani (39) aided the cause.

 Gopal Lalchandani was the most successful bowler taking three for 59.

 HKCC also lost an early wicket with Jeremy Collard bowled by Adrian Baker with the score on 13. But KCC hopes of pressing home the advantage were stonewalled by a painstaking knock from Smart (20 no) and Stewart Brew (69 no).

 Both clubs must have been wishing for strike bowlers of the calibre of a Zubair or a Khan in their midst.

Alvin Sallay 



Sharma and Eames clobber HKCC