'Wandering' Nomads get hammering from Farcy
TWENTY-four hours after returning from Kenya, Riaz Farcy went out and helped himself to a fluent and unbeaten 168 off a wayward Nomads attack to give Tartars a seven wicket win over the defending Saturday League Cup champions.
Farcy, obviously, did not suffer from jet-lag. A journey through time zones which began in Nairobi on Wednesday night, a 16-hour stopover in Dubai, then to Hong Kong via a two-hour transit in Bahrain did not affect Farcy's biological clock.
Having played in the ICC Trophy for the past three weeks, Farcy is undoubtedly still fired up. And having faced bowlers of the calibre of English county level (Ole Mortensen of Derbyshire and Denmark, and Roland Lefebvre of Glamorgan and Holland) in Kenya, it is not surprising that he gave the Nomads bowlers a thorough caning.
Chasing a total of 239, Tartars were quickly in command at the Hong Kong Cricket Club yesterday.
Farcy, coming in at the fall of the first wicket, showed why he is such an ideal one-day batsman (if he does not lose his wicket early) by immediately taking the attack apart.
His century came up in the 18th over. One third of his 168 not out came in hits to the rope. In all he scored 10 sixes and 19 boundaries. A totally pulverising innings.
Farcy was helped by some wayward bowling from the Nomads attack. Opening bowler Gavin Erasmus had a bad day, as did Bob Fotheringham. By the end of the 30th over, the Nomads had been knocked out of the Dragonair Cup quarter-finals.
Earlier in the day, things had looked rosy as another Hong Kong player-returned-from-Kenya, John Garden, lifted Nomads to 238 for five in their allotted 35 overs. Garden who scored 77, was supported by Paul Varty (43), Rob Stiller (36) and Mike Swift (37).
But all their efforts were in vain as Farcy struck form to hit his highest score in local cricket.
Joining Tartars in the semi-finals were Crusaders, Witherers and Kai Tak.
Nigel Stearns scored 104 to help Crusaders to a 51-run victory over Gap Ramblers at KCC. Stearns' century came off only 102 balls and included one six and 15 fours. He figured in an opening partnership of 173 in only 28 overs with Richard Whittington (79).
By the end of their 35 overs, Crusaders had reached 220 for six, a target that was always out of reach of the Ramblers' batsmen, with the cause not helped by three run-outs. Ramblers finally struggled to 178 for seven.
Witherers meanwhile defeated Hong Kong University by 102 runs to book their semi-final berth. Batting first, Witherers reached 212 for six, with Tony Molloy top-scoring with 52. He then completed his match-winning performance, by taking five for 29, and was ably supported by Bob Tainter who grabbed four for 40.
In the closest match of the day, Kai Tak beat Merchants by 10 runs. Electing to bat first, Kai Tak ended on 176 for nine. Left-arm medium-pacer David Crowe, who hit an unbeaten 26, took six for 36 in 8.4 overs to send Merchants tumbling to defeat.
The draw for the semi-finals will be held today.
Meanwhile, in the Rothmans Cup, Police take on Little Sai Wan at Mission Road today, while Optimists meet Vagabonds at Hong Kong Cricket Club.
