HK-led world sixes circuit a possibility
The idea of an international circuit with Hong Kong in the driver's seat emerged yesterday, as Cricket South Africa officials were impressed with the Karp Group Hong Kong Sixes.
Tournament organisers breathed a sigh of a relief after the main attraction, the Woodworm All Stars squad, scraped into the quarter-finals of the Cup competition.
But organisers had more than one reason to celebrate after watching their marquee team advance and that is because the Kowloon Cricket Club ground was about three-quarters full.
Last-minute entry Lou Vincent put on a superb batting display that enabled the All Stars to beat New Zealand in a must-win match in front of around 3,000 fans at the KCC.
While the All Stars, plus crowd favourites such as India, Pakistan and England all got through to the last eight, the news outside the small boundaries at the KCC was also pleasing for the Hong Kong Cricket Association.
Cricket South Africa officials Gerald Majola, chief executive, and Jacques Faul, who is also chief executive of North-West Cricket, are here on a fact-finding mission. 'We came to have a look at how you do it, as Cricket South Africa is also thinking of hosting a domestic competition starting next year, where six professional teams plus two international sides will play in a two-day event in Sun City,' said Faul.
'We might investigate along with Hong Kong how to set up an international circuit like what they do with rugby sevens. Sixes is the ideal vehicle to develop the game, especially in places like China and America, and who knows, one day, we might even be able to have it in the Olympics like rugby sevens.'
HKCA president Shahzada Saleem said it was a tribute to all the hard work Hong Kong had done since 1992, when the Sixes first began.
'It is flattering that Cricket South Africa wants to copy us and learn from us. We are willing to help, but at the same time I hope we can gain financially from this and plans to have a world circuit, simply because this is a model we have perfected over the years,' Saleem said.
Five-time champions England and four-time champions Pakistan moved into the Cup quarter-finals having survived anxious moments. England lost to Ireland by six runs and Pakistan succumbed to Hong Kong by three wickets. But at crunch time and against big-time rivals, England defeated Australia and Pakistan beat India to progress.
All eyes were on the All Stars, who began their campaign disastrously when they lost to Scotland in their opening pool game. A slow start by openers Herschelle Gibbs and Sanath Jayasuriya, scoring only 15 runs off the first two overs, allowed Scotland to restrict the run chase to 78.
That defeat resulted in South African Gibbs being benched for the rest of the day, and replaced by Kiwi Vincent. He did not have much to do in the next game against Sri Lanka, as the All Stars opened with Shahid Afridi and Jayasuriya. They hit the islanders around the park with scores of 31 and 34 respectively to set up a must-win encounter against New Zealand.
Against his former teammates, an inspired Vincent belted 55 runs, returning to the crease after RP Singh tactically ran himself out,to successfully rack up the target of 89.
Today's quarter-final draw is India v England; Pakistan v Ireland; Hong Kong v Scotland; and the All Stars v Sri Lanka.
