Dropped catches cost HK
WELL, it's unbelievable! Our first two matches both ended in tied results. Any more finishes like this and I don't think I will make it home.
On the second occasion, however, the emotions at the end of the game were completely different. The boys have only themselves to blame. With Bermuda struggling at 106 for eight and needing five an over, the game was 90 per cent Hong Kong's.
However, the pressure told during the final overs and two catches went down. The truth is we are not the best fielding side and it showed on Wednesday.
Nevertheless, to take the fourth seeds in the competition to the final ball was a good effort.
There were some fine performances, particularly Yarman Vachha's three wickets for nine runs in 10 overs. Steve Atkinson fielded brilliantly and once again the bowling was generally steady with Riaz Farcy the pick of the seamers.
Bermuda looked an average batting side, one not suited to the slow Kenyan wickets. Their players, watching on the boundary, were less vocal on Wednesday, apart from one instance when a Hong Kong player was about to take a boundary catch.
''Drop it man, drop it,'' bellowed across the ground. ''That is just not cricket,'' declared Jonathan Orders after the match.
In both matches, eight runs were needed from the last over. Fortunately, we scrapped home against Denmark. Imagine how the boys would be feeling if we had lost both.
With Denmark beating Fiji, that put us joint second on the table points wise. The priority, having beaten Fiji yesterday - is to win our remaining match. In addition we must improve our run rate which at present is inferior to the Danes.
The latest Hong Kong player to spend a night in the gents is captain Pat Fordham.
Hopefully, he will be back to his solid dependable self soon. Justin Strachan will have to pass a fitness test to play as he has a stomach strain.
A couple of other players have slight groin strains, but I'm confident these will clear up with treatment from the same physio, Agnes Gardiner.
Dermot Reeve is Hong Kong's coach in Kenya