It was time for R & R for the Hong Kong team yesterday, a team already reduced to 14 players at the Carlsberg International Cricket Council Trophy.
'Rest and regroup' were the orders yesterday from coach David Trist and the players gratefully accepted the break after an energy-sapping opening two days under the heat and humidity.
The territory will return to action today against Italy and then face Papua New Guinea tomorrow in their final Group D game in the preliminary rounds.
The recovery rate of the Hong Kong players will play a huge role as to whether or not they qualify for the quarter-finals.
Both Italy and PNG are beatable. But Trist is worried that Hong Kong might run out of legs by the time the PNG game comes along tomorrow. It will be the territory's fourth game in five days. Will it be too much for Hong Kong's bunch of weekend cricketers? 'There is that risk. The mental state of the team is good, but this has come under pressure because of the physical issue,' said Trist.
A fair number of Hong Kong players were less than 100 per cent fit even before they left the territory to compete at this 22-team event, which decides which three nations qualify for the 1999 World Cup in England.
In the heat of the Kuala Lumpur sun, the wilting has been markedly seen. Physio Sheilagh Anderson has done an excellent job keeping the team in working order so far. But is she a miracle healer? Another of Trist's concerns is that no one gets injured and is ruled out. For if that happens the fertiliser will hit the fan. Hong Kong were down to 13 players yesterday morning with Ravi Sujanani, Steve Foster and Justin Strachan all departing due to business commitments. While Foster and Strachan have gone for good, Sujanani is expected to rejoin the team tomorrow.
