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Tailend notch miracle Cup win

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There might have been a better game of cricket played in Hong Kong this season, but you would be hard pushed trying to tell that to anyone who witnessed yesterday's extraordinary battle between Little Sai Wan and Pakistan Association at Mission Road.

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In a Sunday League Knockout Cup quarter-final match that many observers felt would have been the dream final, Pakistan Association pulled off one of the greatest escape acts in the tournament's history to sneak a two-wicket victory.

Having been set a daunting target of 281 to win, Pakistan looked to be dead and buried at 181-5 with just 10 of their 50 overs remaining.

But some wayward Little Sai Wan bowling combined with three critical dropped catches gave Pakistan Association's tailenders a glimmer of hope.

Farooq Saeed steadied the ship slightly for Pakistan with an important 17, but when his wicket fell, clean bowled by Dillon Silva, his team were again put on the back foot.

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It was left to Mohammad Zubair to seize control of the game just as it appeared to be slipping away from Pakistan.

Zubair may well have felt he owed his teammates a favour after an uncharacteristically expensive bowling spell earlier on, when he had been spanked all over the ground as Little Sai Wan plundered 73 runs off his nine overs.

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