Pakistan Association opened the defence of their Sunday League crown with a crushing, 142-run victory over Infidels at the Kowloon Cricket Club yesterday. Mohammed Zubair demonstrated why he is regarded as one of the most dangerous pace bowlers in Hong Kong with a sparkling piece of work to rip the heart out of the Infidels batting order after his side had earlier amassed 265 for eight wickets in their 50-over spell. Infidels, who have acquired two useful new batting talents during the close season in Tiku Patidar and Tasmanian Damien Green, rarely looked like threatening their opponents' total and were finally all out for 111. Both Green and Patidar fell cheaply in the run chase, getting out for nought and four respectively. Only opener Mark Eames, with a spirited 43, and Adrian Baker, with 22 not out, put up any sort of resistance. Pakistan Association had been set on the road to victory in the opening session after a solid knock from captain Sada Hussain, who chalked up 57 before falling to the unorthodox spin bowling of Don Mohammed. Mohammed was Infidels' best bowler, bagging two wickets for 48 runs in a tidy 15-over spell. Pakistan's batsmen began to cut loose, however, in the later stages of the innings, and a chanceless 41 from Saleem Malik together with a quick-fire 50 from Nasir Hameed helped push their total to a respectable level.
