AS THE bowler races towards the wicket, dodging clumps of weeds, his strides whip up clouds of dust from the wasteland of sunbaked soil.
The batsman connects with the ball, and off it flies to the distant boundary of the so-called field, rolling through discarded plastic bottles and the occasional piece of dog excrement, and finally ending up in a mass of scorched shrubbery.
To someone not in the know, these images might have been gleaned from National Geographic documentaries about the suburban outskirts of Karachi or Lahore. It is not minarets, however, that provide the backdrop for the action; as the ardent cricketers play on, double-deckers wheeze by on a nearby motorway. From further afield comes the clamour of jackhammers.
Strange as it may seem, it is in the middle of Hong Kong's thriving metropolis that this hard-fought game is unfolding. Every weekend, keen Pakistani cricket players gather at the as-yet-undeveloped reclamation area on the western end of Jordan Road, near the Kowloon MTR Station. They come from all walks of life and what brings them together is a shared enthusiasm for what they deem as their national sport.
Among them is Mohammed Faisal. With his slim build and long limbs, the Form Four student at the Delia Memorial School in Kwun Tong looks - and plays - like a cricketer with potential; indeed, he is a member of his school's cricket team. But he says it is not easy to hone his skills in the SAR.
'There are only football grounds in Hong Kong - and I have tried to play cricket there. Every time I was driven away by either policemen or footballers, who insulted us with bad words,' he says. 'This land is not very good,' he adds, scanning the spot, 'but we have nowhere to go to. This is the best we can do.' Indeed, aside from its size, the plot of land is far from ideal for a cricket match. The land is uneven, dotted with minimal amounts of grass and pebbles of all sizes, exposing players to severe bruising if they take a tumble. When dried out by the sun the land becomes as hard as concrete; but if rained on, puddles remain for days.
