We've tied, say Hong Kong - you've lost, insists referee

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Published: 12:00am, 15 Jul 2002

A missing leg-bye belatedly spotted on the scorebooks robbed Hong Kong of a dramatic tied result against Malaysia - and possibly US$100,000 - in the Asian Cricket Council Trophy in Singapore yesterday.

The Group B 50-overs match ended in uproar and controversy after the two scorers from the Singapore Cricket Association found out after the match ended that they had not counted a leg-bye in the 44th over, which, in the final tally, gave Malaysia technically a 'one-run' victory over Hong Kong.

Hong Kong batted first and were bowled out for 159 in 49.5 overs. Malaysia were also bowled out for 159 in 49.5 overs. The joyous Hong Kong team walked off the field thinking they had tied the match and kept alive their hopes of topping the group. But Hong Kong later found out that they had in fact lost the match.

'We were robbed on a technicality. The guys played the last couple of overs under mis-information. We have protested,' said fuming Hong Kong manager Yarman Vachha soon after the match.

After a two-hour deliberation, the tournament's technical committee threw out Hong Kong's appeal on the grounds that the final result rested solely on the scorebook which after a thorough check was found to be accurate. 'What they did in the end was declare the last over null and void even though we played it,' said Vachha.

Explaining the foul-up, Vachha said: 'The wrong information was apparently on the scoreboard from the 44th over. We asked the scorers a number of times if the score was correct and their books tallied. Even the match referee asked them and they said there were no problems. And then after the match they both found a leg-bye which they had missed.'

Former Indian Test off-spinner Roger Binny, who was the match referee, said he had never come across a situation like this in a playing career that included 72 one-day internationals. 'It is tough on Hong Kong. But we have to go by the scorebook. After the final tally, an extra run was found and it had to be given to Malaysia,' said Binny.