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HONG Kong Cricket Club batsman Jonathan Orders steered the territory to a famous victory over Denmark in their opening Group D match of the International Cricket Council Trophy at the Nairobi Gymkhana Club yesterday.

 In a nerve-wracking contest, Hong Kong edged out the Danes by losing fewer wickets after the scores finished tied.

 Chasing Denmark's 192 all out, Hong Kong tied the scores on the penultimate ball of the 50th and last over.

 Paul Cresswell failed to score off the final ball but he and his teammates were jumping for joy as Hong Kong had lost only eight wickets - and thus earned victory.

 It was a win which Hong Kong captain Pat Fordham described as ''the best ever result for Hong Kong cricket'' and one which was mainly the result of Orders' heroics with the bat yesterday.

 The 36-year-old left-hander, who was unbeaten on 11 when play was called off on Sunday due to a rainstorm, resumed his innings yesterday morning and was still there at the end, unbeaten on 63, having guided his side to an astounding win over the seeded Danes.

 It was a remarkable innings, one that legend is made of and one which Orders can proudly recount to his grandchildren one day.

 ''It was the tensest innings I have ever played. I knew it would be hard going but I never thought it would be so nerve-wracking and tense. And to imagine it would end in a tie,'' said Orders, still numb with the occasion.

 Orders walked into bat with Hong Kong tottering at 38 for four on Sunday. He stopped the rot with two superb partnerships, 64 for the fifth wicket with Stewart Brew and 73 for the sixth wicket with John Garden.

 While wickets fell at the other end, Orders remained calm and collected, never losing sight of the fact that Denmark could be beaten. This self-belief was probably what won the day for Hong Kong in the end.

 He occupied the crease for three hours and 20 minutes and faced 117 deliveries, striking seven of them to the boundary.

 ''It was a superb knock,'' said Fordham, ''an innings that was composed from start to finish. While he was there I always knew we were in with a chance.''  Hong Kong resumed the day on 80 for four, Brew and Orders walking to the wicket after a delay of 90 minutes because of a wet outfield.

 The pair carried the score to 102, when Brew was unlucky to be judged caught behind for 42 - one of many debatable decisions which went against Hong Kong.

 It was a big blow - and Denmark were celebrating what they thought was a match-winning dismissal.

 How mistaken they were. Out came Garden and, after a nervous start, the Scotsman grew in stature to give admirable support to Orders.

 Superb running between the wickets, a couple of beautiful on-drives by Orders to the boundary and some equally lusty hits from Garden kept the score ticking along.

 Orders and Garden had added 73 and Hong Kong were sitting pretty at 175 for five, needing just 18 runs off four overs to win, before Denmark struck back.

 Garden went for 32, caught at cover miscuing a drive, and new batsman Leigh Beaman lasted only two balls before being out leg before wicket, leaving Hong Kong on 175 for seven.

 Five runs later and in the penultimate over, Justin Strachan was bowled.

 Hong Kong needed nine runs to win off the last over, with Cresswell on strike strike.

 The first ball was pushed for a single...relief in the Hong Kong camp as Orders was now batting. The second ball was chipped over the fielder at mid-off for four.

 Four runs needed to win and four balls left. Orders failed to score off the third ball but the next delivery he hit through extra cover and they scrambled two runs. The fifth ball was tapped down and Orders and Cresswell ran for their lives to take the single to tie the match - and also win it.

  Despite all the heroics from Orders, Brew was adjudged man of the match for his 42 runs and four wickets, including a hat-trick.

       Brew was the first person to commiserate with Orders on that score...but Hong Kong will go into today's match against Bermuda believing that anything is possible.



Orders anchors HK to thrilling victory