Hong Kong’s cricketers put through paces in Epic Group All Stars Series as squad waits for international calendar to resume
- HK Islanders secure a clean sweep of all three games in the All Stars Series against Kowloon Lions
- National team coach Trent Johnston said the series offered a much-needed outlet for players stuck in a never-ending cycle of training and local matches
In the absence of any international cricket for the better part of two years, Hong Kong’s best players have been stuck in a seemingly never-ending cycle of training and local matches.
With ICC tournaments again delayed until the middle of 2022, providing stiff competition for players in the squad, or on its fringes, has been something of a challenge for those in charge.
The closest Cricket Hong Kong has been able to get was by having the top players face each other in the Epic Group All Stars Series which finished on Sunday, and even that has potentially raised more questions than providing answers for head coach Trent Johnston.
There were 1,730 runs scored over three 50-over games, and even on a ground like Mission Road, with its batsman-friendly boundaries, some of the bowling left a lot to be desired and only twice in six attempts were 10 wickets taken in an innings.
Still, Johnston was largely upbeat about the series, which saw 32 players split into two sides, the Hong Kong Islanders and Kowloon Lions, and helped bridge “the gap between club cricket and international cricket”.