Hong Kong fall at last hurdle as Malaysia dash hopes for historic Asia Cup spot
- Performance in the field is arguably their worst of the tournament for Hong Kong, with several misfields handing Malaysia crucial runs
- Losing wickets of Kary Chan and Mariko Hill slows Hong Kong’s momentum as Malaysia go on the attack
It was not to be for Hong Kong’s cricketers as they fell to Malaysia in the semi-finals of the ACC Women’s T20 Championship on Friday, missing out on a first appearance in the Asia Cup in the process.
After a stellar start to their ACC campaign, featuring four back-to-back wins, Hong Kong were unable to match the aggression of Malaysia as they stumbled on the field and were unable to sustain momentum with the bat.
It means Malaysia, along with UAE, will progress to the Asia Cup in Bangladesh in October, joining India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Thailand in the tournament.
The rain-delayed match got under way at 4pm at the Kinrara Academy Oval in Kuala Lumpur with a reduced 11 overs per side.
Hong Kong captain Kary Chan won the toss and sent Malaysia in to bat. The strategy initially paid dividends as spin bowler Betty Chan kept the run rate to a minimum. It was not until the third over that the Malaysian batters were able to find the boundary.