Kowloon Cricket Club were crowned 2020 Hong Kong T20 Premier League champions on Sunday after beating their rivals from across the harbour by five wickets at Cox’s Road. An 81-run opening partnership between Rory Cox and Aizaz Khan set the foundation for a successful chase of 147 against Hong Kong Cricket Club, who suffered their second loss to KCC in the tournament after an earlier round-robin defeat. It was a nervous finish after Luke Jones took three late wickets but skipper Jamie Atkinson struck the winning runs as KCC maintained a perfect record over five matches. “I think going into the final we were playing some fantastic cricket, we had won four on the bounce,” said Atkinson, whose side overhauled HKCC’s 146 for five in 19.3 overs. “I think what easily set us apart was our bowling. We were able to keep sides to lower scores and that always made us hard to beat thanks to our bowling and fielding. “I’m particularly happy today because we kept them to 146, and we have really good batters as well. We have scored more than 180 in a couple of matches and today Rory and Aizaz set up a perfect platform for us.” Cox hit 46 off 44 balls, Aizaz smashed 43 off 31 while Atkinson contributed 28 in 21. Martin Coetzee, HKCC’s danger man who finished as the tournament’s top run-getter with 292 in four innings, fell for 12 but Nizakat Khan carried his bat for 41 balls and scored 66 with six sixes and two fours. Along with Ryan Buckley’s late 32 off 30, HKCC were able to put up a relatively challenging total of 146 for five. Dan Pascoe took two wickets for the disciplined KCC attack for a tournament haul of eight wickets – joint second with teammate Jason Davidson and Pakistan Association’s Anas Khan and Yasim Murtaza. United Services Recreation Club’s Ali Mohammed was the highest wicket-taker with nine, though his team failed to win a game. Also in the competition were Diasqua Little Sai Wan. “The best team won on the day but I’m just very proud of my team in getting to the final and playing competitively,” said HKCC captain Elliot Scrivener. “The way KCC batted and ran between the wickets and probably bowled to the right areas more effectively than us was the difference. But it went to the last over so it was very close. “It was definitely a fantastic tournament and very well run by CHK. My team played very well right throughout with some great individual and team performances, and to make it to the final is special.” The five-team tournament was the first competitive men’s cricket since March when the first wave of Covid-19 infections in Hong Kong forced almost all sport to stop. Hong Kong Premier League cricket returns in October with extra vigilance on anti-corruption code and Covid-19 guidelines The same five teams will now prepare for January’s 50-over Hong Kong Premier League, which will be played under the same format of a round-robin with the top two teams playing off in the final.