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The Hong Kong Sixes 2024 kicked off with an electrifying start at Tin Kwong Road Cricket Ground, where Day 1 featured explosive performances from the batters.
The opening match between hosts Hong Kong and South Africa proved highly entertaining, with both teams displaying aggressive batting. Hong Kong batted first, posting a formidable 92/0 in 6 overs, with Zeeshan Ali remaining unbeaten on 38 off 18 balls, while skipper Nizakat Khan smashed 45* off 18. South Africa responded in style, chasing down the target with 3 wickets in hand in just 4.4 overs. Jacques Snyman scored 27 off 10 balls, and captain JJ Smuts contributed 21 off 9. Modiri Litheko added 12 off 4, while Evan Jones (20* off 5) and Aubrey Swanepoel (10* off 2) completed the chase. Benny Paras took two wickets for Hong Kong, with Ehsan Khan picking up one. Captain JJ Smuts, named Player of the Match, expressed his satisfaction with the win, saying, "It's a perfect start for us, and we couldn't have asked for more. I hope we continue to play like this," as quoted in the Hong Kong Cricket press release. Nepal stunned England in the day's second match, clinching a 6-wicket victory after chasing down a target of 98 in just 4.2 overs. Captain and wicketkeeper-batter Sundeep Jora led the charge with a blistering 50 off 12 balls before retiring. Opener Lokesh Bam (20* off 11) and Rashid Khan (21* off 5) saw Nepal home comfortably. Earlier, England struggled as Alex Davies fell for a first-ball duck, but veterans Ravi Bopara and Samit Patel countered with a 60-run partnership. Bopara scored 49 off 12 balls, while Patel added 39 off 17, taking England to 97/6 in 5.5 overs. Pratish GC claimed three wickets for Nepal, with Narayan Joshi, Lokesh Bam, and Bibek Yadav each taking one. In another high-scoring encounter, Pakistan edged past UAE with a 13-run win. Led by Faheem Ashram, Pakistan posted 128/0 in 6 overs, with openers Muhammad Akhlaq (52 off 15) and Asif Ali (50 off 14) both retiring after half-centuries. UAE's Muhammad Zuhaib responded with a quickfire 53 off 14 balls, but Asif Ali's final over, yielding only 6 runs and taking two wickets, shifted the game in Pakistan's favour. Aamer Yamin also contributed two wickets. Sri Lanka secured a comfortable 4-wicket win over Oman in the fourth match of the day. Oman posted 80/2 in 6 overs, with captain Vinayak Shukla retiring after scoring 50 off 18 balls. Dhananjaya Lakshan and Lahiru Madushanka each took a wicket for Sri Lanka, who chased down the target in 4.1 overs, led by Sandun Weerakkody's 28 off 7 balls. Hong Kong redeemed themselves in the fifth match of the day, defeating New Zealand. The hosts scored a massive 127/4 in 6 overs, thanks to captain Nizakat Khan's 62 off 16 balls and Sahal Malvernkar's 51* off 20. Hong Kong's bowlers then restricted New Zealand to 100/4, sealing a 27-run victory. Skipper Nizakat Khan praised his team for their composure and execution, saying, "I'm very thankful to the almighty for this victory. Very proud of the boys for holding their nerves. We executed our plans well and delivered in our second game," as quoted by the Hong Kong Cricket press release. (ANI)
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