Cricket: Kuwait upset Hong Kong in ACC Men’s Premier Cup clash with 30-run win
- Kuwait pull off big upset, bowling out Hong Kong for 242 to defend their challenging 272 for eight in Mulpani, Nepal
- They now face hosts in semi-finals on Friday, with Hong Kong’s women also losing to Uganda in T20 series in Namibia
Kuwait pulled off arguably the biggest upset of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup, bowling out Hong Kong for 242 to defend their challenging 272 for eight in Mulpani, Nepal.
Their score was powered by half centuries from Shiraz Khan and Usman Patel, the former picking up the player-of-the-match award for an innings of 67.
Kuwait now face Nepal in one of two semi-finals on Friday.
Hong Kong started well after choosing to bowl. Ravija Sandaruwan edged Ayush Shukla to Yasim Murtaza at slip before Haroon Arshad bowled Parvindar Kumar with a yorker. Ehsan Khan piled on the pressure, bowling Meet Bhavsar with an arm ball to reduce Kuwait to 65 for four.
Walking in at No 6, Shiraz Khan lost his captain Mohammad Aslam before watching Patel drill two drives for four off Ehsan Khan and a pull shot off Mohammad Ghazanfar which cleared deep midwicket.
After Ehsan had Patel caught behind with the score on 192 for six in the 42nd over, Shiraz took on the mantle of aggressor, stroking Aizaz Khan through the covers before sweeping Ghazanfar into deep square leg.
Sayed Monib walked in at eight and blasted 31 off 14 to push Kuwait to 272 for eight.
