Hong Kong staying positive despite second loss to Kuwait in T20 series, says Rath
- City’s cricket team can make final of Tri-Nations tournament with victory over hosts Malaysia on Monday
Hong Kong batsman Anshuman Rath said the team was “taking the positives” from back-to-back defeats against Kuwait, who they had not lost to on three previous occasions.
The city’s cricket team face hosts Malaysia on Monday in their fourth game of the Tri-Nations T20i Series, knowing a win will put them into a final and a third clash with the team from the Gulf.
After being comfortably beaten last Wednesday, Hong Kong should have evened the score three days later, but not for the first time, their bowling at the death let them down.
Having made 144 for six in their 20 overs, Kuwait were reeling at 87 for 6 and needing almost 10 an over to win on Saturday. But Bilal Tahir and Muhammad Umar, batting eight and nine respectively, piled on 48 runs in just 22 deliveries, guiding their side to victory with two wickets and three balls remaining.
Still victory against Malaysia, who Hong Kong beat comfortably last Friday, will see them into the final, and Rath said everyone knew “what was on the line”.
“Two very narrow losses to Kuwait when we were in winning positions is not the worst thing in the world, so we’re taking the positives of that,” he said.
