Hong Kong World T20 qualification hopes dented by shock Bahrain defeat

Hong Kong’s T20 World Cup qualification ambitions took a severe hit on Tuesday, after a shock 20-run defeat at the hands of Bahrain.

Nizakat Khan’s team paid a heavy price for a top-order collapse and a bowling performance where they conceded 21 extras, as their opponents defended 146 to win in Nepal.

Strongly fancied to serve up a repeat showing of their straightforward opening-match victory over Kuwait, victory would have set up a battle with the UAE for top in Group B.

Now however, Hong Kong will be fighting for their World Cup lives against the group favourites, with only the top two teams advancing to Friday’s semi-finals. The two finalists in Nepal qualify for next year’s global showpiece in the West Indies and USA.

But the road to mixing it with the world’s best just got tougher for Hong Kong, who, ranked 21st in the world, came unstuck against a side ranked seven places below them.

After winning the toss, Khan opted to bowl first, despite beating Kuwait, and UAE in the closing warm-up match, after batting first.

And that decision appeared validated when Bahrain slumped to 24 for three, but Imran Ali rescued his side’s innings, hitting 62 from 43 balls, before edging behind off Nasrulla Rana, who took three wickets, in the final over.

The 20 wides and one leg bye sent down by Hong Kong’s bowlers helped the Bahraini total to 146 for six.

Hong Kong’s skipper has been struggling with the bat, and when he fell for four in the opening over, it left him with an average of 7.67 from his past six innings.

Fellow opener Martin Coetzee, on the other hand, came into this match off the back of a pair of 80s, and when he fell for two the alarm bells were ringing. Those warning sirens grew louder when Ali Dawood broke through the defences of Babar Hayat to leave Hong Kong reeling on 13 for three.

Aizaz Khan and Anshy Rath combined for a 50 partnership, but both men lost their wickets inside 11 balls and despite some late-order hitting from Rana and wicketkeeper Zeeshan Ali, Hong Kong were dismissed for 126, with five balls to spare.

They head into the meeting with UAE knowing even victory might not be enough, with Bahrain owning a superior net run rate and finishing their pool fixtures against whipping boys Kuwait.