Asia Cup Qualifiers 2022, Match 1: Ehsan Khan shines with 3/20 as Hong Kong defeat Singapore by 8 runs

Off-spinner Ehsan Khan claimed three for 20 as Hong Kong defeated Singapore by eight runs in the first match of Asia Cup Qualifier 2022 in Al Amerat on Saturday (August 20).

Batting first after losing the toss, Hong Kong managed only 148 for nine in their 20 overs. However, Ehsan and Mohammad Ghazanfar (2/20) combined to ensure the team successfully defended the total.

Chasing 149, Singapore got off to a smashing start as Aritra Dutta took on the Hong Kong bowlers from the word go. He slammed three fours and two sixes before getting run out for 29 off 16 balls. Off-spinner Ehsan kept Hong Kong’s hopes alive as he bowled Rohan Rangarajan for eight.

Rezza Gaznavi chipped in with a quick-fire 17 off 14 balls to keep Singapore ahead in the chase. He was caught behind off Ghazanfar as the chasing side reached 77 for three at the halfway stage of their innings.

Janak Prakash, who impressed with the ball earlier in the day, contributed a crucial 31 off 32 balls. However, he did not stay long enough to ensure victory for Singapore. He was cleaned up by Ghazanfar as Hong Kong fought back into the contest. Prakash’s dismissal left the batting side needing to get 51 off the last six overs.

Off-spinner Kinchit Shah then gave Hong Kong the upper hand, dismissing Manpreet Singh for 12. Avi Dixit and Surendran Chandramohan, however, hit a four and a six off Kinchit in the 17th over to swing the momentum of the game once again.

Ehsan, however, struck some telling blows in the penultimate over, getting rid of both Chandramohan (12) and Dixit (19). The equation for Singapore came down to 15 off the last over with three wickets in hand. The batting side only managed six.

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Singapore restrict Hong Kong to 148 for 9

Bowling first, Singapore held Hong Kong to 148 for nine as skipper Amjad Mahboob, Prakash and Akshay Puri all claimed two wickets each. For Hong Kong, Kinchit top-scored with 34 off 32, while Yasim Murtaza, Haroon Arshad and Zeeshan Ali contributed 20s.

Hong Kong got off to a poor start with the bat as medium pacer Mahboob trapped his opposite number Nizakat Khan lbw for a duck in the first over of the match. In his next over, the Singapore captain cleaned up Babar Hayat for six. Kinchit and Murtaza led the fightback for Hong Kong, adding 65 for the third wicket at a decent pace.

The partnership was broken in the 11th over when young off-spinner Puri ended Shah’s stay at the crease. Left-arm spinner Vinoth Baskaran then dealt the batting side another major blow, sending back another set batter Murtaza for 26.

Puri also got the scalp of Aizaz Khan for four as Hong Kong lost half their side for 83 in the 13th over. Zeeshan Ali (20 off 15) struck a few handy fours to lift the team before falling to medium pacer Aryaman Sunil.

Prakash chipped in with two wickets at the death while Ghazanfar (three) was run out off the last ball of the innings. However, Arshad’s unbeaten 27 off 14 ensured Hong Kong had something to bowl at. In hindsight, his cameo proved to be a match-defining one.