Defending champs Sri Lanka relegated to Bowl title hunt in Hong Kong
Sri Lankan supporters at Mong Kok
Sri Lanka will meet India in their last final ‘Bowl’ fixture this morning after both teams failed to enter the main draw in the Hong Kong Sixes cricket tournament, which draws to an end at Mong Kok in Hong Kong today. Sri Lanka who lost both their Group ‘D’ games against Hong Kong and Bangladesh on day one, came back strong winning both their ‘Bowl’ fixtures yesterday.
However, Sri Lanka has already secured a passage to the Bowl finals, having already won both their games in the segment, despite their last game of this segment slotted against India today. India, after losing both their games, possess no chance to reach the final, while the winner of the fifth Bowl game between Nepal and UAE, will likely meet Sri Lanka in the final of this segment at 11:15am.
The defending champions recorded a 3-wicket win over Nepal in their first game of the day, chasing 86 to win and then beat UAE by 39 runs. Meanwhile, India lost all three matches on Saturday and failed to qualify for the quarter-finals of the tournament.
After they lost to Kuwait in the final group stage match by 27 runs, India lost a chance to advance in the tournament. Chasing 107, India were bowled out for 79-6 with Kuwait’s Yasin Patel taking three wickets for 23 runs. Following the result, Pakistan and Kuwait advanced to the quarter-finals, while India dropped into the ‘Bowl’ matches.
There, against the UAE, India’s struggles continued. India failed to defend their total of 108 as UAE’s Khalid Shah hit a blistering 50 off 14 balls to seal a 4-wicket win. Nepal then defeated India by 92 runs in the final game after bowling out India for 45-6 chasing 137 in six overs.
Meanwhile, Australia powered into the semi-finals with a 54-run win over Bangladesh, thanks to half-centuries from Ben McDermott (51 off 14) and skipper Alex Ross (50 off 11), while Chris Green picked up 3/32. Pakistan defeated South Africa by 5 wickets to make the last-four grade.
India’s only win in the tournament so far came against Pakistan, which it beat by two runs on Duckworth/Lewis Method in a rain-affected match. Australia will take on Pakistan in the first semi-final today 9:25am, while England will meet Kuwait in the second semi-final at 10:20am. The Bowl match between Sri Lanka and India will take place at 8:30am.