Pakistan Cricket Club Taipei (PCCT) and the Taiwan Southerners Cricket Club finished top of their groups in the annual Jan Hong tournament in Chiayi yesterday.
Group B saw intense competition for the top two places. In the first match, the Southerners piled on a massive 255-1 in 18 manic overs against a hapless Formosa Cricket Club. Openers Gerhard Terblanche (110) and Duane Christie (108 not out) hit centuries.
Heinrich Nothnagel’s comment summed it up: “There is no word in Afrikaans for that.”
In response, Formosa made 180, with Timmy Chang (41) and Wayne Lombardini (47) the main contributors.
The Southerners were then brought back down to earth with a bump as some new Taipei Cricket Association faces helped rack up 183. Opener and wicketkeeper Devoradan Sadasiead rattled off 55 runs from 27 deliveries in between some wickets from Hercules Malan (3-33).
The Southerners’ chase was cut short by quick spin bowling from Taipei captain Manoj Kriplani (2-22). To that point Terblanche (65) and Andrew Carrick (48) had been keeping up with the required run rate, but the steady loss of wickets meant they fell 17 runs short.
Formosa then had a mathematical chance of finishing second in Group B if they could chase down Taipei’s 136 quickly enough in the evening match. Jayesh Parmer hit 82 in a much improved display. Nothnagel then turned on the pressure with a rapid 50 in reply. Kriplani’s spin once again tempered the run rate, but in their moment of glory, Thomas Rayen and Alok Gupta launched some meaty blows to see Formosa to victory, and more significantly, quickly enough that their net run rate moved them above Taipei.
In Group A, PCCT and Pakistan Badshaws Cricket Club qualified for the semi-finals after both downing the Swingers. PCCT looked ominous against the Tainan side, with Shezhad Khan (70 not out) among the runs. He also picked up 6-30 in their win over the Badshaws.
The semi-finals and the final are scheduled for today.
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