There is a reverential hush from the respectful crowd as Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal opens the bowling to Bangladesh’s Shathi Rani in the Asian Games women’s bronze medal match in Hangzhou, China.
The sound of leather on willow echoes around the purpose-built cricket ground, which until recently was full of sunflowers.
The atmosphere is more village green than the fever pitch of, say, Pakistan’s Gaddafi Stadium, but the few hundred spectators are fully engaged — even if many admit to never seeing the game before.
Photo: AFP
Almost entirely Chinese, the crowd “oohs and aahs” and clap when a wicket falls, cheer every boundary and then look bewildered when a loud LBW appeal pierces the serenity of the Zhejiang University of Technology (ZJUT) Cricket Field.
“I didn’t ever see cricket before, so I was interested to know more about this sport,” said spectator Huang Dapeng, who runs his own business in Hangzhou. “I’m starting to understand it a little, but I am really enjoying it anyway.”
A few have some knowledge of the game and seem captivated.
“I traveled to Sri Lanka before and a friend invited me to watch cricket, so I became interested,” said Liang Xiaoqian, a travel agent.
“When I heard it was in the Asian Games I wanted to learn more about this game,” she added, ahead of Monday afternoon’s final between India and Sri Lanka.
“I am enjoying watching. I will be supporting Sri Lanka in the gold medal match,” Liang said.
Others are there just because it is the Asian Games and they want to watch sport, any sport.
“It’s the only Asian Games tickets we could get,” said a smiling Jeff Wang, an engineer who was sitting in the stand with his father.
“It’s my first time to watch cricket. It’s unknown to me before, I don’t really know what is going on, but I did hear this game is very famous in South Asia,” he said.
Looking out over the oval ground, it is hard to believe that before the Asian Games the pristine mowed grass was a field of sunflowers.
There are no plans to change it afterward. The newest of the ZJUT campus’s sporting facilities is to have life after the Games.
“It will remain forever,” venue manager Li Danlin said. “There will always be cricket played here from now on.”
The university has more than 20 colleges and 80,000 students.
They would be taught about the game and encouraged to play, Li said.
“We hope that cricket clubs will form and use the venue,” she said.
Pakistan head coach Mohtashim Rasheed said that it was vital to spread cricket to new territories.
“Very exciting to see the crowds here coming to watch, all Chinese people — that is a very healthy sign for developing cricket in China,” Rasheed said. “It is a complicated game, so we have to develop in China and other countries. The most important thing is to get it into schools.”
“I would love to do an exchange program here to help boys and girls learn the game. They can start small, a shorter version like six-a-side,” Rasheed said. “If you could get under-10s playing, then in five years you would see a difference.”
Taiwanese gymnast Tang Chia-hung on Sunday topped the men’s horizontal bar event at the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) World Cup in Osijek, Croatia, scoring 15.233 to take his third title this season. Tang delivered an outstanding performance in the final, earning a difficulty score of 6.500 and an execution score of 8.633 with a 0.1 stick bonus. His closest competitor was Milad Karimi of Kazakhstan, who finished second with 14.933 points. It was Tang’s third gold medal in the FIG World Cup series this year, following his horizontal bar wins in Azerbaijan on March 8, and in Turkey on March
The Daredevils yesterday took eight catches in the final as they eked out a victory in the Taiwan Cricket Triangular Tournament against PCCT at Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District. PCCT’s batting lineup collapsed after they asked the Daredevils to bowl in the T20 decider of the weekend tournament that also involved the Formosa Cricket Club. PCCT were bundled out for 76 in 16.2 overs against a disciplined Daredevils attack. Ninad Malwade was the top scorer in the innings with 21, but he was among those who offered chances to the fielders. Shane Ferreira and Jason Cameron took three wickets each, with
This year’s Taiwan Athletics Open, which offers Taiwanese athletes an opportunity to compete against their international peers, would be held under a new name after its organizers had earlier announced the event’s cancelation. In a statement issued yesterday, the Chinese Taipei Athletics Association said the competition would still take place on June 6-7 at Banciao Stadium, but under the name “New Taipei City Athletics Open 2026.” The event was given a new name to emphasize its local identity and conform with the international practice of naming World Athletics Tour events after cities, the association said. It said it would soon
Taiwanese shortstop Cheng Tsung-che on Friday made history for the Boston Red Sox’s Triple A affiliate, hitting the Worcester Red Sox’s first cycle, while netting two runs, as they beat fellow Taiwan teammate Stuart Fairchild’s Columbus Clippers. The 24-year-old former Pittsburgh Pirates prospect went 4-4, completing a full cycle, starting with a triple in the second inning off Ryan Webb in the WooSox’s 9-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians’ Triple A affiliate. He scored in the same inning after teammate Vinny Capra, a fellow former Pirate, grounded out. The Pingtung County native followed that up with a walk in the third, an
RSS