Karp Group & Unirich Jewellery Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2009 Last Ball Six Earns South Africa Dramatic Victory

Hong Kong, November 1, 2009 – South Africa won the 2009 Hong Kong Cricket Sixes title in the most dramatic fashion at Kowloon Cricket Club on Sunday evening as Farhaan Behardien smashed a six off the final delivery of the tournament to down a gallant Hong Kong.

Set a total of 98 runs to win the title for a third time, the South Africans left it late to claim the trophy - and the first prize of US$55,000 - when Behardien thumped Mark Wright’s final ball into the stands to the delight of his team mates.

The defeat was a cruel blow for a Hong Kong side that had impressed throughout the competition and who went into the final having won all six of their previous matches, including two against South Africa.

Cheered on by the majority of the crowd at Kowloon Cricket Club, the home side were put into bat for the first time in the entire competition after the South Africans won the toss.

Hong Kong made a disappointing start to the final, however, losing captain Najeeb Amar with the first ball of the game and then creeping tentatively through the opening overs.

Star man Irfan Ahmad was next to go when he holed out to Rory Kleinveldt off the bowling of David Jacobs for just seven runs – his lowest score of the tournament – in the second over with 17 on the scoreboard.

Nerves looked to have taken hold of a Hong Kong team that was opening the batting for the first time in the competition.

The pressure to set a substantial total was threatening to take its toll, but Munir Dar steadied the ship for the home side alongside wicketkeeper Hussain Butt, with Dar eventually retiring with an unbeaten 31 runs.

Butt scored 24 before being caught by Behardien off the bowling of Coetzee while Tanwir Afzal claimed 20, only to be run out, but by the end of their innings Hong Kong had set a respectable target of 98 runs for South Africa to win.

The South Africans started confidently enough, claiming 21 runs off the first over from Dar, but a spectacular spell from Tanwir Afzal put the result back in the balance.

The 21-year-old picked up the wicket of Loots Bosman with his first ball and, two balls later, Kleinveldt was heading back to the pavilion after being bowled. By the end of the over, Jacobs had joined Afzal’s casualty list, leaving South Africa on 32 for 3.

However, the South Africans steadied the ship until the final over, when Mark Wright claimed the wicket of David Wiese to set up a grandstand finish.

Seven runs from the next four balls left South Africa needing  six off the final ball to win the title, and Behardien duly obliged, dispatching Wright’s half volleyed delivery over the boundary.

There was some consolation for Hong Kong’s Irfan Ahmad, who won the Ben Hollioake Trophy – which is awarded to the competition’s leading player - as a result of his performances throughout the weekend.

Earlier in the day, New Zealand handed Australia a comprehensive defeat to win the Plate competition, winning by five wickets when they successfully chased down a total of 69 runs to pick up US$13,000 in prize money.

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Karp Group & Unirich Jewellery Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2009 South Africa’s Jacobs Thrilled By Sixes Success

Hong Kong, November 1, 2009 – South Africa finally broke their Hong Kong hoodoo, beating the hosts for the first time this weekend in the final of the 2009 Hong Kong Cricket Sixes to claim their third title since 1995 in the most dramatic fashion.

A six off the last ball by Farhaad Behardien gave South Africa a two-wicket win over a Hong Kong side that had beaten them in each of their previous two meetings in this year’s competition.

“What a way for a final to finish!” said successful South African captain David Jacobs

“Throughout the tournament we’ve worked hard and I’m proud of the boys, we’re a proud nation.

“We were confident but it’s a final and as a professional cricketer you know finals are difficult and we saw that again today. But we managed to scrape through.

“We played them in the first game and got smashed and then we played them earlier today and they did us again.

“I think it’s a great thing for Hong Kong even though they didn’t win.

“They probably deserved to win because they were probably the best side but in finals it doesn’t always work out but I think they were probably the best side in the tournament.

“It’s so unpredictable this form of the game. It’s only five overs and I said to the guys: ‘Surely we can’t lose three times to the same team!’

“It worked out, they’re a good side and I’m happy for them but also sad for them for not making it today.”

Hong Kong – whose earlier wins had come in the group phases of the competition - set the South Africans a target of 98 runs to win and, after scoring 21 runs off the first over, South Africa were in command.

But a fine over from Tanwir Afzal saw three wickets fall in quick succession to throw the outcome back into doubt.

The South Africans went on the attack with the bat again but a wicket for Mark Wright in the final over left the game finely balanced.

South Africa scored seven runs off the next four balls to leave Behardien needing to hit a six off the final ball and the 26-year-old responded in dramatic fashion, thumping Wright’s delivery well over the boundary.

“I remember just thinking about how the atmosphere was unbelievable and I was soaking up the atmosphere, with everyone cheering for Hong Kong,” said Behardien.

“I knew I had to hit a six and I was fortunate enough that it came off today.

“In this form of cricket you have to try to hit the ball as hard as you can and try and get sixes. That’s about it, really. I think the team chasing always has a better chance of winning.

“Our captain got it right this time on the toss. We were able to chase and we put them under pressure with a few early wickets and we’re very happy with the win.”

Despite seeing his side lose their first game of the tournament, Hong Kong captain Najeeb Amar was proud of the performance of his players.

“It’s disappointing,” he said. “We lost the toss and I like to win the toss and chase.

“It was a huge decision for us, but we have shown the world how close we were in this competition.

“I’m really happy with how the boys played and I believe I’m the luckiest and happiest captain in the world. We have some great players who did well and I’m really proud.

“I’ve no words to thank my team mates because they’ve done a great job playing against all these Test playing nations.”

There was a small consolation for the Hong Kong team as Irfan Ahmad won the Ben Hollioake Trophy, awarded to the tournament’s leading player.

“It was great to play in this competition,” said Irfan. “We did well and I’ve been looking forward to this for quite a while. Almost everything went well.

“I want to go into the Indian Premier League and this was a good chance for me to show what I can do if I’m given a bigger opportunity.

“This tournament has been very good for Hong Kong and I think our team did very well.”

Ranking	Country	Result	Run Rate
1st	South Africa	Won Cup Final	3.111
2nd	Hong Kong	Cup Finalists	3.1
3rd	Sri Lanka	CUP RR (2 Pts)	2.935
4th	England	CUP RR (0 Pts)	2.972
5th	New Zealand	Won Plate Final	3.121
6th	Australia	Plate Finalists	2.547
7th	Pakistan	Run Rate	2.829
8th	India	Run Rate	2.65

Final Results
Cup
Round robin

Game 1 – South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 1 wicket.
Sri Lanka 85 for 4 (Locharachchi 34 retired). South Africa 88 for 5 (Bosman 44 not out).

Game 2 – Hong Kong beat England by 6 wickets England 72 for 5. Hong Kong 75 for 0 (Irfan Ahmad 34 retired, Butt 31 not out).

Game 3 – South Africa beat England by 3 wickets England 102 for 3 (Napier 36 retired). South Africa 103 for 3 (Jacobs 36 retired).

Game 4 – Hong Kong beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets Sri Lanka 59 for 5. Hong Kong 62 for 0 (Irfan Ahmad 32 retired, Amar 26 not out).

Game 5 – Hong Kong beat South Africa by 4 wickets South Africa 97 for 2 (Bailey 31 retired, Jacobs 34 retired). Hong Kong 100 for 2 (Butt 33 retired, Dar 29 not out).

Game 6 – Sri Lanka beat England by 2 wickets England 80 for 4 (Hamilton-Brown 28 not out). Sri Lanka 81 for 4 (Kulathunga 29).

Final

South Africa beat Hong Kong by 2 wickets.
Hong Kong 97 for 4 (Dar 31 retired). South Africa 99 for 4 (Behardian 37 not out)

Plate

Semi-finals

Australia beat Pakistan by 6 wickets
Pakistan 77 for 3 (Shehzad 30, Iqbal 31 retired). Australia 80 for 0 (Maxwell 33 retired, Moller 33 retired).

New Zealand beat India by 6 wickets
India 77 for 4 (Pandey 34 not out). New Zealand 78 for 0 (Kitchen 34 retired, Stewart 31 retired).

Final

New Zealand beat Australia by 5 wickets
Australia 69 all out. New Zealand 70 for 1 (Stewart 31 not out).

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Karp Group & Unirich Jewellery Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2009 Hong Kong, South Africa To Contest Sixes Final

Hong Kong, November 1, 2009 – Hosts Hong Kong will meet South Africa in the final of the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes after both teams handed defeats to England and Sri Lanka in their opening clashes in the round robin phase of the tournament’s Cup competition.

Irfan Ahmad impressed once again with both bat and ball for the home side, scoring 34 runs against England in 12 balls before following that up with a nock of 32 against Sri Lanka in 11 balls.

Irfan’s performance against the English came as Hong Kong defeated the defending champions by six wickets, surpassing England’s total of 72 runs from five overs with relative ease.

Hong Kong’s victory over Sri Lanka was even more emphatic, coming after the bowling attack had limited the Sri Lankans to just 59 runs for the loss of five wickets.

Captain Najeeb Amar and Irfan piled on the runs before Irfan retired having hit 32 runs as the Sri Lankans eventually succumbed to another six wicket defeat.

South Africa, meanwhile, carried on from their high-scoring form from the first day, defeating Sri Lanka in their opening game by one wicket thanks to a fine innings of 44 not out from Loots Bosman.

David Jacobs then took up the mantle in South Africa’s next game when they launched a successful run chase to defeat England, scoring 103 for 3 with Jacobs scoring 36 as the South Africans beat Chris Read’s team by three wickets.

The two finalists met in their final group game in what turned out to be a dress rehearsal for the tournament decider later in the day, with Hong Kong winning on the final ball as they successfully chased down South Africa’s total of 97 to complete a remarkable sixth win in a row.

In the Plate competition, Australia will meet New Zealand in the final after handing Pakistan a comprehensive six wicket defeat.

Greg Moller and Glenn Maxwell both scored 33 runs as the Australians overhauled Pakistan’s total of 77 for 3 while New Zealand downed India in their semifinal.

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About the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes

Six-a-side cricket is the quickest, most fun-filled version of the game - a feast of world-class players, thrilling matches and big hits. First played in 1992, the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is the longest-running and highest-profile Sixes tournament in the world. It offers two days of fast and furious action in a festival atmosphere - eight international teams, 45-minute clashes and global television coverage.

Stars who have taken part include Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Javed Miandad, Steve and Mark Waugh, Viv Richards, Andrew Flintoff, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Adam Gilchrist, Wasim Akram, MS Dhoni and Sanath Jayasuriya.

The Sixes won the prestigious 2007 ICC Award for Best Cricket Promotional and Marketing Award.

England recorded a record fifth Sixes title last year after a stunning final in which they finished tied with Australia on 121 runs. When Australian batsman Stephen O'Keefe was run out attempting a second run from the final delivery that would have given his team victory, England were confirmed victors as they had lost fewer wickets (three wickets to one).

For further information, please contact:

Damien McDowell M: +852 9409-5811 E: dmcdowell@brand-rapport.com

Mavis Yim M: +852 9375-9786 E: myim@brand-rapport.com

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Karp Group & Unirich Jewellery 香港六人板球賽 2009 南非險勝香港  第三次封王

[2009年11月1日，香港] Karp Group & Unirich Jewellery香港六人板球賽 2009一連兩日的賽事今日已於九龍木球會圓滿結束，八支世界級球隊施展渾身解數，最終南非隊在銀盃決賽中險勝香港，第三次取得冠軍寶座及獎金55,000美元。而銀碟賽則由新西蘭擊敗澳洲勝出。

香港隊在今年六人賽的表現相當突出，以全勝姿態歷史性打入決賽。而港隊在今早的四強賽中表現神勇，先後撃退上屆冠軍英格蘭、傳統勁旅斯里蘭卡及南非，將全場氣氛推至高峰。 可惜在決賽中再遇南非時未能再下一城，最終奪得亞軍及獎金26,000美元。

香港隊教練希德 (Afzaal Haider) 總結今年賽事時表示﹕「香港隊的表現非常優秀，今年隊員的實力亦十分平均，在投球、撃球及外野防守方面均有不俗的表現。在初賽和四強賽事中未嚐 一敗，只是差一點運氣才與冠軍擦身而過，可謂雖敗猶榮。」而一直被視為香港隊明日之星、19歲「全能球手」伊凡 (Irfan Ahmed) 突出的表現更為他贏得賽事最有價值球員「Ben Hollioake Trophy」。

 

「Karp Group & Unirich Jewellery香港六人板球賽 2009」總冠軍南非隊		「Karp Group & Unirich Jewellery香港六人板球賽 2009」香港隊

 

Ranking	Country	Result	Run Rate
1st	South Africa	Won Cup Final	3.111
2nd	Hong Kong	Cup Finalists	3.1
3rd	Sri Lanka	CUP RR (2 Pts)	2.935
4th	England	CUP RR (0 Pts)	2.972
5th	New Zealand	Won Plate Final	3.121
6th	Australia	Plate Finalists	2.547
7th	Pakistan	Run Rate	2.829
8th	India	Run Rate	2.65

Final Results
Cup
Round robin

Game 1 – South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 1 wicket.
Sri Lanka 85 for 4 (Locharachchi 34 retired). South Africa 88 for 5 (Bosman 44 not out).

Game 2 – Hong Kong beat England by 6 wickets England 72 for 5. Hong Kong 75 for 0 (Irfan Ahmad 34 retired, Butt 31 not out).

Game 3 – South Africa beat England by 3 wickets England 102 for 3 (Napier 36 retired). South Africa 103 for 3 (Jacobs 36 retired).

Game 4 – Hong Kong beat Sri Lanka by 6 wickets Sri Lanka 59 for 5. Hong Kong 62 for 0 (Irfan Ahmad 32 retired, Amar 26 not out).

Game 5 – Hong Kong beat South Africa by 4 wickets South Africa 97 for 2 (Bailey 31 retired, Jacobs 34 retired). Hong Kong 100 for 2 (Butt 33 retired, Dar 29 not out).

Game 6 – Sri Lanka beat England by 2 wickets England 80 for 4 (Hamilton-Brown 28 not out). Sri Lanka 81 for 4 (Kulathunga 29).

Final

South Africa beat Hong Kong by 2 wickets.
Hong Kong 97 for 4 (Dar 31 retired). South Africa 99 for 4 (Behardian 37 not out)

Plate
Semi-finals

Australia beat Pakistan by 6 wickets
Pakistan 77 for 3 (Shehzad 30, Iqbal 31 retired). Australia 80 for 0 (Maxwell 33 retired, Moller 33 retired).

New Zealand beat India by 6 wickets
India 77 for 4 (Pandey 34 not out). New Zealand 78 for 0 (Kitchen 34 retired, Stewart 31 retired).

Final

New Zealand beat Australia by 5 wickets
Australia 69 all out. New Zealand 70 for 1 (Stewart 31 not out).

有關香港六人板球賽

香港六人板球賽由1992年開始舉行，至今已踏入第十五週年紀念，是全球其中一項最為人熟悉和歷史悠久的板球賽事。一連兩日精彩刺激的賽事，每場以45分鐘為限，由八隊國際級隊伍角逐殊榮，為全球媒體廣泛報導。

過去曾參賽的星級球手包括拿拉 (Brian Lara)、鄧德家 (Sachin Tendulkar)、米安迪 (Javed Miandad)、史提夫 (Steve)及馬克華治 (Mark Waugh)、李察士 (Viv Richards)、費度夫 (Andrew Flintoff)、華耐 (Shane Warne)、 甘比利 (Anil Kumble)、基卓斯 (Adam Gilchrist)、艾林(Wasim Akram)、冬尼 (MS Dhoni) 及 加也舒利耶 (Sanath Jayasuriya) 等。

2007年，香港六人板球賽榮獲國際板球聯會頒發最優秀宣傳及市場推廣獎，今年更成為聯會環球百週年慶祝活動之一。屆時將有特別儀式表揚國際板球聯會過去100年對板球運動發展的貢獻，以及宏揚板球運動的精神。

此新聞稿由brandRapport代Karp Group & Unirich Jewellery 香港六人板球賽 2009發佈。

傳媒查詢，請聯絡brandRapport:
嚴彤葦 (Mavis Yim)
電話：+852 2815-9871
手提：+852 9375-9786
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