In a thrilling quarter-final clash at the 19th Asian Games Men's Cricket Tournament in Hangzhou, China, Pakistan emerged victorious over Hong Kong by a convincing margin of 68 runs.
After being put in to bat first, Pakistan faced a few early setbacks but managed to post a competitive total of 160 runs, thanks to a spectacular late onslaught by Aamir Jamal. In response, Hong Kong struggled against Pakistan's spin attack, eventually being bowled out for just 92 runs in 18.5 overs.
Nizakat Khan, the captain of Hong Kong, won the toss and chose to field. Despite a shaky start, Pakistan built a formidable total with Aamir's explosive batting in the final overs. Aamir, coming in to bat in the 17th over, played a breathtaking innings, scoring 41 runs off just 16 balls, including four sixes and two boundaries.
Earlier in the innings, Asif Ali and debutant Arafat Minhas put together a crucial partnership of 36 runs for the seventh wicket. Asif contributed 25 runs, while Arafat added 25 runs to the total. Hong Kong's Ayush Shukla was the standout bowler, claiming four wickets, while Mohammad Ghazanfar took three wickets.
Pakistan’s spinners dominated the Hong Kong batsmen, firmly establishing control over the match. Arafat, Sufiyan Muqeem, Qasim Akram, and Khushdil Shah collectively weaved a web that entrapped the Hong Kong team. Khushdil Shah took three wickets, while the other three spinners secured two wickets each. The highest scorer for Hong Kong was Babar Hayat, who managed 29 runs, featuring three boundaries and two sixes.
With this victory, Pakistan secured their place in the semi-finals of the Asian Games 2023 cricket tournament. They are set to face the winner of the third quarter-final between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka in the second semi-final scheduled for Friday, October 6th.
