AUSTRALIA STUNS PAKISTAN TO WIN KARP GROUP/PC JEWELLER HONG KONG CRICKET SIXES
 Hong Kong, November 7, 2010 – Australia won their first Karp Group/PC Jeweller Hong Kong Cricket Sixes in amazing fashion today at the Kowloon Cricket Club, scoring a remarkable 46 runs from the final eight-ball over to defeat Pakistan by two wickets.
The barely possibly scenario became a reality when seasoned Pakistan international Imran Nazir self-destructed mid-final over, delivering a no-ball that went for four followed by two wides, on each of which Australia snuck a single, gifting Australia 12 runs from zero legal deliveries.
That brought the equation down to18 runs from five balls, from a near impossible 30. Ryan Carters added to Nazir's misery by smashing six-two-six off the next three deliveries, leaving the Australians requiring a boundary from the final ball. Nazir's horror continued, though, with the final ball going for six more wides to give the Aussies an extraordinary win in the US$150,0000 tournament.
Said Australian captain, David Warner: "It was amazing. We have that Australian passion when things are against us. It is one of those things – we needed 46 in that last over, but it is cricket and we knew we were always a chance if we backed ourselves. Mother Nature and God both seemed to be on our side with a few wides and so on, so it is a great pleasure to win."
Playing in spectacular sunny conditions after yesterday's rain-hit first day, Australia's win came only after Pakistan's one-man wrecking crew of Ahmed Shehzad, who was named Player of the Final, scored a Cricket Sixes record of 92 in the final to fire his team to a total of 132 all out.
His remarkable innings, coming from 28 balls, was power hitting at its finest and included eight sixes and 10 fours. However, he received precious little support, with Warner, acting as keeper, running out both Shoaib Malik and Shabbir Ahmed in the same Carters over to stall the innings.
Despite Australian openers Warner and Glenn Maxwell putting on 60 for the first wicket, tight bowling from the Pakistanis seemed set up a likely victory before the extraordinary final over.
Added Warner: "I was given the opportunity to come here and lead the side as well and I am just stoked for the boys, they have done so well. We fought back hard in the field. We knew our fielding was going to be the key and today was unbelievable."
Regarding his accuracy from behind the stumps, he was modest. "I am not normally a keeper, so I was always going to back myself to hit the stumps. Luckily, I hit them."
For an incredibly disappointed Pakistan captain, Shoaib Malik, it was a part of the game.
"This is cricket," was all he would say.
After yesterday's poor weather resulted in a switch to four overs per innings – from five – for all the round robin and semi-final games, the final reverted to five eight-ball overs per team
Pakistan served notice they were the team to beat earlier in the day with a blistering performance in their semi-final against the previously unbeaten South Africa. The 18-year-old Shehzad punished the Proteas with an unbeaten 55 of 12 balls, leading his side to a new Sixes record total of 138/2. South Africa, the defending champions, could only respond with 88/3 to lose by a massive 50 runs.
The Aussies got off to a flyer in their semi against Sri Lanka, with Glenn Maxwell smashing 34 runs, made up of five sixes and a four, from the opening over. After retiring, Maxwell returned for the final three balls of the innings – all of which he hit for six – to take his team total to 110/3 and his personal tally to 52 not out.
Left-arm quick Will Sheridan rammed home the advantage with wickets on the first two balls of the Sri Lankan innings. However, the 2007 Hong Kong champions, replied with some incredible hitting to fall just one run short, largely thanks to Indika de Saram's 56 from 11 balls, just the first time he was dismissed in the event against his aggregate of 145 runs.
In the other feature match of the day, China's Asian Games cricket squad suffered the narrowest of losses in their exhibition game against a Hong Kong development squad. The China team, who will represent their nation when the sport makes its Asian Game's debut later this month, won over the crowd with a gutsy chase of Hong Kong's 66/0 from four overs.
Jiang Shuyao hit boundaries off the fourth and fifth balls of Asif Khan's final over, but, needing to repeat the dose from the final delivery, he could only manage two runs and an agonising one run loss.
Said Wang Lei, the 24-year-old captain of the China team: "I was very surprised at the fans. They were cheering for us and I'm very grateful for their support."
Under the revised format after yesterday's rain-affected fixture, crowd favourites England and India were dumped out of the competition after finishing bottom of their groups. Third placed teams Hong Kong (Bradman Group) and New Zealand advanced directly to the Plate Final, with the hosts' 77 all out proving no match for the Kiwis, who finished with 79/1.
Sri Lanka cruised into the semi-finals of the Cup competition, adding wins over Pakistan and India to their opening victory yesterday over New Zealand. They were joined in advancing from the Sobers Group by Pakistan. Although defeated by group winners Sri Lanka, victories over India yesterday and New Zealand this morning were enough to see them through.
On the other side of the draw, South Africa also eased into the Cup semi-finals with a 3-0 record after wins over Hong Kong, Australia and England. Australia's 2-1 record, blighted by just a loss to South Africa, also went through.
Links: Results, Scorecards & Statistics
Saturday, November 6
Match 1 Sri Lanka v New Zealand
Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets
New Zealand 76/3
Styris 30
Barnett 20
Sri Lanka 79/2
De Saram 32 ret
Kulathunga 30
Match 2 India v Pakistan
Pakistan won by 22 runs
Pakistan 78/2
Nazir 34 ret
Shehzed 19
India 56/4
Chipli 22
Match 3 England v Hong Kong
Hong Kong won by 5 wickets
England 60/3
Trego 30
Stevens 14
Hong Kong 62/1
Ahmed 34 ret
Match 4 South Africa v Australia
South Africa won by 3 wickets
Australia 73/1
Sheridan 27 not out
Warner 24
South Africa 74/3
McClaren 34 ret
Khan 25
Sunday November 7
Match 5 Hong Kong v South Africa
South Africa won by 14 runs
South Africa 71/0
Smith 31 ret
Stevens 30
Hong Kong 57/1
Butt 30
Match 6 Pakistan v Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka won by 5 wickets
Pakistan 61/2
Shezhed 21
Sri Lanka 63/1
De Saram 28 not out
Kulathunga 25
Match 7 Australia v Hong Kong
Australia won by 5 wickets
Hong Kong 57/1
Butt 30 not out
Australia 62/1
Maxwell 28 not out
Match 8 Sri Lanka v India
Sri Lanka won by 17 runs
Sri Lanka 81/2
De Saram 29 not out
Weeratne 24
India 64/3
Gavaskar 22 not out
Match 9 England v Australia
Australia won by 3 wickets
England 39/5
Nash 13 not out
Australia 43/3
Johnson 11 not out
Match 10 New Zealand v Pakistan
Pakistan won by 32 runs
Pakistan 85/1
Nazir 35 ret
Shehzed 31 ret
New Zealand 53/1
Styris 33 ret
Match 11 England v South Africa
South Africa won by 4 wickets
England 54/3
Butler 31 ret
South Africa 60/2
Wiese 30 not out
Match 12 India v New Zealand
New Zealand won by 4 wickets
India 37/3
Sridharan 10
New Zealand 42/2
Tuffey 27 not out
Exhibition Match China v Hong Kong Development Squad
Hong Kong won by 1 run
Hong Kong 66/0
Lamsam 34 not out
Khan 22 not out
China 65/1
Zhang 33 ret
Jiang 29 not out
Cup Semi-final 1 South Africa v Pakistan
Pakistan won by 50 runs
Pakistan 138/2
Shehzad 55 not out
Nazir 36 ret
Malik 33 ret
South Africa 88/3
Wiese 32 ret
Smith 29
Cup Semi-final 2 Australia v Sri Lanka
Australia won by 1 run
Australia 110/3
Maxwell 52 not out
Johnston 31 ret
Sri Lanka 109/4
De Saram 56
Perera 43 not out
Plate Final Hong Kong v New Zealand
New Zealand won by 5 wickets
Hong Kong 77 all out
Ahmed 34
New Zealand 79/1
Styris 34 ret
Tuffey 20
Cup Final Pakistan v Australia
Australia won by 2 wickets
Pakistan 132 all out
Shehzad 92
Australia 135/4
Warner 35 not out
Maxwell 34
– ENDS –
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