Opening Stand

WELCOME to the KCC Cricket Section's website. This website provides all the latest news, results and events going on within the Cricket Section of the Kowloon Cricket Club.

2006-07 Cricket Season

FIRSTLY, an aplogy to all ME On-line readers for the lack of updates to the website in the second half of last season. The ME On-line website has been huffing and puffing for 10 years now and I just ran out of steam. Work commitments etc have meant it has been harder for me to find the time and energy to maintain the website.

I understand that the 2006-07 cricket committee will be looking at offering a new website for KCC cricket. Details to be issued shortly (I presume...).

In the meantime, the 2006-07 season kicks off earlier than ever this year with both leagues starting on the first weekend in September. The reason for this is that both leagues will welcome new teams to the fold. In the Saturday League, the new team is Laguna Gully. In the new ten team Sunday League, Pakistan Association returns to a single team outfit but two teams make a return to the league - Vagabonds and HKCC Wanderers whilst the Sri Lanka Club makes their debut. Fixtures for the Saturday League and the Sunday League have now been posted on the HKCA website.

Other details such as 2006-07 Rules and Women's League fixtures have not yet been published.

Saturday League: Fixtures
Sunday League: Fixtures

All players are reminded to complete registration forms before playing their third match. Forms should be given to the team captains, who in turn will submit these to the HKCA. Registration Forms can be downloaded from the HKCA website.

Pre-Season Get-Together

THERE will be a pre-season warm-up match at KCC on Saturday 26th August. After the match the cricket section has booked out the Sports Bar for a gathering.  The plan is to show on the projection screen the cricket match between India and South Africa in Sri Lanka. The match starts about 5pm and is a day night affair.

The following menu has been booked with the F&B section of the KCC as an alternative to the tea after the match :

• Cucumber Raita
• Chicken Curry
• Vegetable Curry
• Dhal Makhani or Tadka
• Rice
• Naan

The costs for same is HK$65/person. Drinks are on a cash bar basis.

Big Brother is watching you!

The internet search engine company Google provides a free software application that provides satellite images of the globe. The level of detail varies from country to country but Hong Kong gets the full treatment. The image on the right shows the image of KCC from an altitude of 400m. Click on the image to see a bigger picture.

For a bird's-eye view all of Hong Kong's cricket grounds, please visit the HKCA website.

For more details about Google Earth - please visit http://earth.google.com.

The Doyen: A Tribute to Alan Swift

After 34 years in Hong Kong as a cricket player, administrator, umpire and umpire tranier and former Captain of Cricket at KCC, Alan Swift will be retiring to the UK in mid February. Alan's contirbution to Hong Kong cricket over the years has been immense - not least as an umpire trainer where Alan's efforts have ensured that Hong Kong's stock of qualified umpires have been left in a very healthy state.

A farewell function for Alan and Suzanne was held at KCC on 7th February.

We thank Alan for his efforts and wish him and Suzanne a very happy retirement. Well played!

Hugh Tyrwhitt-Drake composed a fitting tribute to Alan - please click here to read Hugh's tribute.

Twenty20 Cricket at KCC

SOME blistering cricket by KCC saw them dominate the inaurgural Twenty20 competition held at KCC on 30th January 2006.

In the first match, KCC's bowlers got on top of the HKCC batting line-up and restricted them to a score of 120 from their 20 overs, despite conceeding 16 runs from the opening over. For KCC, Skhawat Ali grabbed three wickets for sixteen from his four over spell. Damian Kelleher hit the first ball of the KCC innings for six and just kept on going. His unbeaten 66 enabled KCC to wrap up the match in only 10.5 overs. [Scorecard Match 1: KCC vs HKCC]

KCC batted first in the second match against a strong Independent Clubs Association XI and continued their assault on all the bowlers. Kelleher was rested for the match but Ravi Sujanani (46), Rahul Sharma (68) and Naeem Ashraf (45) batted in a similar vein as KCC racked up a huge 225-5 off their 20 overs. The ICCA team made a spirited reply with Tauseef Bukhari hitting 52 off only 16 deliveries, but their effort came up 17 runs short. [Scorecard Match 2: KCC vs ICCA]

Scorecards:

• HKCA match reports
• Photos

Hancock Shield

DESPITE the loss of a number of key players, KCC put up a brave performance in the Hancock Shield match against HKCC but still came a distant second. Centuries by Mark Eames, Mark Kratzmann and Adam Gunthorpe batted KCC out of the game - leaving the KCC an impossible run-chase in the final innings (454 off 49 overs). Still, there were a number of good performances by Rohan Boghani, who scored half-centuries in each innings, Naeem Ashraf with a blistering 96 and Afzaal Haider, who claimed 4 wickets in the first innings.

KCC Team: Afzaal Haider (captain), Naeem Ashraf, Ray Brewster, Dyutish Chaudhuri, Amjad Mahmood, Skhawat Ali, Nigel Shroff, Imran Farcy, Rohan Boghani, Yogesh Mahtani and Ghulam Mustafa.

Related Links: Match Report | Scorecard

Tony Turner Trophy

THE annual Tony Turner Trophy matches, pitting the a combined KCC/HKCC XI against the best from the Independent Clubs, was played on 18th September at HKCC. This year also saw a women's match played for the first time. The Club's XI team dominated both matches but the weather had a say in proceedings. [HKCA Report]

Naeem Ashraf Joins KCC, Phil DeFretais Joins HKCC

FORMER Pakistan international bowler Naeem Ashraf (pictured) has joined Kowloon Cricket Club. Ashraf will undertake coaching at the KCC and will play for KCC's teams in the Saturday and Sunday Leagues. Ashraf played 2 ODI matches for Pakistan in 1995 and also represented Pakistan at the 1997 Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes.

Meanwhile, HKCC have announced the appointment of Phil 'Daffy' DeFreitas as HKCC Cricket Coach for 2005-06. DeFretais, who played 44 tests and 103 ODIs for England, takes up his position on 10th October 2005. [Announcement]

Afzaal Does the Double

CRICKET coach Afzaal Haider added the KCC Cricketer of the Year to his list of honours for the 2004-05 season that included a share of the Hong Kong Player of the Year award. In addition to his superb achievements on the field, Afzaal has been instrumental in further developing the junior cricket section at KCC and also helping the women cricketers to compete with distinction in the inaugural HKCA Women's League.

Afzaal Haider shares Hong Kong Cricketer of the Year Honours

COACH Afzaal Haider received the top accolade by the HKCA when he was named Hong Kong Cricketer of the Year for 2004-05 at teh HKCA AGM and Annual Awards Dinner held at HKCC on 4th June. He shares the honour with Tabrak Dar from LSW. The Award caps off a tremendous season that saw Afzaal claim 57 wickets in the domestic league competitions as well as another 46 wickets on the international stage. Congratulations also to Damian Kelleher who won the Saturday League bowling award; James Atkinson who was named Young Dragon of the Year; and to Clive Howard who takes over from Mike Walsh as HKCA Chairman. [HKCA Awards]

One too many nights in Bangkok

THEY came, they saw, they came again... and in between they played a little bit of cricket. [Tour Report]