I had the pleasure of covering a cricket sixes tournament over the weekend from the unlikely destination of Hong Kong, and I mean that without disrespect. Cricket in Hong Kong dates back to the eighteenth century, and the sixes tournament there was first played in 1992.
For a cricket fan, the sixes tournament adds a fantastic dimension to the cricketing calendar. In the age of cricket’s newly created marriage of convenience with commercialism, where players literally become millionaires overnight, the Hong Kong tournament had an honest approach towards showcasing cricket.
The main aim of such tournaments is to promote the beautiful game of cricket to parts of the world where it can grow to become a truly global sport.
While the ICC has supported these ‘fringe’ tournaments in places such as Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, and even Morocco, it can be safely said that the Hong Kong sixes does exactly what it is supposed to, and that is to portray the sport without promoting cheerleaders or multi-million dollar prize money as the most valued part of the competition.
It was apparent that the sixes had a wholesome feel about it, although there was a total prize pool of approximately US$300,000, which is not small by any standards.
For the first time in cricket’s history, the game was being called live in Cantonese, and local cable TV televised the whole two days without interruptions. The commentary team were avid followers of the game and truly knowledgeable on their call.
Teams from six Test nations, plus Hong Kong and an All Stars team made up of recently retired players and current greats, meant that competition was fierce. The Hong Kong team finished fourth, which was truly a great effort from a bunch of mainly expat players who also have day jobs.
They punched above their weight and had great support from the local crowd, who acknowledged the hurdles these guys face when representing their country at this level.
The Plate Finals were won by a charismatic Pakistan team, who as per tradition, banked on their pace attack and were able to win the Plate Finals by beating the All Stars team in a close encounter.
The final was played between traditional rivals, England and Australia.
In the end, it was a cruel way to lose for the Aussie boys, a tied game decided by the least number of wickets lost.
But it yet again epitomised the tournament’s theme of cricket being the true winner.
It is worthwhile mentioning here that the Australian Sixes team did not have a single international player. It was made up entirely of upcoming grade-state cricketers and by reaching the finals they showed the talent available.
All in all, this was a wholesome cricket tournament organised exceptionally well by the Hong Kong Cricket Association.
I can’t wait to attend next year.
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