Day 1 | Karp Group/PC Jeweller Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2010

The Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is a popular event on the global sporting calendar, offering fans a thrilling weekend of action. Rain forced organizers into making huge changes to the format of popular tournament at the Kowloon Cricket Club on Saturday which saw more than three-quarters of the... More

The Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is a popular event on the global sporting calendar, offering fans a thrilling weekend of action. Rain forced organizers into making huge changes to the format of popular tournament at the Kowloon Cricket Club on Saturday which saw more than three-quarters of the Programme cancelled due to rain. Poor weather resulted in a switch to four overs per innings from five and with organisers keeping options open if winners of each group meet in Cup final on Sunday or if top two teams move into a cross-over semi-finals. All eight teams got a run on first day with Sri Lanka, Hong Kong and South Africa joining Pakistan as winners. Sri Lanka knocked off 77 runs needed for victory over New Zealand. Hosts Hong Kong hammered England. Chasing 61, Hong Kong romped home to five-wicket win. South Africa chased down Australia's 73-run total for loss of three wickets, scrambling through for a single on final ball of match to earn win. "If rain stays away, we will play remaining eight pool games on Sunday, with top two going into Cup semi- finals. But if there are any more interruptions, we have to go straight into Cup final with winners of each pool progressing," said tournament director Glyn Davies. The Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is an annual 10-team international cricket tournament held at the Kowloon Cricket Club and fully sanctioned by the International Cricket Council. The tournament is made for television, with rules and a venue that encourage aggressive batting and high scoring. Because every player (except the wicket-keeper) is required to bowl one over, the format suits all-rounders. The first tournament was held in 1992 and, after a four year hiatus, returned in 2001. Over the years the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes has attracted a veritable Who's Who of world cricket, including stars such as Viv Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, the Waugh brothers (Steve and Mark), Inzamam-ul-Haq, Adam Gilchrist, Jonty Rhodes and Wasim Akram. In 2007, Sri Lanka defeated the much-fancied All-Stars team, while in 2006 South Africa beat four-time champions Pakistan. The 2008 event was played on 8 November and 9 November. It saw the return of the All-Stars team that in 2007 featured such cricketing luminaries as Brian Lara and Shane Warne. West Indies batting great Shivnarine Chanderpaul and New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming took part in the 2008 team. The All-Stars joined nine representative international teams in the tournament -- 2007 champions Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand, England, Pakistan, India, South Africa, Bangladesh and hosts Hong Kong. The 2009 tournament was held from 31 October to 1 November and 8 Teams participated in this event. It starred legendary Indian spinner Anil Kumble for the very first time. South Africa won the tournament by defeating Hong Kong in the final. This year world-famous Hong Kong Cricket Sixes has forged a long-term sponsorship relationship with jewelers, the Karp Group, which will allow the Hong Kong Cricket Association to firmly establish the tournament on the international cricketing calendar as well as to ensure the development of the game locally. A five-year multi-million dollar sponsorship deal beginning in 2010 has been struck for the popular tournament - to be played at the Kowloon Cricket Club on November 6-7 -- which will ensure the financial viability of the event and assure funds for the local game. The Karp Group, who came in at the final hour last year, have agreed to generous terms in signing up for a longer stint at the wicket with partners, the Hong Kong Cricket Association. "This year alone, they have signed up as title sponsors for more than twice the amount they paid last year," Ramesh Virani, Karp Group managing director, said: "We are thrilled to be associated with a top-class international cricket event. The fact that we are committed for five years is proof of the pudding -- that the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is a quality and exciting tournament which has caught the imagination of millions of fans." Eight teams took this year in the two-day tournament. They are Australia, England, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong. The teams which will be drawn into two group of four in the preliminary round will fight it out for total prize money of US$150,000. The tournament will be beamed live to more than 80 million households around the world by Ten Sports who have signed on as host broadcasters once again. The coverage which will be seen live on the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Australia and South Africa, as well as packaged to North America, the United Kingdom, Europe and China is just one facet of the illustrious Sixes which this year is once again financially supported by the Hong Kong government which has granted it the M-mark, or major event, status. Less

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Added Nov 8, 2010  

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