Hong Kong hand Japan another thumping as they look to wrap up Women’s East Asia Cup unchallenged
- Skipper Kary Chan sits out second game with a shoulder injury and may be in doubt for last 2 games of the tournament
- Mariko Hill shines yet again with her second career T20 half-century as Hong Kong chase down Japan’s target in 13 overs
Hong Kong are just one game away from locking up the Women’s East Asia Cup in Kaizuka, Japan, but skipper Kary Chan isn’t getting too far ahead of herself just yet.
The city’s side cruised to another easy victory on Friday, needing just 13 overs to chase down Japan’s 91 runs, with opening batters Natasha Miles and Mariko Hill doing significant damage to Japan’s bowlers.
Kary Chan was forced to sit out the second game after popping her shoulder in Thursday’s opening match, with Yasmin Daswani stepping in to fill her shoes as captain.
Chan said it was too early to say if she would return for the remainder of the tournament, adding senior players had stepped up in her absence.
“I was disappointed not to be out there with the girls, but they played really well today,” she said. “The girls are focused and well organised – they really stepped up.”
As in the opening match, Mariko Hill produced a solid performance to carry Hong Kong to victory and claim the second T20 half-century of her career.
However it was the bowling of Betty Chan, who was named player of the match, that sent Japan’s batting order into a free fall, as she took four key wickets and conceded just 13 runs.
Kary Chan said the tour had proved to be a positive experience for the team, but admitted there were still some areas to improve – despite their dominant performance on the field.
“It feels really good to be out here playing against Japan, there’s a crowd here and I feel that both teams are playing their best cricket – we’re just happy to have that experience,” she said.
“Right now we’re just thinking about the next game and trying not to get too distracted by winning the tournament. We still have some areas where we can improve, so we’re just going to focus on that. Of course winning is our goal, but we just have to take it one game at a time.”
The third match in the four-match series between Hong Kong and Japan will be played on Saturday at 11am, Hong Kong time.
