Bhaktapur, December 3:

Singapore defeated Kuwait by four wickets in the final of the ACC Under-15 Elite Cup cricket tournament here at the Birendra Sainik Awasiya Mahavidyalaya grounds today.

Opting to bat first, Kuwait scored 121/7 in 40 overs, while Singapore chased the total losing six wickets in 34.5 overs. Opener Apoorv Sanjay Gaur top-scored for Kuwait with an unbeaten 43 off 114 balls. Jasim Mohd Aboobucker (13), Khalid Liaqat Ali (12) and Usman Mohd Tahir (11) chipped in valuable runs.

For Singapore, Sarangdev Krishnan took 2-12 off five overs. In reply, Singapore had a disastrous start and were tottering at 37/5 after 20 overs. Prasheen Param and Usman Manazir not only pulled out their team from difficulty but also guided Singapore to victory with an unbroken stand of 57 runs for the seventh wicket. Param top-scored with an unbeaten 30 off 56 balls and also earned the man of the match award, while Manazir remained not out on 26 off 29 balls. Varun Shivaram scored 24 off 78 balls. For Kuwait, Jasim Mohd Aboobucker took 3-17 off 6.3 overs.

Hong Kong protest

KATHMANDU: Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA) has protested against Asian Cricket Council’s decision to disqualify their team from the ACC U-15 Elite Cup cricket tournament for “allegedly” having three over-age players according to the Age Verification test (Bone test) conducted by ACC Sports Medicine Officer. HKCA is of the view that the Hong Kong was eligible at all times to participate in this tournament and has been unjustifiably and wrongly disqualified, it said.

The ACC had on Saturday disqualified seven teams — three semi-finalists Nepal, Hong Kong and Afghanistan along with Saudi Arabia, Oman, Thailand and Malaysia — from the tournament for including more than two over-aged players in their squads.

“The results in Nepal were handed to Hong Kong officials on a single sheet of paper. No X-rays were supplied, and the medical consultants involved in the process remain unidentified,” said HKCA in a release on its website. “ACC have set an age cut off date for the tournament and Hong Kong team management have carried all documentary proof to ensure all players in team are eligible.”

The HKCA release added: “HKCA has requested the ACC to re-examine the age testing process it employs and its application which has caused two 14-year-old Hong Kong boys to be disqualified from the U-15 tournament and a team which had enjoyed success at the tournament denied its right to advance further.” — HNS