MEDIA
RELEASE
REEVE RAISES LOCAL HOPES FOR
2003 CATHAY PACIFIC/STANDARD CHARTERED HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL
CRICKET SIXES
HONG KONG, October
14: Former England Test star Dermot Reeve has been confirmed
as Hong Kong's 'secret weapon' at
the 2003 Cathay Pacific/Standard Chartered Hong Kong International
Cricket Sixes.
Dermott Reeve
- Hong Kong's
secret weapon?
© Cricinfo
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Born and raised in
the Special Administrative Region, Reeve's
glittering cricketing career was shaped during his formative
years in Hong Kong and his appearance for the hosts is certain
to raise local hopes of pulling off some major surprises in the
ninth edition of the world's premier Sixes event.
Winners of the Plate
competition last year, the Rahul Sharma-led Hong Kong team
will now be aiming to qualify
for the Cup
competition for the first time since the Sixes' inception
in 1992.
Drawn in Pool 1, Hong
Kong's part-timers will face stiff
challenges from India, New Zealand and defending champions
Pakistan at the Kowloon Cricket Club on November 1-2.
However, with the 2002
Plate success still fresh in the mind and confirmation of Reeve's
selection for the 2003 competition, there will be an air of
expectancy among the squad and the local
cricketing fraternity.
In addition to Reeve
and Sharma, Hong Kong's selectors
have called up Najeeb Amar and Afzaal Haider, both members of
last year's team.
Making their first Hong Kong Sixes appearances
will be Tabarak Dar, Ryan Eagleson, and left-handed batsman Mark
Eames.
Undoubtedly, though, the main attraction will
be Reeve, who celebrated his 40th birthday in April. As well
as three Test
caps and 25
One-Day International matches for England, Reeve captained
Warwickshire to six trophies in three years, including three
in 1995.
Following his retirement from the first-class
game, Reeve, who received an OBE for his services to cricket,
coached
Somerset. Now he is better known for his incisive television
punditry
with
Channel 4.
Based on their Hong
Kong Sixes performances in the last two years, the local team
have been seeded sixth,
ahead of New
Zealand,
who will be making their first appearance in the event since
1996, and tournament debutants Kenya, surprise semi-finalists
in this year's World Cup.
Reeve and his team-mates have been given the
opportunity to make an early impression in the competition as
they face
New
Zealand
in the opening encounter at 8.30 am on Saturday, November
1, before taking on India later in the morning.
They will then have a wait of almost 24 hours
before facing up to Pakistan in the last of the Pool matches
on Sunday,
November 2.
The top two teams from Pool 1 will qualify
for the Cup knockout stage where they will face the leading two
from Pool 2, which
is made up of England, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Kenya.
The bottom two teams in each of the pools will compete for
the
Plate.
Tickets for the 2003
Cathay Pacific/Standard Chartered Hong Kong International Cricket
Sixes are selling fast. 'Early bird' two-day
ticket prices have been set at HK$300 for adults and HK$150
for children under the age of 15. From October 18, the prices
will
increase to HK$380 for adults and HK$200 for children. Games are played in five-over innings, with
each team member, other than the wicket-keeper, bowling one over.
Hong Kong squad: Rahul Sharma (captain), Najeeb
Amar, Tabarak Dar, Ryan Eagleson, Mark Eames, Afzaal Haider,
Dermot Reeve.
The 2003 Cathay Pacific/Standard
Chartered
Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes will take place at
Kowloon Cricket Club, 10 Cox's Road, Kowloon on November
1-2. Early bird two-day passes cost HK$300 for adults and
HK$150 for children
aged 15 years and younger, and are on sale through Cityline
(www.cityline.com.hk)
as well as at the following outlets:
- Hong Kong Cricket Club
(137 Wong Nai Chung Gap Road, Happy Valley, 2574 6266);
- Kowloon Cricket Club (10
Cox's Road, Jordan,
2367 4141);
- Dot Cod Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar
(Prince's Building, Central 2810 6988);
- Hong Kong Cricket Association (Room 1019 Sports House, 1
Stadium Path, So Kon Po,
2504 8102).
Provided by CCIL/Hong Kong Cricket Association. For further
information, please contact Danny Lai at (852) 2504-8102.
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