INTERNATIONAL CRICKET COUNCIL (ICC) 2001 EAST ASIA - PACIFIC UNDER 19 CRICKET CHAMPIONSHIPS, 19-25 AUGUST, NADI, FIJI

RESULTS

Day 3, Tuesday 21 August

END PRELIMINARY ROUND 1

FIJI v HONG KONG at Nadi Muslim College

Hong Kong defeated Fiji by six wickets in today's game of the inaugural ICC East Asia - Pacific Under 19 Cricket Championships being staged in Nadi. After winning the toss and batting, the Fiji team was in all sorts of trouble at 6/62. But the lower order rallied to support their opener and skipper, Colin Rika from Suva, who put together what 25-year Fiji Cricket Association Secretary, Peter Knight, described as "the best innings he had seen for Fiji for many years." Rika narrowly failed to bat through the innings and made 129 - Fiji's 50 over total was 9/222. In response, Dyutish Chauduri got the visitors off to a flying start with a fantastic 63 off 42 balls. After 19 overs, Hong Kong were 3/109 and the game was still in the balance. However, a very solid partnership between captain, Jignesh Tailor (63no), and vice-captain, Neeraj Savalini (43), well and truly secured victory for Hong Kong. Despite being in a losing side, Fiji's Colin Rika was declared man of the match.

At the end of Preliminary Round 1, Papua New Guinea head the points table with 2 wins followed by Hong Kong (1 win) and then Fiji. All teams now play each other once more to determine Saturday's finalists. The winner of this tournament will qualify for the next ICC Under 19 World Cup in New Zealand in Jan/Feb 2002.

SCORES

Fiji 9/222 off 50 overs (Colin Rika 129) lost to Hong Kong 4/223 off 39.5 overs (Dyutish Chauduri 63, Jignesh Tailor 63no, Neeraj Savalini 43)

POINTS TABLE        Played    Points   Net Run Rate
Papua New Guinea       2         4        3.96
Hong Kong              2         2       -0.80
Fiji                   2         0       -2.98

Tomorrow: Start of Preliminary Round 2, Fiji v Papua New Guinea at Nadi Muslim College

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