The 2nd Twenty20 International (T20I) of the ongoing 3-match series between Malaysia and Hong Kong is scheduled for the 13th of September. Following hosts Malaysia’s dominant win in the opener, the series decider will be played at the Selangor Turf Club, Kuala Lumpur, at 12:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Both Malaysia and Hong Kong featured in the recently concluded ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier. Hosts Malaysia had 2 wins and 2 defeats in their 5 league games, leading to their exit from the competition. Meanwhile, Hong Kong performed better with 3 wins and 1 defeat, allowing them to advance to the Semi-Final. Unfortunately, they lost that game to the United Arab Emirates.
Squads:
Malaysia – Winifred Duraisingam (C), Mas Elysa (VC), Musfirah Nur Ainaa, Nur Aishah, Nik Nur Atiela, Aisya Eleesa, Ainna Hamizah Hashim, Jamahidaya Intan, Mahirah Izzati Ismail, Wan Julia (WK), Aina Najwa (WK), Nur Arianna Natsya, Nur Dania Syuhada, Wan Nor Zulaika
Hong Kong – Kary Chan (C), Betty Chan, Charlotte Chan, Dorothea Chan, Cheung Hiu Ying, Cheung Kwai Hin, Emma Lai-II, Maryam Bibi, Bella Poon, Alison Sui, Pull To, Akasha Yousaf, Heiley Lui, Sin Yee Ho Cindy
Players to watch out:
Mas Elysa
The 22-year-old all-rounder, in T20Is, has scored 953 runs in 61 innings and taken 26 wickets in 34 games, with respective bests of 59 with the bat and 6/3 with the ball. In the recently concluded ICC event, Mas Elysa was the top scorer for the side with 86 runs in 4 outings but did not have a bowl in any game. Capitalizing on her form, Mas scored a fine 41* and guided her team to victory in the ongoing series opener.
Nur Arianna Natsya
The 21-year-old leg-spinner, in T20Is, has struck 25 wickets in 34 bowling outings, including her best figures of 3/25, and has scored 112 runs in 25 innings with the bat. During the ICC regional qualifier, Nur Arianna Natsya bowled in 3 out of 4 games and impressively scalped 4 wickets, with her best being 2/12 against Bahrain. She has continued her form into the series, producing figures of 2/9 (3) in the series opener.
Betty Chan
The 34-year-old all-rounder, in 53 T20I appearances, has taken 67 wickets, maintaining an economy rate of 4.05, and has recorded her best figures of 4/13. Betty Chan consistently bowled economical spells during the Asia qualifier but didn’t take too many wickets, registering only 4 wickets from 5 games. However, she looked brilliant in the series opener, returning figures of 3/12 (3.4).
Kary Chan
The 26-year-old all-rounder, in 50 T20I appearances, has bagged 57 wickets, with her best being 5/4, and has also scored 724 runs from 45 outings. Kary Chan, in 5 outings at the ICC event, had a strong start, picking up 9 wickets in the first 3 games. However, she couldn’t finish the ICC tournament on a high note but looks to have rediscovered her form, scoring 36 runs and returning figures of 0/18 (4) in the opener.
Pitch:
The center wicket at the Selangor Turf Club, Kuala Lumpur, heavily favors the spinners, creating ideal conditions for bowling, as evident from the average score in the 90s. However, batters with good tactical skills and shot selection can still score runs effectively.
Weather:
With a partly cloudy sky and a very low chance of rain, it would be a good day to be at Selangor Turf Club, Kuala Lumpur, for some cricket. The temperature is expected to hover around 32°C, with light winds and a humidity level of 65%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Wan Julia, Mas Elysa, Pull To, Winifred Duraisingam, Kary Chan, Ainna Hamizah Hashim, Maryam Bibi, Mahirah Izzati Ismail, Betty Chan, Aisya Eleesa, Nur Arianna Natsya
Match details:
Date – September 13, 2023
Time – 12:30 PM IST
Venue – Selangor Turf Club, Kuala Lumpur
Broadcast – All games of the bilateral series will be live-streamed on the FanCode app and website.
