Hong Kong China A put on a clinical batting performance to beat Malaysia A by 53 runs at the Hong Kong Cricket Club on Friday. Hafeez Khan's measured 52 off 45 balls set the platform, but it was Reyansh Sharma's explosive 42 off 25 that lifted the visitors past 169. Malaysia A's bowlers lacked penetration in the powerplay, and once Reyansh got going in the middle overs, the match tilted decisively.
Malaysia A never got going in chase. Adeshlie Alias struck a brisk 32 off 21 to give the hosts hope early, but the damage was already mounting. Rahim Khan Malik's two wickets for 18 runs exposed the middle order's fragility. By the time Malaysia A's batting collapsed in the back half, they were chasing numbers that had grown too steep.
The turning point came in overs 12-16, when Reyansh and Khan added 61 runs in quick succession. Malaysia A's attack had no answer to the pace and placement on show. Hong Kong China A's bowlers, meanwhile, held their nerve in the death overs, with Nasrulla Rana's miserly spell of 1 for 6 setting the tone. Malaysia A's lower order folded meekly, crumbling from a fighting position to defeat in 18.2 overs.