Pull To, Betty Chan star in Jets' thumping win in the opening match of Hong Kong Premier League

Jade Jets’ 72-run wing against Bauhinia Stars at the Hong Kong Cricket Club in Wong Nai Chung Gap on Sunday (October 18) in the first match of the Hong Kong Women’s Premier League.

Chasing a target of 163 in the 35-over per side match, Stars started poorly losing opener Ruchitha Venkatesh for a duck to Iqra Sahar in the second over. Stars Jade Jets opening bowlers Sahar and Jasmine Titmuss kept it tight not allowing Stars to score freely. Coming in as first-change in the ninth over, Betty Chan had Emma Lai caught by To in her second over. Stars were soon reduced to 29 for 3 when Shanzeen Shahzad was run out for 13.

Stars skipper Kary Chan tried to steady the ship with Mehreen Yousaf with her aggressive intent. But once Yousaf was dismissed of the bowling Keenu Gill when the score was 51 in the 18^th over, they never recovered. Betty Chan took three wickets in her next three consecutive overs including the aggressive looking Kary Chan for a 22-ball 26.

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None of the other batters made an impact and Stars were eventually skittled out for 90 in the 30^th over to give the Jets a big win. Shahzad and Kary Chan were the only batters to reach the double figures. Apart from Betty Chan’s four-wicket haul, Titmuss also starred with the ball and finished with an enviable figures that read 6-3-6-2.

Earlier put into bat by the Stars, To’s solid knock held Jets innings together even as they were rocked by the three early wickets-including that of former Hong Kong skipper Mariko Hill. To hit Alison Sui for consecutive boundaries in the fourth over. She was on 29 from 27 balls at one stage, but post Hill’s dismissal slowed down to guide the Jets innings to a competitive total. She hit five boundaries during her 73-ball innings.

To shared a 30-run partnership with Gill and added another 38 run with Titmuss to take the score past 100. She got out immediately after her fifty when she was caught behind off Sui in the 25^th over. Katy Gibbons (26) played some enterprising shots in her stroke filled 38-ball knock to take the score to 150. Jets eventually finished their innings at 162 for 9 in their allotted 35 overs. Siu was the best bowler on display for the Stars and finished with the figures of 2 for 23 with Yousaf and Maryam Bibi also taking two wickets each.

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Second match of the competition to be played on November 15 and will be followed by the final match on December 13. Both matches will be played at the Tin Kwong Road Recreational Ground in Kowloon City.

Brief scores: Jade Jets 162 for 9 in 35 overs ( Pull To 50, Katy Gibbons 26; Alison Siu 2 for 23, Mehreen Yousaf 2 for 29) beat Bauhinia Stars 90 all out in 29.3 overs (Kary Chan 26; Betty Chan 4 for 16, Jasmine Titmuss 2 for 6) by 72 runs.