Meet Orange’s newest sporting hero – Hong Kong all-rounder Nizakat Khan.
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Although the Sydney Thunder won Sunday’s second Twenty20 game at Wade Park, the result mattered little as Khan captured the hearts of everyone in attendance by defying the reigning Big Bash League champions’ bowlers, and exhaustion, to bring up a magical century in the final over of the game.
After a nine-hour flight and then a three-hour bus ride just two days beforehand the Pakistani-born right-hander carried his bat through Hong Kong’s innings of 9-155 – in reply to the Thunder’s 6-168 – to post 104 not out, bringing up his ton with a six from the fourth last ball of the innings.
He was one of just two batsmen to pass double figures in Hong Kong’s dig and almost inspired an unlikely victory, however the lack of support at the other end proved telling as the side fell 14 runs short.
With six balls left Hong Kong needed 28 to win but more importantly in the context, Khan needed just seven to reach triple figures.
After being dropped from the first ball of the over he worked a single, regained the strike and slashed a six over third man, which earned him a rousing standing ovation from the crowd.
“Today was a lucky day, I’m glad that I’ve scored a hundred against a very good side,” Khan enthused.
“No matter how well I was hitting it, we don’t play this type of opposition often so I’m very happy with myself and the team as well, we did well.
“Unfortunately we didn’t get over the line but individually, we did well.”
The 24-year-old’s ton looked unlikely at best with four overs remaining, at that point the result of the game had been written off and all eyes were on Khan, who – with his side struggling at 7-119 – was 80 not out and starved of strike.
He could only manage a single from the 17th over and was forced to stand on his bat at the non-striker’s for the first five balls of the 18th, watching on as Nadeem Ahmed was dismissed before smashing Liam Hatcher’s final ball for six over point to move to 87 not out with 12 balls remaining in the innings.
Khan moved to 88 with a single, then disaster struck as Kyle Christie was contentiously run out to leave Hong Kong with just one wicket in hand. Khan pulled up lame after the attempted run as well, requiring treatment before he could continue.
Crucially, he still had the strike and found the boundary along with a single to move to 93 going into the final over.
In a heart-stopping moment for Khan and the crowd, he slashed at the first ball of the last over and sent it straight down third man’s throat.
But, it was dropped, letting Khan nudge a single, regain strike and slash once more.
This time he sent it sailing over the boundary for six to bring up his ton and complete the Cinderella story the entire crowd – 3,331 was the official count – so desperately wanted.
“I could (hear the crowd), I think they were with me and not the Thunder,” Khan smiled.
“I was enjoying myself out there. It was (an) amazing (atmosphere). The crowd was very nice and very supportive and the facilities (were great), we don’t often get this type of facilities.
“(The trip to Orange) was good, we enjoyed those games. This is what we said, playing full-time professional cricketers, we are on our way and hopefully we will be there one day.
“We are hoping we can come back next year and beat [the Thunder], hopefully.”
After suffering a 59-run loss in the first of Sunday’s back-to-back games, Hong Kong was put on the back foot immediately by the Thunder’s Kurtis Patterson and stand-in skipper Eoin Morgan, who took over the role from game one hero Ben Rohrer.
After Aiden Blizzard (10) was skittled, Patterson and the England skipper added a hard-hitting 65 for the second wicket before the latter was dismissed for a 25-ball 42 in the 12th over.
Patterson (43) was dismissed in the same over to leave the Thunder at 3-100 from 12 and in a commanding position.
But Hong Kong rallied, seriously restricting the remainder of the Thunder batsmen to keep the electric greens to 6-168.
In reply, Hong Kong consistently lost wickets and never seriously looked capable of challenging the total – outside Khan.
With his inspirational innings Hong Kong came close, but ultimately fell 14 runs short of the required 169.
“We learned from (the first game),” Khan said.
“Fielding especially, on the boundary we let (the Thunder get) a lot of twos. In the second game that’s where we improved, we saved 20 or 30 runs and restricted them to under 170.”
Patterson and Thunder general manager Nick Cummins were full of praise for Khan and Hong Kong following the game.
“He was amazing,” Patterson said.
“Even in the first [game] before he got out he looked strong. He had some amazing hands and he was certainly cutting the ears off it whenever we gave him some width.
“It was really exciting to watch, but I am glad he didn’t get them the win over us.”
“[Khan] played really well in both innings,” Cummins said, echoing Patterson’s sentiments.
“Hong Kong were really good competition. Winning’s important, but it’s more important to see the players tested and they did that with both bat and ball across both games.”