hong kong sixes

HONG KONG cricket sixes is a six-a-side cricket , fun-filled version of the glorious old game – a feast of world class players, thrilling matches, huge hits and small boundaries.
   
It offers two days of fast and furious action in a festival atmosphere – 8 international teams, 45-minute clashes, global TV coverage and thousands of dollars in prize money up for grabs.
 
First played in 1992, the tournament is fully sanctioned by the International Cricket Council and backed by the boards of the test-playing nations.
 
Stars who have taken part include Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Steve and Mark Waugh, Viv Richards, Andrew Flintoff, Adam Gilchrist and Wasim Akram. (I have not seen Sachin play though)
 
venue: Kowloon Cricket Club, situated in the heart of Hong Kong with the teeming city’s skyscrapers providing a breathtaking backdrop.
 
England, Pakistan, West Indies, Sri Lanka, India and South Africa – all have triumphed at the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes.
 
And it is all for a worthy cause – profits from the tournament are ploughed directly back into cricket development in Hong Kong through the Hong Kong Cricket Association.

The rules :
Each team has 6 players, 1 wicket keeper and 5 bowlers..
Each bowler bowls one over - 5 over match
Plate finals and finals are 8 ball overs..
Single man standing is there. i.e. If the team loses 5 wickets, the last man plays alone and there's a dUmmy runner at the non-striker's end..
Batsmen retire after scoring 31 runs and can come back if all other wickets fall.
Extras cost 2 runs.
Spectators who catch the ball are awarded 500HK dollars.

Year	Winner	Runners Up
2008	England	Australia
2007	Sri Lanka	All Stars
2006	South Africa	Pakistan
2005	India	West Indies
2004	England	Sri Lanka
2003	England	Pakistan
2002	Pakistan	England
2001	Pakistan	South Africa
1997	Pakistan	England
1996	West Indies	India
1995	South Africa	England
1994	England	Australia
1993	England	Sri Lanka
1992	Pakistan	India

India have never taken it seriously with the players being those who have retired from international cricket and sometimes from domestic cricket too..

David Johnson, Vivek Razdan playing in 2008 representing India is the heights of negligence.. Robin Singh has represented India for long in this format..

This year they named a decent squad but only to lose in the 1st round itself.. Almost an all karnataka side with Manish Pandey, Kumble, Arunkumar, Stuart Binny.. Reetinder Sodhi has been a permanent fixture in the side..