Fiery all-rounder Jacob Oram will lead New Zealand at the Karp Group Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2011 and believes he has the ammunition to win the tournament for the first time for his country.

The New Zealand squad for the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes has been selected from the One Day International and T20 squads representing New Zealand on its tour of Zimbabwe starting 15 October 2011 in Harare.

The experience will stand the Black Caps in good stead in a challenging Pool at the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes and offers tournament organizers a wealth of options when selecting players to hit out against the Sixes All Stars in the first ever T20 match to be played at the Sixes on Friday afternoon, October 28.

Oram (pictured above), a powerful left-handed batsman and right-arm fast-medium bowler, will be at the helm of a team that also includes former test representatives and more-than useful all-rounders Nathan McCullum and James Franklin, who is currently playing in the IPL Champions League.

“We have put together a competitive squad and will go into the tournament with high hopes of winning,” said the six-foot six-inch Oram who plays for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.

New Zealand have never won the Sixes, but the mix of experience and youth is a blend that will give the Kiwis a potency as they seek to lift the US$50,000 winner’s purse at the 12-team event from October 28-30 at the Kowloon Cricket Club (KCC).

Apart from right-arm off spinner McCullum and left-arm fast bowler Franklin, the rest of the squad comprises Rob Nicol, (New Zealand Cricket’s domestic player of the year last season), Luke Woodcock, Kieran Noema-Barnett and Derek de Boorder.

“A number of players have international experience but we also have a couple of young guys who will be representing their country for the first time,” Oram said.

One to watch out for will be Noema-Barnett, a destructive batsman who has had a splendid domestic season this year, while much is expected also of wicket-keeper batsman De Boorder.

“We have a very good line up all-rounders and I’m confident we have the squad to win the tournament,” Oram added.

Oram is eagerly anticipating his debut at the Hong Kong Sixes, saying “I love the format as its quick and entertaining and I look forward to experiencing the culture and all that Hong Kong has to offer.”

The Black Caps will face an early challenge when they come up against top seeds, the All Stars, who boast explosive batsmen like Sanath Jayasuriya, Shahid Afridi and Herschelle Gibbs in their lineup. The rest of the opposition in pool A includes Sri Lanka and debutants Scotland.

The defending champions, trans-Tasman rivals Australia, head pool B which comprises England, Bangladesh and a powerful Ireland outfit who will be led by Kevin O’Brien, the player who holds the record for the fastest World Cup century, off just 50 balls. Pool C includes last year’s runners-up Pakistan, South Africa, India and hosts Hong Kong.

For the latest from the HK Sixes, follow us on Twitter by adding @BlitzBokke

Kevin O’Brien, the man who holds the record for the fastest World Cup century, against England at this year’s tournament in India, will lead a powerful Ireland team for the Karp Group Hong Kong Sixes at the Kowloon Cricket Club (KCC)next month.

O’Brien, who stunned England with a blistering century off just 50 balls which resulted in Ireland successfully chasing down a total of 328, will captain a team that includes five of his World Cup teammates as the leading international cricket associate member makes its debut in Hong Kong.

O’Brien’s older brother Niall will keep wicket, while opening batsman Paul Stirling is another who looks perfectly suited to Sixes, having smashed an explosive century off just 72 balls which guided Ireland to victory over the Netherlands at the World Cup.

Left-arm spinner George Dockrell is also included, along with Alex Cusack and John Mooney, with the only uncapped player being Max Sorensen.

It’s a perfect platform for us to get a look at Max, and see how he makes the step up,” said Ireland’s West Indian coach Phil Simmons. “From what I’ve seen, he’s exactly the type of cricketer I’m looking for. He can bowl quick, hits the ball far and is an exceptional fielder who is supremely fit.”

Ireland has been drawn alongside defending champions Australia, England and Bangladesh at the October 28-30 Hong Kong Sixes. After the heroics at the World Cup, opponents will ignore Ireland at their peril.

Fans are looking forward to another exciting Hong Kong Cricket Sixes (Pic: Chingwai Li/Sixes FaceBook Group)

First-ever T20

In addition to playing in the tournament, one player from the Ireland side will be invited to face the Hong Kong Cricket All Stars in a nine-aside T20 match on Friday afternoon at 3.00pm. The match will be the first international T20 match ever held in Hong Kong.

“This is a very strong side and one which is capable of upsetting anyone on their day. We saw what they did to England at the World Cup and I’m sure none of their pool opponents will take Ireland lightly,” said Shahzada Saleem, president of the Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA).

Both Kevin O’Brien and Paul Stirling were amongst the shortlisted players for the ICC Associates and Affiliates 2011 Player of the Year which was ultimately won by Ryan ten Doeschate of the Netherlands, who will figure for the All Stars at the Karp Group Hong Kong Sixes.

Ireland and Scotland will make their debut at the highly-anticipated tournament which has been expanded to 12 teams and three days of competition this year.

The shorter format will continue to play a big part of Ireland’s calendar next year, with the ICC World Twenty20 qualifier taking place in the United Arab Emirates in March, with the top two from the 16-team event going on to the finals in Sri Lanka in September.

With a lot at stake, the stage is set for Ireland to make a stunning debut at the Hong Kong Sixes.

Ireland squad:

Kevin O’Brien (Gloucestershire, capt), Alex Cusack (Clontarf), George Dockrell (Somerset), John Mooney (North County), Niall O’Brien (Northants), Max Sorensen (The Hills), Paul Stirling (Middlesex)

With the support of the Hong Kong Tourism Commission’s Mega Events Fund, the Karp Group Cricket Sixes 2011 is set to be the biggest and best clash in the 19-year history of the Tournament. The Hong Kong Sixes has been an official “M Mark” event since 2004.

For all the latest on Rugby Sevens as well as the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes add me @BlitzBokke

Apple Inc has opened its long-awaited first store in Hong Kong, with hundreds of fans of the computer and gadget maker pouring in on the first day.

Some Apple enthusiasts had camped out for nearly two days to secure a place at the head of the line and be among the first to walk through the doors of the new store on Saturday.

The store is located on two floors linked by a glass spiral staircase in Hong Kong’s upscale International Financial Centre Mall, in the city’s central business district.

The Cupertino, California-based company’s products are wildly popular in mainland China.

The Hong Kong store follows the opening of a third Shanghai store on Friday as the company boosts its presence in a key market. It also has two stores in Beijing.

Source:SAPA

Pics: Jason Beerman/CNNGO

Cricket South Africa (CSA) today named the South African squad to take part in the annual Hong Kong Sixes’ tournament.

The tournament takes place at the Kowloon Cricket Club (KCC) in the city’s Jordan district from October 28-30.

“We have followed the standard procedure of getting each franchise to nominate a player so that we do not disadvantage franchises from their domestic competition requirements,” commented CSA selection convener Andrew Hudson.

“This is a very important tournament for players who have been identified as having the potential to represent the Proteas. We always put an emphasis on young talent and we look forward to the performances of the likes of Mangaliso Mosehle, 21, a former SA Under-19 Cricketer of the Year, and Matthew Hulett, 20, this year’s CSA amateur one-day Player of the Year.

“There is also a good balance of experience provided by Lyall Meyer and Dillon du Preez.

“We are confident this squad can bring home some prestigious silverware.”

The South Africans will again be coached by Corrie Van Zyl (pictured below).

Squad:

Richard Cameron (Highveld Lions), Dillon du Preez (Knights), Matthew Hulett (Dolphins), Lyall Meyer (Warriors), Mangaliso Mosehle (Titans), Aubrey Swanepoel (Griquas), Lenert van Wyk (Cape Cobras)

Manager/Coach: Corrie van Zyl

Some images from previous South African teams at the Hong Kong Sixes:

Hong Kong Sixes 2010

Dinner with the SA Association, “Vinnige Fanie” De Villiers and the SA Team:

(Additional reporting by DimSumAndThenSome)

If, like me you’re a moerse Apple-fan, you will be over the moon to hear that it’s only seven slapies till we get our own fully-fledged Apple Store here in Hongkers!

No, in case you were wondering, not one of the many Apple Resellers dotting the SAR landscape… a REAL Apple Store like this one in Beijing:

Next Saturday, September 24th will mark the highly anticipated opening of the Apple Store in ifc Mall.

The 20,000 square foot, 2-story space will be the 1st official Apple store in Hong Kong, and the 5th in China, with stores in Beijing and Shanghai already wowing the mainland with their i-popping design and technical delights.

The ifc Apple Store will give tried-and-true Mac lovers and up and coming Apple aficionados alike the chance to take advantage of Apple’s stellar retail services.

Apple Store Hong Kong

ifc Mall

Central, Hong Kong

http://store.apple.com/hk

Sanath Jayasuriya and Shahid Afridi, two of the most destructive batsmen in the history of cricket, are set to dazzle fans at the 2011 Karp Group Hong Kong Cricket Sixes at the Kowloon Cricket Club from October 28-30, 2011.

Joining them in the All Stars line-up are a coterie of premier cricketers from around the globe including one of the world’s fastest bowlers, Australia’s Shaun Tait, South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs, Pakistan’s Abdul Razzaq and the International Cricket Council’s Affiliate Player of the year, Ryan ten Doeschate of The Netherlands.

Sri Lanka’s Jayasuriya and Pakistan’s Afridi have gone head-to-head with their batting exploits and are recognised as two of the most feared batsmen in the world. The duo are ideally suited to Hong Kong’s unique format with hitting sixes almost second nature for the pair.

Two of the most-feared batsmen

Master blaster Jayasuriya held the record for the most sixes in one-day internationals – 270 – until Shahid Afridi, nicknamed “Boom Boom” for his aggressive batting style, overhauled it to stand top of the list with 289. The picturesque Kowloon Cricket Club (KCC) will be tailor-made for the duo who will carry the hopes of the All Stars in the expanded 12-team tournament.

“We are thrilled to have both Sanath Jayasuriya and Shahid Afridi playing on the same team. They are outstanding cricketers who can demolish any bowling attack and are more than capable bowlers themselves. Fans are in for a treat,” said Captain Shahazada Saleem, president of the Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA).

Jayasuriya (pictured below) , who holds the record for the fastest 50 in One Day Internationals (ODIs) – off just 17 balls – is a more than capable bowler with his left arm spin having claimed 323 wickets. He is the only player to score more than 13,000 runs and take more than 300 wickets in ODIs.

Afridi was the standout bowler at this year’s World Cup. The leg-spinner was the joint highest wicket-taker with 21 scalps. He also holds the record for scoring the fastest 100, off just 37 balls, another record he claimed from Jayasuriya who had the previous fastest ton (off 48 balls).

The destructive pair will figure in a powerful All Stars team which also includes South African opener Herschelle Gibbs, Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, Australian spearhead Shaun Tait and Ryan ten Doeschate of the Netherlands.

Opposing batsmen will have to watch out for Shaun Tait and his thunderbolts. The Aussie is widely regarded as one of the world’s fastest bowlers. Tait once bowled a delivery recorded at 160.7 kilometres per hour – the fastest ball ever bowled on Australian soil.

Master Gibbs

South African Hershelle Gibbs, is an elegant batsman who on his day can tear apart any attack. He became the first player to hit six sixes in one over, doing so against the Netherlands at the 2007 World Cup. Opponents at KCC will also have to watch out for his brilliant fielding.

All-rounder Razzaq

Abdul Razzaq will be another key cog in the All Stars team. Handy with both bat and ball, the Pakistani played a huge part in his country’s victory over Australia at this year’s World Cup as he guided them to a tense victory with an unbeaten 20 off 24 balls. His coolness under pressure will be welcomed by the All Stars.

Developing stars

In keeping with the Hong Kong Cricket Association’s goal to promote Cricket’s Associate nations, the Netherlands’ Ryan ten Doeschate rounds out this year’s All Star selection.

Every English fan will remember ten Doeschate for the century he scored against England at this year’s World Cup. His knock of 119 is the record for the highest individual score by a player from an associate nation. The Netherlands all-rounder was recently named the ICC Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year for the third time in four years and for the second year running.

Ten Doeschate, 31, played six ODIs during the World Cup this year and scored two centuries and a half-century, averaging 61.40 for the period with a strike rate of 89.24. He is also the first Associate player to win an IPL contract. He was bought at the 2011 auction by Kolkata Knight Riders.

“We have got a good blend of players from all around the world and I expect the All Stars to be one of the favourites to win the tournament,” said Saleem.

The All Stars have been drawn with Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Scotland in pool A. Defending champions Australia are in pool B with England, Bangladesh and Ireland while pool C comprises last year’s losing finalists Pakistan, South Africa, India and Hong Kong.

The moment all of us rugby-mad supporters have been waiting for are but days away.

The 2011 Rugby World Cup (RWC) will kick off with, what the Kiwi-organisers have promised, much-fanfare on Friday 9 September.

The 6-week long tournament will start with a spectacular Opening Ceremony  at 7.30pm (NZT) on Friday, September 9.  The 4-hour time-difference means that HongKongers will be able to tune in at 3:30pm. 

The Opening Ceremony will be followed by the opening match between hosts New Zealand and Tonga (4:30pm HK time).

For those of you fellow-HongKongers who have missed today’s Sunday Morning Post, we have included the full RWC tournament schedule, complete with Hong Kong time, in this post (below).

France assistant coach Emile Ntamack receives a traditional Maori hongi during the official welcome ceremony for his squad at Orakei Marae in Auckland (Pic: Getty Images)

For breaking news on RWC 2011 as well as the HSBC Sevens World Series, add @BlitzBokke if you’re a Twitter user.

(Additional picture of the Maori Warrior by Getty Images)

Here are some images of previous Saffa Rugby get-togethers:

And who can forget that epic evening at Delaney’s Irish Bar in WanChai in 2007:

Simply click on the schedule below and PRINT according to your own computer configurations.

The Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA) yesterday unveiled the tournament pools and ticketing details of the 2011 Karp Group Hong Kong Cricket Sixes at the tournament venue, the Kowloon Cricket Club.

Organisers also took the opportunity to announce details of some new and exciting innovations for this year’s event, some 59-days away.

Firstly, this year’s tournament will be a 3-day event that kicks off on Friday 28 October concluding on Sunday 30 October.

Secondly, Day 1 will see the staging of the first-ever T20 cricket match in the Hong Kong SAR.  Glyn Davies, Tournament Director announced that the historic match will see a combined All Stars/Team China side take on a side made up of members of the remaining 11 national teams.

One of this writer’s concerns at every tournament has been the many youngsters outside the main entrance to the Kowloon Cricket Club (KCC) asking for (free/un-used) tickets.  In an attempt to get more spectators into the grounds, organisers have come up with a solution.  With the extension of the tournament into 3 days, they have announced that single-day tickets for Friday 28 October will be sold at HK$100 (adults) and HK$50 (children).  That means that visitors on Day 1 will be treated to two of the most exciting formats of cricket (round 1 of the Sixes and a T20 match) for only $100 ($50).

“Part of our mandate for the tournament is to increase the exposure of the Sixes and introduce new audiences to cricket. We are confident that the special ticket price offer for Friday will assist in attracting new audiences and will create an entertaining opening day for both staunch cricket supporters and general sports fans,” said Dinesh Tandon, Chairman of the Hong Kong Cricket Association.

Tickets for the 2011 Karp Group Hong Kong Cricket Sales will go on sale from today (Friday, September 2, 2011) via the Hong Kong Ticketing website (www.hkticketing.com) and telephone hotlines, the Hong Kong Cricket Association office in Olympic House, Kowloon Cricket Club, Hong Kong Cricket Club and at Jashan and DotCod restaurants in Central.

Adult tickets are priced at HK$800 for a weekend (Saturday and Sunday) package. Weekend ticket packages for children 12 and under on October 28, 2011 will be HK$380.

See you at the Sixes!

(Right to Left) Attending today’s press conference were Mr Glyn Davies, Tournament Director, Mr Dinesh Tandon, Chairman of the HKCA, Captain Shahzada Saleem Ahmed, President of the HKCA, Mr Jonathan McKinley, Deputy Secretary of the Home Affairs Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government and Mr Danny Lai, General Manager of Hong Kong Cricket Association,

One of the endearing sounds at the Kowloon Cricket Club in Hong Kong, is the sound of the ball hitting the sweet spot on the willow, causing it to sail over the stands and surrounding trees, only to land in adjacent Cox’s Road (or on some poor sod’s car!)  Many a ball has gone lost in this way.

Following a six like that and coming in in close second place, is the sound of the drums, trumpets and raucous celebrations in the mostly South-Asian-populated stand.

Priceless.

While a local team was busy going through their paces at the tournament venue (Kowloon Cricket Club) in the city’s Jordan district, the Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA) unveiled the tournament pools and ticketing details of the Karp Group Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2011.

Today’s announcement marks the 60-day countdown to the 2011 Karp Group Hong Kong Sixes weekend.

Mr Jonathan McKinley, HK’s Deputy Secretary of the Home Affairs Bureau (right) and HKCA’s Captain Shahzada Saleem Ahmed (left) celebrate the 60-day countdown.

With the generous support of the Hong Kong Administration’s Mega Events Fund, the Karp Group Hong Kong Cricket Sixes will be held at the Kowloon Cricket Club from Friday, October 28, to Sunday, October 30, 2011.

The pools for the expanded 12-team tournament, up from eight teams previously, were unveiled today.

Pools

The All Stars are the tournament top seeds in Pool A alongside Sri Lanka, New Zealand and tournament debutantes Scotland.

Pool B is headed by defending Hong Kong Cricket Sixes champions Australia, followed by England, Bangladesh and Ireland.

Pool C sees last year’s runners-up Pakistan grouped with South Africa, India and the hosts, Hong Kong.

All Star line-up

One of game’s greatest hitters and a son of the South African soil was today announced in the line-up for the 2011 Karp Group Hong Kong Cricket Sixes.

Traditionally, at this stage of the planning, tournament organisers are still engaged in negotiations with some of the top international stars who will turn out for the drawcard All Stars Team.  While this year is no different, Captain Shahzada Saleem Ahmed, President of the HKCA had the following to say:

“I am happy to announce the names of 3 confirmed members of the All Stars Team.  (Former Sri Lankan all-rounder) Sanath Jayasuriya and (Bangladesh’s) Abdur Razzak will be joined by (swashbuckling South African) Hershelle Gibbs.”  Their teammates will be announced in due course.

Which brings me back to my opening remarks.  Hopefully Tournament Director Glyn Davies will have the foresight to stock up on a few extra boxes of cricket balls because Hershelle Gibbs…

is coming to town.

(WanChai are YOU ready?!)

Hershelle Gibbs celebrates yet another century (Pic: REUTERS)

(Additional image of Hershelle Gibbs by www.ecb.co.uk)