Pakistan are through to the plate final of the Hong Kong Sixes after beating Hong Kong by six wickets on Sunday, keeping their bid for silverware alive after missing out on the main final. Abbas Afridi led the chase with an unbeaten 55 as Pakistan reached 107 in the fifth over without losing a wicket.
That result set up a final against Oman on Sunday, with Pakistan now one win away from the plate title. Afridi’s innings, which included seven sixes and three fours, gave the chase its pace from the start, while Khawaja Nafay added an unbeaten 34 to close out the target with ease.
Pakistan’s route to the plate bracket had already been decided before Sunday. They finished second behind the UAE in their pool, which left them out of the main final despite being the defending champions. Australia and Afghanistan took those places instead, with Afghanistan beating Scotland and Australia defeating the UAE to reach the title match.
That is what gives the plate final its edge for Pakistan. It is not the main event they wanted, but it is still a chance to finish the tournament with a trophy, and the next test now belongs to Oman. If Pakistan carry the same pace and clean hitting into Sunday’s final, the gap between disappointment and redemption could be measured in one more innings.
