RAF v. HONG KONG cricket matches 1980

Submitted by paulbrown on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 22:57

My late father, Flight Sergeant Graham Brown, visited Hong Kong in (I believe) 1980 to umpire a sereis of cricket matches. He did this in his capacity as an RAF cricket umpire. There is nobody left in the family who really remembers the details of this tour that he made. I was 13 years old at the time and the tales of his trip made quite some impression on me when he returned back to the UK after his short Hong Kong visit.
I am planning to travel to Hong Kong myself later this year and would love to visit the ground or grounds where he umpired. If anyone on the site has information on which particular tournament this may have been and where the games were played I would really appreciate their sharing on this site.
Many thanks, Paul Brown, Berlin, Germany 

The Hong Kong Cricket Club was situated in Central, in the heart of the business district until 1974, when it was moved to it's current site at Wong Nei Chong Gap. So the chances are that your father umpired there, or perhaps at one of the other grounds used by the HK Cricket Association. The other grounds used were Kowloon Cricket Club, Little Sai Wan (an MOD site), Mission Road (also in Kowloon) and King George Vth School. I feel that if it was a match against the Hong Kong side - it will have been played at the Cricket Club, at Wong Nei Chong Gap. Hope this helps?

By email from Mike Jones:

I refer to the enquiry you received concerning the visit of RAF (UK) cricket team to Hong Kong in 1980.  Please note below:

19 March 1980 at Sookunpo
Hong Kong British Forces: 80
RAF UK: 83 for 1

20 March 1980 at Sekong
RAF (UK): 297 for 7
RAF Hong Kong: 116

21 March 1980 at HKCC (Wongneichong)
HKCC/KCC combined XI: 167
RAF (UK): 169 for 5

23 March 1980 at Sekong
HKCA XI: 179 for 4
RAF (UK): 141 for 3 (Draw)

Sekong - now PLA - no cricket
Sookunpoo - no cricket, only football
HKCC - still going strong