World legends spark fireworks at Hong Kong Sixes

HONG KONG, Oct 27, 2007 (AFP) - Cricketing greats Shane Warne, Brian Lara and Glenn McGrath Saturday starred on the opening day of the Hong Kong Sixes - one of the sport's most colourful tournaments.

They led an All-Stars team competing in a weekend of quick-fire matches with innings of only five overs a side - a format that demands non-stop boundaries from the batsmen.

The six-a-side event pits nine national teams against the All-Stars, who also fielded Indian super spinner Anil Kumble, England's Geraint Jones and big-hitters Craig McMillan of New Zealand and Heath Streak of Zimbabwe. After Saturday's group matches, all ten teams remain in the running to lift the trophy, with England, New Zealand and Bangladesh tipped to provide the toughest challenge to the dominant All-Stars.

McMillan - who hit the most sixes at the recent Twenty20 world championships - and Streak were the top performers with crunching innings against Australia, Bangladesh and South Africa as the All-Stars cruised to three easy wins. Against Bangladesh the All-Stars scored a bruising 120 runs for one wicket in their five overs.

Under the Sixes' unique rules, batsmen retire when they pass 31 and the whole team must bowl an over each, except for the wicket-keeper. The packed crowd was kept on its toes as balls repeatedly crashed into the stands at the tiny Kowloon Cricket Club, set amid Hong Kong's skyscrapers.

Lara, 38 and now retired from international cricket, showed some of the form that made him the world's highest Test run scorer with two huge sixes and four fours against Australia.