When Hong Kong was handed over to the Chinese in 1997, the fact that the former British colony lost several of its cricket grounds did not attract much attention.
A legacy of Britain's 155-year occupation of Hong Kong, cricket evolved from a military pastime to the bona-fide growth sport it is today.
"The biggest single problem cricket faced after the handover was the loss of the militia grounds," Mike Walsh, chairman of the Hong Kong Cricket Association, tells BBC Sport.
"But we managed to secure some land from the government and we have built two new grounds.
"We're almost back to strength and we could do with some more grounds, but one of the things you never get too much of in Hong Kong is space."
Hong Kong is a rung above the typical cricket outpost.
Their oldest club, the Hong Kong Cricket Club, was formed in 1851, while the other big club, Kowloon, celebrated its centenary last year.
In July this year, Hong Kong will celebrate its finest hour when the national team takes part in the Asia Cup, their first official one-day international series.
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Everybody here is looking forward to the Asia Cup, including the somewhat dubious pleasure of facing Shoaib Akhtar
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They qualified by reaching the final of the 2000 Asian Cricket Council Trophy but Hong Kong were made to wait, as the scheduled Asia Cup two years later was scrapped with the freezing of sporting ties between India and Pakistan.
"Thankfully the warming of relations between India and Pakistan means we can get everything off the ground," says Walsh, a Lancastrian who travelled to Hong Kong in 1978 for six months and never left.
The Asia Cup, to be held in Sri Lanka, marks the latest step in the progression of cricket in Hong Kong, who have drawn Pakistan and Bangladesh in their group.
"For many years the game here was viewed as a military sport, but in recent years the game has flourished with the influx of a more international community," Walsh adds.
"More recently, we have taken cricket to the schools and there are about 6,000 Chinese children now playing the game.
"We get a great deal of financial support and help from the ICC and the ACC, as well as the Hong Kong government.
"Our long-term aim is to significantly increase the number of home-grown Chinese players in the national side."
The national team comprises a 50-50 split of players born in Hong Kong and foreigners who have become naturalised.
England beat Pakistan in the Hong Kong Sixes final in 2003
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"The transient nature of Hong Kong means that the captain of our 2000 team, Stewart Brew, is now a resident of Texas," Walsh tells.
All players take part in the domestic competition, which takes place at weekends.
"Our season is the reverse of the UK. We basically follow the Australian season, running from the beginning of September until the end of March," Walsh says.
"We have a Saturday afternoon league, which consists of 18 teams and is 35-overs-per-side as we never get the benefit of long English nights.
"The major competition is run on Sundays, which goes all day and is played to international one-day international rules.
"Besides the two big clubs, we have independent clubs playing like the Pakistan Association and other sports bodies around town.
"We have lost some teams over the years, not least the British Forces, but cricket is strong here and growing.
"There are just short of 400 active players registered in Hong Kong."
The cream of the crop will be selected for the Asia Cup, where they will face a quality of player like never before. Unsurprisingly, ambitions are modest.
"Everybody here is looking forward to it, including the somewhat dubious pleasure of facing Shoaib Akhtar," Walsh says.
"I guess we could hope for a day of days against Bangladesh, but my heart of hearts finds it difficult to forecast anything other than a learning experience against the mighty Pakistan."
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