Jim Hawker, Chiang Mai

The heavy hitters of this year's Chiang Mai Sixes are lining up for what looks like being a classic Cup competition after the round-robin stage drew to a close at the Gymkhana Club yesterday.

Last year's winners, Lord's Taverners from Western Australia, will have to be at their best if they are to retain their crown, with the main challengers coming from Chiang Mai, much to the delight of the local supporters, and Gloucestershire in England.

Rookie Carrington Shepherd continued his excellent form for the Taverners with 33 not out as they made 80-0 against the Shanghai Steinlager Cavaliers. That total proved to be enough for victory, despite 32 not out from Thailand-based Gary Chatfield as the Shanghai-based team made 73-1. When the Cup groupings were decided, the Taverners found themself in a tough
Pool One along with the Gloucestershire Gipsies, who they beat in last year's thrilling Cup final, and the Gipsies' stablemates, the Yes-No-Wait-Sorries.

Equally tough will be Pool Three in which Out of Africa, made up of mostly Zimbabweans who work in the tobacco trade in Chiang Mai, are matched up against another Chiang Mai-based team, the CMW Warriors, along with Hong Kong-based Lamma.

The Warriors found 1999 Cup winners the Perth Postels too good for them yesterday, however, South African all-rounder Kenny Jackson hammering an unbeaten 34 to guide the Postels to 63-2 and victory with two balls to spare after the Warriors had made 62-0.

The Perth Postels are in Pool Two with the Shanghai side and Stairway to Heaven Drifters. Shangahi rebounded from their loss to the Lord's Taverners by defeating up Sixes debutants Javea Wanderers, made up of expats based in Spain. Once again Chatfield was the main run scorer for the Cavaliers, compiling a brisk 31 not out.

While most of the expected teams took their place in the Cup, which will see the winners of each Pool along with the best second-placed team contesting Saturday morning's semi-finals, one surprise was the absence of regular Cup combatants, the Warathais from Newcastle, Australia.

But with former Aussie Test and one-day all-rounder Trevor Chappell in their ranks, the Warathais must fancy their chances of winning the Bowl. Several star players took the eye yesterday, with former Zimbabwe Test player Neil Johnson hitting 33 not out as South Africans Almar CC beat Bangkok-based Southerners while former Sri Lankan international Rumesh Ratnayake mixed classy stroke play and big hitting in his 34 not as the Warbler Bunny Club beat Worcester Police in the first Plate encounter.

The busiest side of the day were the Southerners. Apart from their defeat against Almar, they beat Darwin Dilettantes and then lost to the Stairway to Heaven Drifters. After that match, the Southerners presented much-needed cricket equipment, including bats and gloves, to eight talented young Thai junior cricketers from Bangkok who have been brought up to Chiang Mai by Australian coach Brian Wiggins to take part in the Sawasdee Cup which mostly features Thai youngsters from Chiang Mai schools.

The most poignant moment of the day, though, was a minute's silence for Australian journalist Paul Moran, killed by a car bomb in Northern Iraq in the early stages of the war. Moran was a member of the Bahrain-based Awali Taverners, who have appeared in Chiang Mai even though Moran himself did not. The Warbler Bunny Club team are made up of members of the Awali club.

RESULTS

Round robin:

Lord's Taverners 80-0 (Carrington Shepherd 33 n.o.) beat Shanghai Steinlager Cavaliers 73-1 (Gary Chatfield 32 n.o.)

Southerners 41-0 beat Darwin Dilettantes 39-2

Perth Postels 63-2 (Kenny Jackson 34 n.o.) beat CMW Warriors 62-0

Shanghai Steinlager Cavaliers 55-1 (Gary Chatfield 31 n.o.) beat Javea Wanderers 45-2

Lamma 37-0 beat Darwin Dilettantes 36-4; Stairway to Heaven Drifters 75-1 (Paul Irons 32 n.o., Neil Hower 30 n.o.) beat Southerners 44-3.

Bowl:

Javea Wanderers 50-0 beat Darwin Dilettantes 49-0

Almar CC 78-0 (Neil Johnson 31 n.o.) beat Southerners 70-3 (Vaughan McClear 31 n.o.)

Plate:

Warbler Bunny Club 63-1 (Rumesh Ratnayake 34 n.o.) beat Worcester Police 61-4

Spoon:

Pectels 69ers 52-0 beat Gymkhana Cavaliers 51-2

Gang Green Un Irish Pub 62-0 (Craig Waddell 34 n.o.) beat Wombats 59-1

Bangkok Postels 31-1 beat Wombats 30-2

Irish Pub 61-0 (Craig Waddell 32 n.o.) beat Shenanigans Ios Malakas 58-1 (Marty Burns 28)

Bangkok Postels 56-2 beat Shenanigans Ios Malakas 54-0.

CUP LINEUP

Pool One: Lord's Taverners, Gloucestershire Gipsies, Yes-No-Wait-Sorries
Pool Two: Shanghai Steinlager Cavaliers, Perth Postels, Drifters
Pool Three: Lamma, CMW Warriors, Out of Africa