Jim Hawker
Bangkok Post, Chiang Mai

CHIANG MAI SIXES

Jim Hawker
Chiang Mai

Defending Cup champions Gloucestershire Gipsies crashed out of this year's Chiang Mai International Sixes yesterday after losing both of their second-round matches at the Gymkhana Club.

The English outfit, one of the favourites for this year's competition, were beaten in the morning by promising Bangladeshi team Commonwealth C.C. and then in the afternoon were on the wrong end of an inspired innings from Sixes specialist Kenny Jackson.
South African Jackson, a regular at Sixes events in Thailand, was at his brilliant best as he hammered 32 retired for 1999 winners Perth Postels, the team he always guest stars for in Chiang Mai. The Gipsies' total of 69-2 had put them in with a chance against the Western Australian side, but Jackson - ably supported by Brett "Kanga" Bastow with 16 - had other ideas and the erratic Gipsies' attack was heavily punished as the Postels raced to 72-0.

Earlier Minhaj Ahmed had hit 32 retied out of Commonwealth's 75-1 and despite 31 retired from the consistent Wade Ridsdale, the Gipsies fell 13 runs short in their reply.

Today's match between Commonwealth and the Perth Postels - scheduled for 2.10pm - promises to be a cracker, with the winners definitely going through to the semi-finals, while the losers could also progress if they finish with the best record of the second-placed teams in the three Cup groups.

In other Cup action yesterday, last year's runners-up Lord's Taverners of Australia were beaten by Hong Kong-based Lamma C.C. and South Africans Almar defeated Yes No Wait Sorries from England by six runs in the day's most dramatic match.

Sri Lankan international Ruchira Palliyaguru (33 retired) and Chris Vester (32 retired) saw Almar to 80-0 but then Palliyaguru had to be carried off on a stretcher after injuring his groin in the field and Matt Coley slammed a quick 27 to take the Sorries within sight of victory.
Veteran Terry Eckstein, however, bowled a good final over, despite having a catch dropped, and the Sorries finished six runs short of their target.

There was another exciting run chase in the second-tier Bowl competition with Stairway to Heaven Drifters from England making a gallant effort to overhaul Chiang Mai side Te Pakeha's 75-2. The locally-based team nearly paid the price for too many wides in the final over but the Drifters, for whom Rob Hall made 32 retired, ended up on 73-2, two runs short.

In the Plate, B.A Dragons from Wales, winners of the previous night's Fancy Dress competition, beat sentimental favourites Darjeeling.
Dubai-based Darjeeling arrived in Chiang Mai shocked by the recent death of their chairman Joe Carpenter, a popular and sporting participant in every Sixes here since 1990. The Sixes organisers have decided that the Plate competition will henceforth be known as the Joe Carpenter Plate, in his honour.

RESULTS

Cup

Lions of CMW 40-3 lost to Yes No Wait Sorries 42-0 (Mark Briers 26 n.o.); Commonwealth C.C. 75-1 (Minhaj Ahmed 32 ret) beat Gloucestershire Gipsies 62-2 (Wade Ridsdale 31 ret); Almar 80-0 (Ruchira Palliyaguru 33 ret, Chris Vester 32 ret) beat Yes No Wait Sorries 74-3 (Matt Coley 27); Lord's Taverners 68-1 (Carrington Shepherd 30 ret) lost to Lamma C.C. 72-1 (Toby White 33 ret); Gloucestershire Gipsies 69-2 lost to Perth Postels 72-0 (Kenny Jackson 32 ret)

Bowl

Awali Taverners 72-2 (Malinda Warnapura 34 ret) beat Shanghai Dragons 58-5; Marchwiel Outlaws 88-2 beat Shenanigans Darwin Dilettantes 52-4; Te Pakeha 75-4 beat Stairway to Heaven Drifters 73-5 (Rob Hall 33 ret)

Plate

B.A. Dragons 53-2 (Ravinda Puskpakumara 35 ret) beat Darjeeling 50-4; Southerners 75-2 (James Moss 33 ret) lost to Ashwell Crusaders 76-3 Spoon: Halyt 80-2 (M.Whetton 30 ret) beat Bangkok Postels 51-2; Living Dolls 45-2 lost to Irish Pub Gang Green 47-1; Gymkhana Cavaliers 53-1 lost to Halyt 57-2