Alan Parkhouse
The Nation, Chiang Mai

Sixes is all for the sexes and the under-16s

The annual event, now in its 17th year, had 29 teams from around the world jetting into Thailand's northern capital for a week of social and serious cricket on the grounds of the historic 106-year-old Chiengmai Gymkhana Club.

All the teams taking part, with the exception of a few top players - some former internationals and some County players in England - pay their own way to Chiang Mai. Proceeds from the event go to developing children's cricket in Thailand.

Many of the teams also donated gloves, bats, pads and balls, while Australia's Trevor Chappell passed on some of his expertise to local youngsters at a clinic held at the Gymkhana Club's nets.

The Sixes is divided into divisions ranging from the top tier Cup, followed by the Bowl, Plate and Spoon, and there is also an exhibition match between a team made up of the best players present under the name of the Rest of the World who take on a top ranked team of Sri Lankans, made up of former internationals and leading club players.

The women also get a chance to show their skills on the final day and this year local side the Chiang Mai Chassies defended their title against the World Woman's Dixie Belles, with flashes of brilliance from both teams.

The main event, the Cup final, was won by the unusually named Yes No Wait Sorries of Gloucestershire in England, managed by Chris Foley, a horse racing enthusiast and organiser of the Cheltenham National Hunt Festival. The Sorries pulled off quite an upset in the Cup final, defeating the highly fancied Surrey Vagrants led by former Essex captain Paul Prichard and featuring big-hitting West Indian Franklin Hinds.

In the Bowl final the Marchwiel Outlaws, a team of talented young Aussies on their way to the UK to play club cricket and sponsored by umpire and Chiang Mai regular John Bell, set up an almost impossible run chase for defending champions the Moonshine Warathais.

The Warathais, from Newcastle in Australia who had former international Trevor Chappell in their side for the second year running, faced "Mission Impossible" after the Outlaws had scored a very high sixes total of 99.

But Chappell put on one of the most polished batting displays ever seen at the annual event, with deft touches rather than power hitting, and retired with his allowed maximum of 30 runs. The Warathais fell well short in their run chase.

In the Plate final, history was made when England's Ashwell Crusaders and the Bangkok-based Southerners finished in a tie, both sides scoring 72-2.

The Plate was renamed the Joe Carpenter Plate this year after the late Darjeeling team chairman from Dubai, a very popular man who sadly passed away only a week before this year's event.

Carpenter's widow presented the Plate to both teams after the final in an emotional ceremony.

The Spoon final was won by Bangkok Postels, a mainly Australian side, who defeated English veterans Halylt in a close game.

But the highlight for many on the final day was an exhibition match played by two teams of local juniors, all 12 and 13-year-olds, whose standard of play was as good as juniors in powerhouse nations like Australia.

Some of these youngsters travel up to 40 kilometres by motorcycle to play in competitions in the Chiang Mai area and their extraordinary skills are a tribute to the unpaid coaches and officials who spend their time teaching the game.

While the senior competition was in progress through the week a junior event, played with a soft ball and known as Sawasdee cricket, was being played on a nearby field and many seasoned veterans were stunned by the high standard of play, as well as the young players’ traditional Thai wai to the umpires at the end of play.

There were also many social events at night during the week in Chiang Mai and this year many teams picked up sponsorships from bars and restaurants in the city, and there were some interesting cheer squads around the boundary.

But at the end of the week the biggest winners were the local young cricketers who are going from strength to strength every year thanks to the tireless efforts of unpaid coaches and officials and the proceeds of one of Thailand's great international sporting events.