Published on March 31, 2005

This year’s Chiang Mai Sixes has become a truly international event with match commentary being broadcast around the world via the Internet.

Messages have been flooding into the organiser’s website from cricket fans around the world who have been tuning into the action by listening to ground commentator Rick “The Viking” Davis, which is being broadcast on the Internet.

And “The Viking”, who has been the ground commentator at the Chiang Mai Sixes for many years, has now found a much larger audience for his brilliant commentary and insights into the game, as well as his dry sense of humour.

And there was plenty of action on the pitch at the 107-year-old Chiengmai Gymkhana Club yesterday as a record number of teams battled to see which division, and trophy, they will be playing for in the next few days.

With a record total of 30 teams entered this year and the event running for a full week for the first time, a round robin format has been used to see which teams will later be divided into the five divisions – Cup, Shield, Bowl, Plate and Spoon.

There are still seven matches to be played this morning before the organisers can put the teams into the five divisions.

There are some very experienced players this year, including former Australian Test star Trevor Chappell, who is playing once again for the very sociable Moonshine Warathais, who had won two and lost two matches by the end of play yesterday.

Also hoping to do well this year in their 10th trip to Chiang Mai are the Perth Postels from Australia, led by Michael “The Cat” Maher, who is also one of the organisers of next week’s Phuket International Sixes.

One of the highlights of the Chiang Mai event, which is now one of the biggest amateur cricket tournaments in the world, was last night’s “pig picking” – an open-air party at the Gymkhana Club with four large pigs on a spit. Various teams come to the party in fancy dress and perform some songs which could never be played on public radio as well as some dances which probably couldn’t be shown on television.

The action hots up today in the grounds of the beautiful Chiengmai Gymkhana Club and admission is free.

Alan Parkhouse

The Nation

Chiang Mai