Thai Thevada win twice and top their group

A hazy hot sunny morning greeted the start of the third day of the San Miguel Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes at the picturesque Gymkhana Club.

The first match saw local lads Thai Thevada use their fielding skills to score a comfortable victory over the Bangkok Postels from Australia. In an all-English affair, tight bowling ensured the Armadillos of victory against Blythswood. The Redlands Tigers from Australia proved they are definite contenders for top honours this year with a score of 98 for 1 (including Trent Conwell retired on 35) with a win against 2008 Cup winners the Surrey Vagrants from England, who nevertheless made a stiff batting response. The Perth Postels (who allowed 5 to be run off a no-ball, made up for it by subsequent tight bowling from Mike Maher and a catch and a stumping by Sri Lankan star Amal Silva) scored an easy victory against the Shanghai Hot Dogs. The Kiwi Taranaki Taverners defeated the Bahraini Awali Taverners, while the Tokyo Dingbats racked up 118 to beat the Wombats. Cup holders the Bashundhara Cricketeers made a slow batting start, but ended in their customary boundary- bashing fashion with a six into the Boundary Bar and continued with excellent fielding to beat the Moonshine Warathais, who made some fine batting attempts to hit the 10-run signs, something more teams might try harder to do in the future as a hit means the sign advertiser must donate 3,000 baht to the Thai junior cricket programme. After a superb boundary-bashing finish the Lords Taverners overcame their thus far unbeaten Australian compatriots the Pattaya Dilettantes. Alma from South Africa had little difficulty outscoring the Bangkok Postels from Australia. Thai Thevada went to the top of their group when they beat the Greek Ios Malakas, despite some late-innings boundaries by Martin Burns. The Thai lads, who we have seen grow into fine cricketers over the years, took 3 wickets in some very nifty fielding, followed by some great boundaries from Tong. Past Cup winners the Perth Postels from Ashes-losing Australia came in for a battering as they lost to the English Yorkshire Puddings, 2010 Shield winners whose consistent performance put them top of their group and in serious contention for a place in the Cup. The match between the Kiwi Divine Felons and Darjeeling from the UAE provided a nail-biting classic Sixes finish, which included a great one-handed boundary catch by Felons’ Asif Chaloo. The local Gymkhana Cavaliers score of 63 proved too much for the English Armadillos and as the gloom of an impending storm descended the Floggers & Robbers from Zimbabwe beat Blythswood from England.

The action continues daily this week from early morning until dusk with the finals on Saturday 9th April – if you cannot come then watch and listen live on: www.chiangmaisixes.com.