Thai Thevada reach final for first time in Chiang Mai Sixes

Saturday sees the finals of the San Miguel Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes at the Gymkhana Club and will include, for the first time, an all-Chiang Mai final.  Action starts at 9.00am with presentation of trophies at about 5.00pm.

Fridays’s play began at 8.00am with hazy sunlight and morning dew, so wet balls affected the first games. Fighting for a place in the Bowl semi-final against the Tokyo Dingbats, the Darwin Dilettantes remained unbeaten after batting well to clinch the game with a boundary in the final over. The second Bowl semi-final place went to the also unbeaten Thai Thevada over the Armadillos from England; the Thai lads scored 74 (Tong retired) and then continued well in the field with great boundary stopping from otherwise sure boundaries, and taking 4 wickets (including an early dismissal for a duck, a fine catch by Game and two run-outs).

In the Cup an all-Australian clash produced a close game as careful batting and running from the Redlands Tigers overcame good bowling and spectacular run-out attempts from the Lords Taverners, while Cup holders the Bashundara Cricketeers ensured passage to the semi-finals with their normal boundary-bashing form, despite good fielding and useful hitting from the Lik Lik Wombats.

The Wombats secured a place in the Spoon semi-final by beating the very popular local Stuffed Beavers, as did Blythswood when they dispatched the Bangkok Postels.

With both teams already qualified for the Plate semi-finals, Almar beating the Awali Taverners was a game of pride rather than action. The other Plate match went to the last ball and ended in a score tie with the ZoomBar Drifters winning (due to  wickets taken) after relying on running rather than boundaries, and the Gymkhana Cavaliers losing despite a boundary from Eric Little off the final ball of their innings.

In the Shield Darjeeling gave a solid showing but were beaten by the slightly better batting of the Pattaya Dilettantes, while the Gloucestershire Gipsies put in a fighting, albeit insufficient, performance to stay in the tournament against fine batting and fielding from their English neighbours Bristol.

In the first Spoon semi-final Ios Malakas’ score of 49 was easily beaten by Sa Pa, despite their losing three early wickets. In the second semi-final the Australian Wombats were beaten convincingly by English Blythswood, whose rising star Ranjit “Randee” opened a tight bowling performance that was a cut above anything their opponents could manage.

The first Bowl semi-final was between Thai Thevada and the Darwin Dilettantes. The Dilettantes batted and fielded well to claim vital wickets, but the Thai lads kept their cool and good running, boundaries and then wides in the final over earned them a good victory and a chance in the final.  The second Bowl semi-final saw the Moonshine Warathais defeated by the Chiang Mai Hot Dogs, a team organized at the last minute to replace another and it consists of two local Thai lads, so there are two Chiang Mai teams in the Bowl final.

Battling for a Cup semi final place the local Irish Pub, despite some great fielding and batting efforts, lost out to the Lords Taverners, who took two wickets in the last over of their fielding and then massive sixes and excellent ball placement ensured victory by the fourth over. The other semi-final place went to the Lik Lik Wombats, whose score of 85 proved too much for the Yorkshire Puddings, despite a fine batting effort in the final over.

For Sixes information and live online action, see: www.chiangmaisixes.com.