San Miguel Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes:
Redlands Tigers win Cup and Thai Thevada win Bowl

In an exciting all-Australian Cup Final tournament newcomers the Redlands Tigers faced previous Cup winners the Lords Taverners. Despite great fielding, an innings of good running and fine big-hitting (including Trent Conwell retired) saw a respectable 88 scored by the Tigers.  The Taverners responded magnificently, with Luke Towers and Andy Walton retiring but, with six to win needed off the final ball, Tigers’ birthday boy James Carr took a magnificent wicket to win the game and the Cup. Earlier in the day, the Cup semi-finals saw three Australian teams aiming to prevent 2010 Cup holders the Bangladeshi Bashundhara Cricketeers from retaining the trophy. In the first game, the Lords Taverners, helped by fantastic hits from Luke Towers, beat the Lik Lik Wombats, who went down fighting after good batting by Brook Grumont. The second Cup semi-final saw a magnificent effort from the Redlands Tigers as they defeated Cup holders the Bashundhara Cricketeers. The Tigers produced some fine batting, followed by tremendous catching (including a caught and bowled by Lenny Wyatt), which ensured an exit from the tournament for the Bangladeshis, despite their stupendous batting that started with a six for Khaled off the first ball and then went down to the last over.

The Bowl Final was between Thai Thevada and the Chiang Mai Hot Dogs, a game notable for being the first time in the history of the Sixes that an all Thai team (Thai Thevada) has ever made a final, credit indeed to all those who have worked so hard to achieve this feat.  The game itself was spoiled by lots of wides which prevented both teams from batting properly. At the end the scores were tied but, as Thai Thevada had not lost any wickets and the Hot Dogs had lost two, they were declared the winners to much applause around the ground. 

A very wet early morning pitch affected the Shield semi-finals; in the first game good fielding from the Kiwi Divine Felons (four wickets including three in one over) saw them defeat Darjeeling from the UAE, and in the second good bowling and careful batting ensured an English win for Bristol against the Australian Perth Postels. In the Final the Divine Felons scored 51 in their innings, but fielding woes let them down and left Bristol to cruise to victory on their first visit to the Chiang Mai Sixes.

In the Plate semi-finals Almar’s quality batting easily defeated the Gymkhana Cavaliers, and the Awali Taverners could not match the innings score set by the ZoomBar Drifters. The Final saw the ZoomBar Drifters from England score 75 in an innings with good performances from Langham and Hall.  In response Almar from South Africa lost three wickets and failed to reach the score set.

In the Spoon Final Blythswood from England set a score of 66, despite good fielding by Sa Pa from Vietnam which included a one handed caught-and-bowled by Jimi Green and good boundary stopping. Sa Pa responded well to take it down to the final over, but even a fine six could not quite match Blythswood’s score. 

In the Ladies’ Final, at the end of another fine tournament, the Thai Angels beat the Chiang Mai Chassies.

For more information, go to: www.chiangmaisixes.com.