Gymkhana Ground On the Mend -
Looking Good For 19th Sixes

The storm clouds have finally passed (for this year at least), and the clean-up and repair work is now well underway.  Chiengmai Gymkhana Club ground is recovering quickly, with help, from damage inflicted by the worst flooding in living memory. Barring further natural disasters, a full recovery is confidently assured in time to welcome cricketers and friends at the 19th Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes scheduled for April 2 – 8, 2006.

Three significant floods between August and October had deposited tons of soft muddy silt, ankle deep, over the entire golf course and cricket square. Thick weeds had begun to sprout strongly from the richly fertile deposits. Faced with the enormity of  the task and huge costs of  tackling an entire golf course, the Gymkhana Club have decided to allow the main golf course area  to recover naturally, except for essential repair around greens and bunkers. However the Sixes Committee deemed  a far more pro-active approach was needed for the cricket ground.

It was decided to use available Sixes funds plus kind donations of time money and materials  to get the cricket ground  back into prime condition in time for the 2006 Sixes tournament. Machinery has been hired, turf bought and labour employed,to help get the job done.  

This week Eric Little, who has been helping Khun Parn Poshyanonda to oversee the work , was able to announce “the ground has finally been cleared of all the silt – how many tons we can’t begin to estimate. Grass has started to be laid around the pitch and in another week the job should be completed.” The picture below, taken by Eric, shows the current state of the repair work. There is still a bit to do, but mostly now nature will take over the job and a green and healthy cricket ground is confidently expected to be ready for the 2006 Sixes. See you there !

"The latest photo of joy" - Eric Little