The San Miguel Chiang Mai International Cicket Sixes may be over for another year and the locals may be winding down after a busy league season, but Chiang Mai is still proving a popular destination for touring teams even as the temperature is rising and the rainy season on the way.
The month of May saw the visit of touring teams from India and Hong Kong in the form of the Indian Deaf Cricket Federation who came to play a series of matches against Chiang Mai CC and Chiang Mai Lanna CC, and Kowloon CC who made a welcome return to Chiang Mai to play a weekend’s cricket at Gymkhana Club.
The Indian deaf side stayed at the International School out at Prem Centre and enjoyed the fine facilities available to them. Their first match was against Lanna who made 171 from their 20 overs thanks to a century partnership from school teacher Neil Davidson and the reliable Tim Woolls, who was soon to go back home to Wales, and the visitors were bowled out for 146 to give Lanna victory by 25 runs.
CMCC provided the opposition in the second match which was a low-scoring 30-over contest. CMCC’s bowling attack impressed as the Indians were bowled out for 103 and the home side scraped home with only one wicket to spare but the visitors gained the first victory of their tour in another 30-over match as they chased down 150 with ease to win by six wickets.
The Indians then rounded off their tour with a second victory as they defeated Lanna by six wickets in a 20-over contest to ensure that honours were shared with two wins to the home sides and two to the Indian Deaf Cricketers. Martin Papworth who has done so much to organize cricket in Chiang Mai this year and has more often than not stood as an umpire returned to his best on the field with eight wickets in three matches.
The Indian deaf cricketers were excellent visitors as they came on tour with a large squad with players who were glad to take the field when required and they also provided a scorer which was invaluable. The tour was a rewarding experience for all with communication possible by sign language and a very enjoyable dinner was staged by CMCC to celebrate the tour.
Kowloon CC were the first winners of the Chiang Mai International Sixes in 1988 so it was appropriate that a Kowloon side should visit again to mark that 25 year anniversary.
Kowloon played two contrasting matches against Gymkhana Club with the first a very competitive 30-over contest in which the home side held their own for large periods. Kowloon were contained well by some accurate bowling at the start of their innings but David Millington top-scored with 39 and 75 runs came in the last 10 overs as the visitors reached 161.
Gymkhana Club were in with a chance of victory more much of their innings as Richard Cowles compiled an unbeaten 61 but he ran out of partners as his team were bowled out for 130. Kowloon gained victory by 31 runs and food was later laid on for players of both sides at Zoom Bar in Loi Kroh.
Sunday’s match was a very one-sided affair with a depleted Gymkhana side bowled out for 64 despite a good innings of 28 from Bank who has made quite an impression on his return from America. Kowloon raced to victory in just 3.4 overs with some big hitting that was reminiscent of a Sixes match.