Chiang Mai Lanna CC won the first league match of the season when they defeated Gymkhana Juniors by 15 runs
Months of planning has gone into setting up a new four team league in Chiang Mai involving two adult sides and two junior sides, so it was fitting that the opening fixture played at Gymkhana Club was a contest full of runs with Gymkhana Juniors more than holding their own against the seniors from Chiang Mai Lanna.
The morning had already seen a 15-over junior match in which the Under-16s from Mae-On overcame those from Lamphun so Thai youngsters from three different teams were playing cricket for more than eight hours at Gymkhana Club on Sunday which is something to be proud about.
Gymkhana Juniors won the toss and elected to field first and Chiang Mai Lanna got off to a great start thanks to openers Nick Kirby and Ryan Sherman whose partnership reached had 98 when Sherman was required to retire on reaching a fluent fifty with a six and 7 fours.
Lanna’s first wicket did not fall until the score had reached 138 when Kirby was dismissed for 37 but the juniors fought their way back into the match by restricting their senior opponents to a total of 222 for six in 30 overs.
With two players in Bangkok for a national camp the young Thai side was re-inforced by Eddie Joyner who contributed three wickets for 48 runs as well as providing all his experience in the field as Choo and Chanchai returned tidy figures with the ball.
Choo then showed what a promising player he was by opening the batting and making 34 to lead the chase. Formot was run out early, but Chanchai and Cher both passed the 20-mark to confirm reports that they are both promising young all-rounders.
The surprise package for the juniors was Dang who had already bowled with pace in his first ever match against the seniors. He showed no fear when he came in at 83 for 3 and while he was at the crease a surprise victory was very much on the cards as he hit the ball firmly through the leg-side field to show he had a very good eye for such a new cricketer.
The seniors from Lanna showed the virtue of bowling straight as they hit the stumps for four consecutive wickets but the match was very much still alive until the final over as captain Pete Warner rotated no fewer than eight bowlers so everyone had their chance with bat or ball during an entertaining contest.
A total of 429 runs were scored in 60 action-packed overs during the afternoon and spectators appreciated the quality of cricket that was served up by young and old alike.
It was generous of three members of the Singapore Spirits team to give up their time to play as guests in the match and to support cricket played at Gymkhana Club, and Lanna also benefited from the contributions of John Danby travelling from Chiang Rai and Walter Persaud from Bangkok.
Chiang Mai Lanna could be pleased with their victory by 17 runs with Ryan Sherman looking a class act with the bat but the youngsters pushed the seniors to the limit with some very tidy seam bowling and some fearless hitting with the bat. It was just the start to the new league that everyone involved was hoping for.
The next league match will be played at Gymkhana Club on Sunday 11th November when Chiang Mai Lanna will take on the second junior team in the league, CPP from Doi Saket. Over the course of the season a total of 12 league matches will be played, many of which will see similar enticing contests between youth and experience.