The first season of the Chiang Mai Senior League is reaching its finale with two teams still in contention for the title with one match left to play and it is fitting that the team which has moved to the top of the table is CPP at Doi Saket which has been developed as a finishing school for young Thai cricketers.
The league has been established with the primary aim of enabling the two junior sides, CPP and Gymkhana Juniors, to play regular competitive cricket against two adult sides, and CPP’s league campaign came to an end with a fourth victory in six matches as they overcame Floggers & Robbers by two wickets in a high-scoring encounter at Gymkhana Club. The Thai boys have become the new league leaders but Chiang Mai Lanna can still overtake them if they win the last match of the season.
Floggers & Robbers batted first on a roasting hot Sunday afternoon and as he has done all season Chris Coombes proved the mainstay of their batting as he completed his fifty from 41 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes, but the innings came off course during an eventful over from Yon who was hit for two sixes as Coombes retired on reaching his fifty but also also claimed two wickets.
Floggers were 97 for four after 15 overs but their batsmen continued to go for their shots as Andy Paps hit 3 sixes and David Hird 3 fours and 2 sixes. The counter-attack continued right down the order as number 10 Mark Robinson hit 5 fours and a six in his 26 as the batsmen wisely avoided running singles on a hot afternoon.
Even number 11 Wally Pohl hit two boundaries and supported Chris Coombes when he came back to the crease in a last wicket stand of 38. The Floggers captain remained unbeaten on 73 with 12 fours and 4 sixes and a total of 210 looked an impressive one. Coombes is the leading run-scorer in the league and Eddy who took two more wickets is the leading wicket-taker.
CPP were undaunted by the scale of their chase and openers Kah and Date shared an opening partnership of 41. The Thai boys were not afraid to go for their shots but they were set back by a series of lbw decisions as they showed a tendency to play across the line.
A position of 102 for 5 didn’t look promising for CPP but Game and Tep shared a partnership of 65 for the sixth wicket with Tep showing great promise in an innings of 45 from just 27 balls.
Two wickets in an over from Cavan Gardner kept Floggers’ hopes of victory alive as CPP were eight wickets down with 23 runs still needed but too many wides were being bowled and wily off-spinner Wally Pohl was forced to sit out with a pulled hamstring.
The Thai boys just had to occupy the crease and the runs would come and as the sky darkened and the threat of rain increased Eddy and Song held their nerve. CPP were victorious by two wickets with 5.3 overs to spare.
Chiang Mai Lanna are now favourites to win the league title but the Thai boys still have a chance should Floggers end their season on a high. The final match of the season will see an intriguing battle between the two adult teams as the players from both sides look to warm up for the San Miguel International Sixes which begin at Gymkhana Club on 31st March.