The reputation of Lanna’s young Thai cricketers is growing stronger by the week as Jun and Chanchai were again invited to play for Bangkok Spirits in the their Bangkok Cricket League Premier Division match against Siam CC alongside Lanna members Martin Cardno and Walter Persaud.
The two boys had only made their league debuts two weeks before but when Siam won the toss and elected to bat, Jun and Chanchai were given the chance to take the new ball together. Jun bowled an outstanding spell as he claimed the first three wickets by bowling two batsmen and gaining the prized wicket of Parrots captain Richard ‘Kiwi’ Bowater caught by Chanchai. Jun’s unbroken spell of 9-1-30-3 was outstanding as it is probably the first time he has bowled more than five overs in one go.
Chanchai was unlucky in his first spell as batsmen played and missed and edges were not held by the slips and even though he complained later about the heat in Bangkok he returned to take three wickets, two of them caught and bowled. Chanchai’s figures of 3 for 53 look expensive but he was bowling at some top class batsmen including Ryan and Robert Raina and he did also claim three catches.
Martin Cardno also took a wicket so seven out of the eight wickets to fall went to Lanna players but the Parrots were able to make a total of 235 in their 45 overs as opener Newell top scored with 55 and Brett Taylor and Ryan Raina both passed thirty.
Bangkok Spirits started disastrously as Persaud was run out for one and when Cardno followed shortly afterwards without scoring the total was 19 for 3. A recovery was made as Janitha Yasasvi reached fifty and runs also came down the order as Chanchai made 11 and Jun 9 but the Spirits were bowled out for 190 with five overs left unused as Siam won by 45 runs.
45-over cricket played in Bangkok against good opposition is a completely different ball game to the shorter forms of cricket available in Chiang Mai so it is a very important step to enable the juniors to travel to Bangkok regularly to have their skills and temperaments tested.
There will be plenty more cricket next weekend when Lanna and United CCs are joined by visitors from Patong and Pattaya in an exciting four-team tournament to be played at Gymkhana Club while Siam CC will be playing their Colonel’s Cup match against the Southerners at Prem on 21st February.