The force is with Lanna as Lamphun are brought down to earth

Lanna 183/7

Adam Green 33, Sam Mehta 33, Hugh Williams 16, Richard Young 25

Lamphun 132/8

Champ 50 retired, Por 21, Tom Salusbury 3/21, Richard Young 3/0

Lanna
won by 51 runs

Twenty four hours can be a long time in cricket as the Lamphun youngsters who had won the Lanna Eights on the previous day were heavily defeated by Lanna in an eleven aside 30-over match at Prem Oval. Several of Lanna’s players had saved themselves for the longer form of the game, cricket purists that they obviously are, and Lamphun were without their inspiration captain Bunchuai who was attending his IT course.

The margin of victory was still surprising as Lanna won by 51 runs having scored 183 for 7 and even allowing for their captain’s absence it was a largely disappointing performance from Lamphun generously given the opportunity to play a full scale match as the Eights competition had been compressed into a single day.

Lanna, able to combine the talents of the main side and the Lanna Thais side, made a good start thanks to Chris Coombes who scored the first 11 runs all by himself and Adam Green and Sam Mehta both made 33 in contrasting styles. Hugh Williams and Richard Young also made useful contributions in the lower order but the total was boosted by 42 extras as Cher tried out 10 bowlers without many of them able to find the right line.

Most of the Lanna players and officials were expecting Chanchai to display his batting talent but in fact he was contained by the steady medium pace of his former coaches Eddie Joyner and Martin Papworth and was bowled by Hugh Williams for 11 from 26 balls. This did give the chance to Champ and Por, two more promising players, to hold centre stage and Champ was able to make his first fifty at senior level as he dominated a partnership of 56 with Por before his retirement.

Por had been content mainly to block Lanna’s variety of bowlers but he did reach 21 before he lost patience against Tom Salusbury and his dismissal was the start of a stunning collapse as Lamphun suffered the ignominy of losing three wickets in an over not once but twice as Chairman Tom and captain Richard Young proved far too wily for the lower-order.

Six wickets fell for four runs in a chaotic procession and as five of those dismissed were heading to Bangkok to play in a regional competition it was a very disappointing batting display. Two newcomers Beer 2 and Doe saw out the overs as Lanna tried out all eleven bowlers as the contest had long ago been decided.

Lanna won by 51 runs and showed the virtue of experience over youth and that Lamphun cricket is very much dependent on Bunchuai. Chanchai and Cher also have great potential but they lack the determination and leadership skills of their captain. Lanna were just glad they had an enjoyable afternoon’s cricket at Prem and had been able to put the youngsters firmly in their place. On the other hand the scorers had had a difficult afternoon but that’s another story......

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