Pattaya Cricket Club visited Chiang Mai last weekend to compete in the four team cricket event hosted by the Gymkhana CC and including Patong CC and Lanna CC. A 15-over format enabled each team to play each other over the two days and PCC had 2 games on the Saturday and their final game on Sunday.
An early start against Gymkhana CC was PCC’s first assignment, with the club mascot Patsy sat on the boundary edge, and having won the toss PCC elected to field. Dan Coogan, having flown in from Aberdeen for a much anticipated weekend of cricket, was absent due to a miscalculation of alcohol and sleep the night before. Up stepped 12th man John Gilmour to play his first ever game of cricket but despite his best efforts the only thing he managed to catch all weekend was the sun!
The Pattaya Cricket Club team in Chiang Mai.
PCC’s stalwart Salman was unable to open the bowling due to a 3rd degree groin tear (but declared himself available to open the batting) and his absence was missed as the opening pair of Hamza (son of Salman) and Andy Emery were dispatched to all parts of the ground. Dropped catches proved costly, not just in terms of runs conceded but in injuries to personnel, as Shaun Jones managed to miss a skier and shin the ball 60 metres, resulting in a lump the size of an ostrich egg and meaning he could only hobble thereafter, very slowly.
Patsy still recovering from her ordeal.
The spinning duo of John ‘The Anchor’ Spiers and Booby Young slowed the run rate a little but the damage had been done and a target of 157 was always going to be a tall order.
In reply PCC were immediately on the back foot, not from short pitched bowling, but the first ever incident in cricket memory of an injury, a pulled hamstring, of the runner afforded to Salman, who himself had his own groin strain. At this stage the captain Simon Philbrook was counting the number of walking wounded and wondering how they would cope with the rest of the weekend. Despite a cameo 35no from the captain the team finished 52 runs adrift and were left literally licking their wounds.
After a 2 hour break to tend to the wounded and a few light refreshments it was the turn of Phuket CC. Again, electing to bowl first the PCC bowlers rose to the challenge and regular wickets kept the run rate in check, despite fielders hobbling all over the outfield, leaving a total of 113 to overcome.
The reply was emphatic with John G (15) and Dan N (33no) finding their best form and The Anchor weighing in with a cultured 48no to record a 9 wicket victory.
An afternoon Sunday game against Lanna CC meant the winners would finish runners up to Gymkhana CC who had annihilated everyone before them.
Once again bowling first, PCC encountered the finest innings of the weekend. Martin ‘Kiwi’ Cruickshank hammered 51 from 18 balls (retired) that the rest of the Lanna batsmen capitalized on to demoralize the PCC bowlers and post an imposing 161 runs.
An admirable effort saw PCC score 131 in reply, with The Anchor (38no) again top scoring but not before some scoring rate sledging from his own team mate Andy. However, this bout of in house sledging did not affect the adjudicator’s decision in awarding The Anchor a much deserved ‘man of the tournament’ award.
To add to the disappointment of the day’s loss the Club’s beloved mascot Patsy, who had sat on the boundary both days and not missed a single ball bowled and partied into the early hours each night, was kidnapped from under the players’ noses. This resulted in a frantic search and the discovery of a ransom note. The evening’s entertainment was not the same without Patsy, it was as if the heart had been ripped out the team. ‘Missing’ posters were distributed all over Chiang Mai but to no avail. There was a sombre atmosphere throughout the night that no amount of alcohol could lift.
The breakfast mood could not have been more of a contrast as Patsy appeared at the dining table, a little worse for wear, missing an earring and shoe, but smiling with that toothy grin of hers. Evidently still suffering from the shock of her ordeal she hasn’t told anyone yet as to who her abductors were, all we know is there was a strong South African accent involved.
An excellent weekend was had by everyone, even Dan Coogan. Friendships were formed between like minded individuals with a common passion for the game of cricket. But most importantly, young Thai kids were given the opportunity to show off their skills and participate in a team sport that provides invaluable experience in matters such as maturity and education. PCC donated a club shirt to the outstanding Thai cricketer of the weekend and some equipment to supplement their sparse kitbag.
PCC’s next fixtures are both at home at the Thai Polo Ground versus British Club on Saturday 1st March and Siam CC on Sunday 2nd March from 11 a.m.
