April 9-10, 2022 – Day One Report
Pattaya Cricket club were defending their Tournament Champion status for the second year and although there were some team changes and some good players were unable to attend, PCC had high hopes that they could triumph once again.
The tournament consisted of the following cricket clubs; Pattaya, Lanna, CMSCA (boys), Lamphun (boys), Patong, Parrots and Gymkhana. Standard MCC playing conditions were modified as follows: 8 men per team, with 7 overs per innings, max 2 overs per bowler, all bowling to be done from the golf course end; wides and no balls would be 3 runs and not re-bowled; no fielding restrictions and matches would be played in pairs. 4 points would be awarded for a win and bonus points would be earnt for scoring more than 60 or 90 runs, taking wickets and chasing down scores within 6 overs. A score of 75 runs was deemed to be par.
The ground was in good condition except for the driving range end as there had been heavy rain over the last week and although it had dried sufficiently, there was little grass, lots of sand and some mud. This end would be known as the Gobi Desert.
PCC’s first match was against Patong CC. Mutual agreement meant that PCC opened the bowling with Habby Singh against Patong’s Damien Westwood and Rishie. Only 2 runs off the bat and a wide was an economical start. Andy Emery was not so fortunate as a boundary 4 wide cost 7 and the over cost 13. Habby bowled his second over and Damien got a boundary, so Habby gave his a well disguised slower ball, which Damien hoisted to Long-on where Luke Stokes dropped him. Not to worry, Habby bowled Damien next ball for 11. Rishie went aerial against Andy’s bowling and was nearly caught by Jainish and then he was dropped by Luke whose usually safe hands have deserted him.
Trevor Moolman had some good footballing skills to prevent a 4 in the Gobi Desert, but Andy went for 12. 42 for 1 after 3 overs and Patong were doing well. Wez Masterton bowled an over for 11 with Rishie continuing to score well and 53 for 1 after 4. Jainish Parikh got walloped by Riche for 3 boundaries and 17 off the over and Richie was dropped by Trevor before retiring on 33 and 70 off 6 overs. The final over went for another 12 with Curt Livermore being run out on the last ball and Patong finished on a good score of 82 for 2. Poor fielding and some expensive overs from PCC had cost them dearly.
Wez and Luke opened the batting against Nishant Grover with Wez swishing the air and not finding the ball until he got a massive 6 – more like a 9 really. Wez got into his stride and bashed Manish around the park and the score zoomed along to 35 for 0 after 2 overs. Anoop Kotwale was tidy but still got hit for 4 by Wez who then retired for 31 from 14 balls faced. Luke hadn’t faced a ball and when he did was stumped by Damien off Curt’s looping dibbley-dobbler for 1. Ooops. 49 for 1 after 3 overs.
Habby was taking charge of proceedings at the crease with Jainish and he survived a dropped catch only to add salt to Patongs wounds by hitting 4’s and 6’s. Jainish was stumped by Damien for 6 of Anoop and the score moved on to 65 for 2 after 4 overs – swashbuckling stuff. Habby continued swatting boundaries off Nishant along with Colin Clark and had pushed the score to 78 for 2. PCC’s first win was within their grasp. Curt bowled the last over and Colin got 2 boundaries, the last being cheeky reverse sweep to 3rd man and PCC won with 4 balls to spare. Habby was 24 Not Out.
PCC’s second match was against Lanna. Mutual agreement allowed PCC to bowl first. Habby’s first over was tidy until John Scales got a 4, so 11 of the over. Wockaka (Warren Pugh), a debutant for PCC, bowled a tidy over for 8 and Lanna were 19 for 0 from 2. Andy Emery bowled an over and his second ball had a bit of leg break in it and removed Neville McLean’s leg stump for 11. Nick James, the tournament’s top scorer, took the crease with the score on 27 for 1 after 3 overs. Wez bowled a costly over where Trevor was playing in the sand in the Gobi Desert when a ball went through his legs for 4 and 43 for 1 after 4.
Jainish bowled short and was rightly punished and decided to do it again, but this time Nick James got a top edge and was caught by Colin for 16. Then Luke found his catching hands and took a brilliant catch at Deep-mid wicket to dismiss John Scales for 19 off Andy’s bowling with the score on 54 for 3 in the 5th over. Habby quickly removed Hugh Williams for 8 and Lanna were struggling a little at 65 for 4. The last over only brought them 3 more runs and Lanna finished on 68 for 4 – a difficult score to defend against PCC.
PCC opened with Wez and Luke against Hugh Williams who got battered for 22 in the over. Ian Harling got the same treatment and the score raced on to 39 in only 2 overs. This was going to be easy unless something silly happened. It didn’t. Muana went for 12 with more boundaries from Wez and Daniel Broadbridge went for 13, mainly from Luke who advanced the score to 64 for 0 after 4 – the best run rate of the tournament so far. John Danby bowled what was to be the final over in which Luke retired first on 31 and the score on 66. Trevor walked to the crease only for Wez to smash a 6, retire and conclude the match. Trevor walked back again. 72 scored in 4.4 overs (a run rate of 15.4 per over) and PCC’s second win.
PCC’s final match of a long day was against CMSCA (Chiang Mai Schools Cricket Alliance). PCC won the toss and, funny old thing, decided to bowl first. Leng and Mong faced Habby who bowled well for 2. Wockaka was next and enticed Mong to launch a ball to Wez at Long -on, out for 3. Jainish made an immediate impact when Chatree tickled an edge to Colin and it was 12 for 3 after 3 overs and CMSCA were under pressure. Wez bowled and a misfield from Wockaka allowed Leng to get a boundary 4 with 12 off the over.
Jainish bowled again and was wacked for 6 by Leng who then wacked another down Wockaka’s throat, but he dropped it, fumbled it and dropped it again. Dear oh dear. Jainish got a consolation when he bowled Angelo for 2 with the score at 37 for 3 after 5 overs. Josh Carr bowled a tidy over for 5. Habby bowled the last over and dismissed Duan for 1 and Sir was run out by Habby for a duck off the last ball. CMSCA were over powered at 46 for 5, but Leng finished on 28 Not Out.
PCC’s spirit of fair play to all meant a change of openers, so Trevor Moolman and Josh Carr took the square against Leng. Both batted sensibly without trying to know the leather off the ball and tickled balls to fine leg and 3rd man or short balls to square leg. Some wides and byes from Chatree helped the score along and it was 34 for 0 after 3. Bun’s over went for 11 and only 2 needed off the 5th over which were duly shared between Trevor and Josh. An easy win and the third of the day to be top of the table with 17 points. The nearest rival was Lamphun on 12 after 2 matches, but would they be finalists?
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