Pattaya Cricket Club’s latest league game was against the excitable Super Boys CC at Harrow International School in Bangkok last weekend.
Winning the toss and electing to bat first, PCC started badly with Dan Nicholson (5) chipping to mid on and Colin Clark (10) being trapped plumb leg before with only 21 on the board.
John Speirs was then joined by the captain Simon Philbrook and the two experienced campaigners began to retrieve the situation in the face of some lively bowling. John (17) departed at the half way stage caught on the mid wicket boundary with the score at 83/3. Simon, ably supported by the middle order, upped the momentum with some expertly crafted shots all round the wicket and in the penultimate over finally perished on the long on boundary for a match defining 92 from only 65 balls. The PCC innings closed at 179/7 from the allocated 25 overs.
The PCC bowlers started superbly as Salman (2/13) and Thomas Manoj (1/10) removed the top order in quick time. With the score at 19/4 it seemed the players would be having an early drink in the bar but James (51) and Lavin (21no) showed some super boy spirit to give themselves an outside sniff of victory. Hamza and John Speirs both picked up a couple wickets apiece and when Dave Scott bowled James the run chase was all but over as the Super Boys finished on 127/9.
It was an excellent all round performance that puts PCC second in the league and on course for a play-off place at the end of the season.
PCC’s next fixture is on Sunday1st March in Bangkok against Kerala Strikers.
