Lanna member JD (Jon Danby) is a very keen player and very well versed in cricket history and makes the journey from Chiang Rai on a regular basis to play in matches in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, so it was a great day when Martin and Puy Papworth could take a schools team from Chiang Mai to play a Sawasdee Cricket match at the Chiang Rai International School where JD works as a teacher.
He has done his best to create a cricket culture at a school where only a limited number of children have any idea about the game coming from a variety of countries where cricket is a minority sport so he was delighted to give his kids a team to play against and a 12-aside Sawasdee Cricket match was the result.
Martin and Puy hired a minibus for the day and the children enjoyed the luxurious travel to Chiang Rai before being given a guided tour around the impressive Chiang Rai International School. The children warmed up and practised before playing the match and enjoying the lunch provided in the school canteen.
JD is obviously serious about academic studies as he sent his team back to their class rooms but Martin and Puy took the chance to stop off at the famous White Temple on the way back to Chiang Mai and the children were given an important cultural experience.
Another enjoyable day in the history of the Chiang Mai Schools Cricket Alliance which now can claim to have taken cricket into Chiang Rai We are all hoping that JD will be able to bring his new team to play cricket in Chiang Mai soon.