Chiang Mai has become an important centre for youth cricket in recent years, as shown by the two junior teams who now participate in the Chiang Mai Senior League. Chiang Mai has cricket facilities which are second to none anywhere in Thailand and the city regularly plays host to visiting teams from around the world.
The first week in December saw a visit to Chiang Mai from a Hong Kong school which could be the first of many junior tours arranged as the team from Delia Memorial School came to stay at Prem School which boasts a magnificent cricket ground and excellent practice facilities as well as a good reputation for hosting visiting schools for educational and sporting reasons.
A week of cricket was arranged for the visiting team who faced four of the sides that make up the Chiang Mai Senior League. First the tourists played the two men’s sides, Chiang Mai CC and Chiang Mai Lanna, and after a day’s break they played matches against the two local junior sides, Lanna Juniors and CPP School from Doi Saket.
This proved to be an ideal combination of fixtures as the adults proved too strong for the visiting youngsters but the side from Hong Kong finished the week strongly as their three best players, Akbar, Sarfraz and Waqas Khan, proved simply too good for the Chiang Mai junior teams.
v CMCC
Chiang Mai CC provided the opposition in the first match but the Hong Kong side did well to reach 223 for 9 in 40 overs as Waqas Khan made 52 and his twin brother Sarfraz 105 as they shared a partnership of 122. CMCC had to work hard to reach their target thanks to 40 from Ubaid and 58 from Umar as they won a highly competitive match by two wickets.
v CMLCC
Chiang Mai Lanna provided the opposition in the second match and surprised the young Hong Kong side by reaching 169 for 6 in 30 overs thanks to Gary Chatfield’s 73 and a determined partnership of 98 with Chris Coombes, as both relied on their extensive experience of high level cricket.
The boys then had to face a combination of Paul Johnson’s pace and movement and the miserly control and low bounce of Eddie Joyner. The pair shared seven wickets and the school side were soon 51 for 7 and finished on a total of 89 as Lanna gained a famous victory by 80 runs.
The Hong Kong juniors looked shell shocked as they left the ground while the Lanna veterans stayed behind to celebrate their victory, but the youngsters bravely regrouped on their rest day and returned to face the Lanna Juniors side who were hoping to repeat the success of the senior side.
v Lanna Juniors
The boys from Hong Kong batted much better on this occasion as they reached 225 for 5 in 30 overs, Akbar Khan making 65, and Sarfraz Khan 46, then Lanna Juniors were bowled out for 137 as Bunchuai hit 24, Chanchai 21 and Cher 29, Waqas and Akbar Khan each claiming three wickets. Lanna’s youngsters had given a good account of themselves but Delia Memorial School had gained their first victory of the week by 88 runs.
v CPP
The boys from DMS, and the three Khans in particular, saved their best performance for last as CPP were completely outclassed. The visitors this time amassed 247 for 6 in 30 overs, Akbar Khan hitting a century and Waqas Khan making 56.
This display of batsmanship would have no doubt impressed the Minister of Sport who had been inspecting the excellent facilities available at Prem and gaining insight into the wonderful game of cricket. He left soon after lunch so missed seeing an incredible display of fast bowling from the twins, Sarfraz and Waqas Khan, who shared all ten wickets, claiming five victims apiece, as CPP were rolled over for 51 in just 10.2 overs.
DMS won by a mighty 196 runs as a wonderful week’s cricket came to a highly dramatic end. Prem’s beautiful ground and excellent practice facilities had been used to the full and Chiang Mai cricket had shown it could provide touring teams with the perfect mixture of adult and junior opposition.
This could just be the start of things to come as Chiang Mai has the facilities and organizational strengths to establish itself as a home for cricket, especially at junior level, unrivalled in South-East Asia.