BREAKING NEWS: Captain Locky has steered his Lanna Thais team to the 2015/16 Chiang Mai Senior League title which was achieved by beating Lamphun by 50 runs at the newly named David Buck Oval. Eddie was captain on the field as the largely non-playing captain was in Bangkok working on the Women’s Asia Cup won by an impressive India side but he had a pivotal role in the destination of the title as nobody else could work out the necessary net run-rate calculation that was required,
Net run-rate and Duckworth Lewis are Locky’s bread and butter but he needed the scores and nobody thought to send them to him but luckily the returning Adrian needed help with some directions and he provided a vague message that Lanna Thais had won. He didn’t know by how much but eventually news of a 50 run victory came through. Surely somebody at the ground must have had an inkling that this would be good enough?
Locky was ready and waiting with the figures: victory by 20 runs or with three overs in hand was enough for Lanna Thais to overtake Lanna on NRR so Locky was confident to declare his team to be league champions. Well done Eddie and the boys for securing yet another title. Lanna would have to be content with second place in the league ahead of CMCC and Lamphun.
Four Thai youngsters played their part in an experienced Lanna Thais team that undoubtedly benefited from the availability of Jon Scales and Elliot Lodge who have already been selected for the Lanna senior team’s squad for 2016/17.
But the Lanna Thais network of talent scouts (Martin and Puy) are already on the look out for a new generation of players wit their program of coaching at schools and regular nets at Gymkhana which saw a junior match against Lamphun schools played on Sunday morning.
The juniors will no doubt be inspired by posing with the league title and some of them will be playing in the league team for 2016/17. The captain is on his way back from Bangkok and may even play again as well.
The Lanna AGM is being held on Friday evening after nets so there can be a great celebration for all club members and supporters as the two Lanna teams came first and second in the league.