The UN Irish Sixes Warm-up had always previously been held the weekend before the Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes in late March or early April but had not been held since 2019 thanks to the Covid pandemic. With the Gymkhana Sixes being held on 4th and 5th December, here was the opportunity to revive an event designed to promote social cricket between local teams in memory of two of Sandy Cullen’s dearest cricketing friends, Ian McDougall and Graeme Monaghan.
Six teams were assembled in two divisions so that the ‘serious’ cricketers could play against each other as CMCC, All Stars and Lamphun competing for the McDougall Trophy, while the social cricketers from UN Irish, LIST and Lanna Thais played for the Monaghan Trophy.
A beautiful day saw cricketers, serious and social, young and old all playing together on Gymkhana;s hallowed artificial strip, as a total of eight six-aside 5-over matches were played. CMCC retained the McDougall Trophy by beating OMG Lamphun in the McDougall Final as Chanchai and Abaid both retired after reaching 30, but youth held the edge in the Monaghan Final as Lanna Thais defeated UN Irish.
Lanna CC were well represented in social cricket with Hugh Williams and Jon Danby playing for LIST alongside four juniors and an array of talent took the field for UN Irish with Jon Scales, Richie George, Shine Thomas, Ian Harling, Russell Ward and Jack Campbell all representing Sandy’s team.
Although OMG Lamphun had just missed out to CMCC in the McDougall final, a great day finished with the juniors of the Lanna Thais giving the UN Irish a cricketing lesson to take the Monaghan Trophy. Graeme will have bowld in the nets at some of these kids and watched them play for Thai Thevada at the Chiang Mai Sixes so it was an appropriate end to an enjoyable day.
Thanks to Sandy and Boom at the UN Irish Pub for putting on this event once again and for supplying a splendid lunch. We will all be back at Gymkhana Club again next weekend for the second edition of the Gymkhana Sixes.