Martin Cardno is in a rich vein of form at the start of the new season having been travelling to Bangkok to play in their league’s twenty20 competition. He had made a fifty in the first match against Delia Memorial School on Wednesday but the boys from Hong Kong had proved stiff opposition and had won both the 20-over matches.
Cardno was determined that the Chiang Mai side made up almost exclusively of Lanna members and their juniors would win the third and final match that proved to be a very exciting 40-over match. Chasing a target of 208, Hamish Weir impressed greatly in his first match in Chiang Mai by making 21 out of an opening partnership of 68 with young Bunchuai who again looked very composed in reaching 34 with four boundaries.
The side representing the Chiang Mai Senior League looked to be coasting to victory as Cardno and Wani both played some fine attacking shots as the home side reached 171 for 3 but Carndo having just completed his fifty called Wani through for a risky single and the direct that ended Wani’s innings on 34 looked to have changed the course of the match.
The scoreboard soon read 171 for 7 with four wickets lost without a run scored and three successive batsmen dismissed for ducks. Cardno kept his nerve with the pressure now on as Paul Johnson helped add 15 precious runs for the eighth wicket and another new face Hugh Williams proved he was the perfect man for a crisis as he showed he had a good defence and pushed four crucial singles.
The ninth wicket pair shared a partnership of 22 as the Chiang Mai side won a match played in a wonderful spirit by two wickets as the target was reached in 37.1 overs, with Cardno unbeaten on 69. Waqas Khan again bowled well for Delia Memorial School and finished with eight wickets in three matches.
Earlier in the day when DMS had won the toss and chosen to bat first they had looked to be on course for a big total in perfect conditions at the Prem Oval as Shakir and Waqas produced a century partnership for the second wicket. They were made to work hard by some very tidy seam bowling from Ismail, Johnson and 16-year-old Chanchai who seems to have developed a yard of pace as well as improved his control, but runs came against the leg-spinners Bunchuai and Weir.
Bunchuai was undeterred by being hit for boundaries by Waqas and Sarfaraz who are clearly fine batsmen and he was rewarded with three wickets for 57 in his eight overs including that of Waqas lbw for 71. Williams dismissed Sarfaraz with his left-arm medium pace and Ismail returned to blow away the tail as the last five wickets fell for six runs.
This set up the match beautifully as the boys from Hong Kong had looked on course for a total close to 250 but a target of 208 remained within the home side’s reach and they were given the perfect start by their openers and Martin Cardno was able to play the match-winning innings.
Chiang Mai cricket had again given a good account of itself against a touring side who already have asked to make another visit next year and it was encouraging that the local juniors had done so well during the three matches and that two new recruits had played their parts in a very enjoyable victory for the home side.