CMSCA coaches, Chris Dodd and Martin Papworth, along with our HTF sponsored cricketers, have completed the building of Lamphun’s first hardball practice cricket net at Muangkwak school in the Makuajae area of the Lamphun province.
Our thanks and appreciation go to Eric Little who gave a generous donation towards the net and to the Chiang Mai Sixes for the financial sponsorship to help us complete the building of the net.
The location at the school for the net was agreed by the school board in June and work started soon after in July 2011 but here in Northern Thailand we have experienced a heavier than normal rainy season and work ceased quickly. Three truck loads of hardcore were delivered but unfortunately they couldn’t get close enough due to the very wet conditions at the proposed site, leaving us with only one option, to manually shovel and barrow it. So that was it, the project was put on temporary hold until the field is dry.
January news.... work on the new net has now begun again, it started again on the 7th December, the hardcore was delivered and before we knew it Khun Anan, the Muangkwak Head Master got a local tractor owner to level it off for us, saving many days of back breaking work, with the levels adjusted we were ready for the concrete pour, our HTF cricket boys made up the reinforcing strengthening sections under the careful supervision of Locky and Toy, most of the 20 metal formers have been primed and painted, but the other metal formers are still in position after the pour, but then we will need to remove them and place them half a metre either side of the concrete base to house the metal pegs that we need to hold up the framework. Then phase 2 will start, the construction of the metal framework.
February news... The construction of the frame has now commenced and will be finished Monday 13th February, most of the metal has been painted but will need touching up after the welding, new nets have been ordered so will be hung as soon as the painting has been completed. Putting us on course to have the nets ready for use by the end of February.
March news...The steel construction for the net has been completed satisfactory and the side netting hung and secured but unfortunately we are waiting for the delivery of a roof net to finish and complete the job. We have been given an old mat which we are in the process of cleaning so we are almost ready to start practising.
The net has been in daily use since its completion on the 22nd March, so apart from cosmetic work around the net we have finally got there!
Special thanks go to Martin Papworth and Choo for all their hard work, to the team of HTF boys, Jun, Chanchai, Bonchooai, Nikom and to Locky, Toy and David for all their help.