Please forgive a touch of tolerance this week. As regular readers know, I play every year in the Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes tournament in Northern Thailand. This was held during the PANDEM at the end of March/at the end of March/April since 1988 except 2020-22. This year, 35th edition, so it almost happened.
At the beginning of last year, the Gymkhana Club, which was organized by the tournament, was covered with 20 centimeters mud and silt when the adjacent river ping overflowed for the second time. The waters were swept from one end of the area to another before them. For the next two months, the monumental task of cleaning was carried out with a combination of Golf Caddies, local volunteers, members of the tournament committee and hired machines.
Then the withdrawal of the playground came. When the tournament was opened, there was not only a small area of the ground – I found myself there for a reason. 2025 There was an extraordinary effort by everyone about Chiang Mai Sixes. Donation is still being donated from friends and supporters to support the rescue program.
In his early days, the tournament drew a series of former international jacks in 1994, including Dennis Lillie. England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka have always been represented well. Secondly, he continued to join until 2012; Later, in a sign of the changing nature of the cricket, the successor had more options for post -cricket careers.
However, all contacts did not disappear. Amal Silva, one of the most recent players in Chiang Mai in 2012, made a visit this year. In 1984, he scored a century for Sri Lanka in Lords in his country’s first test match in England. Sri Lanka remembers that a jibe was motivated by a jibe from Ian Botham, who says that Lanka will be a “a piece of cake for him”. In the first test between the two countries in Colombo in 2012, the UK must be careful, considering that Sri Lanka has a competitive performance after sharing the spoils in a two -day international series of two -game international series.
Another former actor with a story to tell, visited Chiang Mai this year to support the New Zealand -based team The Divine Felons. Between 1973 and 1983, John Morrison played 17 test matches and 18 ODI for New Zealand. In January 1974, he threw a century in the second inning in the second inning, and became the highest scorer on both sides of the series, which Australia won 2-0. New Zealand was in a strong position in Sydney, but the last day he ruined his chances of making rain serial frames. Morrison points out that no New Zealand player has scored a test match in Sydney since 1974.
Morrison began to comment after the cricket. He was also active in Wellington City politics between 1998-2013. While chatting with him, he said that the latter felt more strange than sitting in a jack dressing room and that he would like to be good enough to write a scenario about what was happening in the discussions. It is embarrassing that its dry, simple intelligence does not have such a stage.
In 2025, Chiang Mai Sixes consisted of 28 men’s teams and three women’s teams. Based on game power forecasts, men were divided into 12 most powerful players and 16 teams of 16 teams. In the first round, the teams played three matches against the teams in the departments to create a league table for players and gentlemen. This provided a foundation to divide the teams into five diminishing levels – cup, shield, bowl, plate and spoon.
My team, Drifters is one of the only three people who participate in every pressure of the tournament. The other two are Red Lion Women from Australia, founded in 1969, and Dubai Darjeeling Cricket Club. The oldest Amateur Cricket Club in the UAE is primarily composed of Western immigrants. In both 2023 and 2024, the team came third in the cup.
Wombats is mainly an eclectic group of Australians. His composition has changed a lot over the years, but the only person who plays in every pressure of the tournament has services – Peter Nitschke. In 2024, Wombats won the plate, but left him in the 2025 semi -finals. Drifters’ composition has also transformed over time. Initially, it consisted of players from England. Now, it is largely made up of players playing for the Pattaya Cricket Club in Thailand. The connection was founded by Simon Philbrook for several years as a club’s player and chair.
As a result, a strong young player set supported those who have experienced years of experience. Last year, the team came third in the cup with Darjeeling. In 2025, there were no 2024 cup winners, Bangladesh team, NCl Thunders or Australian St Francis de Sales. Both Darjeeling and Drifters knew this had a chance. The first was the trophy, while the last victory for the second was in 1996. Drifters were able to secure the services of Abaidullah, the player of the last year’s tournament, NCL.
In the players section, the drivers finished the second place of Darjeeling. Both teams filled the trophy groups to move forward to the semifinals that successfully negotiated to establish the finals. In entering, the average score of Drifters was 85 per inning compared to 63 of Darjeeling. However, Drifters received 65 runs by Darjeeling compared to 50. The question was that Darjeeling could not restrain Drifters’ productive kick.
To do this, strategies appeared when they chose the bowl while winning the throw. Abaidullah was not given the freedom to hit under the legs and was arrested for a long time at the age of 19. Luke Stokes, the player of the tournament voted, maintained its compulsory form, was not defeated before he had to retire. When the next ball came out, Mercurial Habby Singh was under the normal strike rate of 59 -quarters of 59 -quarters. Mike Gerits added a valuable 14 to release a 74 final score from the final. This was not an unresolved target, but Darjeeling fell to 39 for three in the fourth place, Gerits and Stokes kept perfect captures.
Darjeeling had no choice but to attack what they had a good effect, and he needed 18 to win the final. Drama started later. Drifters Wicketkeeper Philbrook experienced an adjusted hamstring and retired. Instead, he was replaced with the columnist who watched the dough hit the next ball sweetly. After the examination, four runs were given to the anger of the opposition. Tim Peters, who was entrusted to gather the end, held his nerve and Darjeeling could not straighten the scores with a single run.
Such an exciting finish was a good -controversial and organized tournament. After the first disappointment of defeat, Darjeeling Kohortu took back his stance by chatting with the drums in Revelry after the match. The celebration of a long -awaited trophy victory continued for Drifters, all of them grateful to the sponsorship of Arab News shirt.
