2012. Phuket Cricket Week Preview & Video

Phuket Cricket Week 2012

Preview

Interview with ACST Chairman Michael Maher and Tournament Director Ian Liddell 

ACST Phuket Cricket week organisers announce new home venue

22 March 2012

Organisers of the ACST Cricket Week confirmed today that a new home venue had been confirmed for the award winning series of cricket events taking place in Phuket, Thailand from 14 - 22 April.

Tournament Director, Mr Saurav Chatterjee, of organisers the Asian Cricket Sixes Tour commented, "Karon Municipal Council recently withdrew the availability of Karon Stadium, where we have staged the Phuket International Cricket Sixes since 2004, due to the forthcoming Thailand Youth Games in May.

"Subsequently we looked for an alternative venue and, following site visits to several potential venues in Phuket we have moved our cricket tournaments to a new home at Kata Group Sports Ground in Chalong. The KGSG offers excellent facilities such as a swimming pool, bar and even a clubhouse which teams and spectators can enjoy, plus a larger, turfed playing field, and is only 10 minutes drive from the Green Man," continued Mr Chatterjee.

"We would like to thank the Kata Group for the excellent support and we're looking forward to staging two tournaments of the ACST Phuket Cricket Week at KGSG: the new Kata Group Cricket 7s and the flagship tournament the Phuket International Cricket Sixes. The Karon Seasands Beach Cricket tournament will be held as usual at Karon Beach," Mr Chatterjee continued.

Mr Andrew Swatdipakdi , General Manager, Kata Beach Resort & Spa said, "The Kata Group is supporting ACST Phuket Cricket Week and we're looking forward to welcoming teams to the new home of Phuket Cricket Week at our Kata Group Sports Ground."

Preview to the Sixes

Twenty-four teams from eight countries will line up to do battle at the 9th annual Phuket International Cricket Sixes tournament being played this week in Phuket, Thailand from 19-22nd April.

“It’s another great turnout of teams from around the cricketing world here in Phuket,” said Asian Cricket Sixes Tour Tournament Director Saurav Chatterjee.

“There’s a really good mix of regular sides who’ve been coming to the Phuket Sixes for a number of years plus several new teams and local sides too,” Mr Chatterjee continued.

Teams from Australia, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Thailand and around the Asia Pacific region will enjoy four days of cricket action which commences at 9am on Thursday 19th April.

The tournament will be played at the new Kata Group Sports Ground (KGSG) being used for the tournament for the first time this year.

Sixes is a shortened, highly entertaining, all action version of cricket in which matches take just half an hour to complete.

The ICC award winning Phuket International Sixes is the showpiece tournament of ACST Phuket Cricket Week, a series of three cricket competitions and social events with the motto “fun in the sun!” taking place over one week on the tropical island in Thailand.

About Phuket Cricket Week 2012

The continuing success and growth of the Phuket International Cricket Sixes tournament, which was first staged in 2004, has led to the creation of the Asian Cricket Sixes Tour’s “Phuket Cricket Week” which features three cricket tournaments for overseas and local cricket teams and spectators to enjoy held from 14th – 22nd April: a Cricket 7s tournament, a Beach Cricket tournament and of course the Phuket International Cricket Sixes. Forty cricket teams from around the world are anticipated to be competing during Phuket Cricket Week.

During Phuket Cricket Week funds will be raised for the Phuket Junior Cricket Development Fund which provides funding towards junior cricket activities in Phuket. In 2011, 158,000 baht was raised for the Fund through the activities of ACST volunteers and the generosity of the teams.

About the Kata Group International Cricket 7s (14-16 April)

The Kata Group International Cricket 7s is a new tournament for 2012, developed to cater for the increasing demand from teams to play cricket during Phuket Cricket Week. Twelve teams will compete in this new tournament which features a novel seven-a-side format, rather than the traditional six-a-side, giving the fielding team captain the advantage of an additional fielder. The Team Captains’ Meeting will take place on 13th April and matches will be played at Kata Group Sports Ground (KGSG) from 14th – 16th. The Kata Cricket 7s Players’ Party will be staged on the night of the 14th April.

About the Phuket International Cricket Sixes 2012 (18th – 22nd April)

Now in its ninth year the ICC award winning Phuket International Cricket Sixes was first staged in 2004, and this year will feature 24 teams plus supporters and officials from around the world.

Karon Sea Sands Beach Cricket Tournament

The Southern Stars team from Australia won the final of the Karon Sea Sands Beach Cricket tournament against the Thailand Rugby League in fantastic sunny weather on the beach at Karon, Phuket yesterday. Always an entertaining afternoon with some special fun rules, including players having to field with one hand holding a beer, the beach cricket tournament was a big hit with the teams and supporters and attracted quite a crowd!

Play in the Phuket International Cricket Sixes gets underway at the KGSG ground at 9am and goes on daily with Finals Day being on Sunday 22nd April. In addition to the cricket action on the pitch teams and supporters are treated to a Players Welcome Party at the Karon Sea Sands Resort and a lavish Awards Dinner at the Kata Resort as well as the delights of spending several days and nights enjoying Thai hospitality.

Phuket International Cricket Sixes 2012 – Teams

Baulkham Hills Lobats (Australia)

CBB Postels (Asia Pacific)

CBB SCs (Asia Pacific)

Corner Tigers (Pakistan)

Curtin-Victoria Park (Australia)

Gauhati Town CC (India)

Goorambat Tigers (Australia)

Karon Seasanders (Thailand)

Lamma CC (Hong Kong)

Leederville CC (Australia)

Leeming Spartans (Australia)

MG7 (Kuwait)

PCDC Natives (Thailand)

Pinjarra Top Deck (Australia)

Shepperton Sharks (Australia)

Singapore Slingers (Singapore)

Skylark (Kuwait)

Southern Stars (Australia)

St Francis de Sales (Australia)

St Francis de Sales Camels (Australia)

St George’s River (Australia)

Toorak Prahan CC (Australia)

Wild Men from Borneo (Asia Pacific)

Willeton Crows (Australia)

Tournament Schedule:

18th April

Captain’s & Officials Meeting at Karon Sea Sands Resort

19th April

Four days of Phuket Sixes cricket action at KGSG begins.

Phuket Sixes Welcome Party at Karon Sea Sands Resort

22nd April

Finals Day

Gala Awards Dinner and Presentations at Kata Beach Resort supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand