It was a fascinating Saturday at the Phuket International Cricket Sixes, with several unpredictable results, as the 11 team table changed several times which left questions still unanswered owing to a late finish.
The teams reconvened to finish Round 1 at the Alan Cook Ground in Phuket, as they vied for positions on the ladder, prior to the top 8 breaking away and playing one further game with points added to the table to see who competes for Cup and Plate.
Newcomers Mumbai Strikers had two games in the first stage and showed their considerable abilities in dismantling Incredible 7 and then 91 Yards Club before Gauhati Town Club ended their fun in Round 2 with a fine win.
The question being, will it be enough to seal the victors of that clash from Assam a place in the Cup. It will be answered in the morning, and it depends if Calcutta Swimming Club can defend the total that they have set Cricket Club of Dibrugarh. The Calcutta outfit discarded their arm bands and put in two brilliant earlier performances to beat Gauhati Town Club and CBB CC.
Blue Tree Cricket Club sealed their Cup place by seeing off the challenge of House of Cricket and then Lamma CC, who themselves had a fantastic first half of the day when defeating CBB CC and the Incredible 7. All eyes are on the holders Heritage Club, with the Bangladeshi’s posting a remarkable 101 without loss in their clash with the Dibrugarh side prior to defeating House of Cricket.
An exciting Finals Day awaits, in which CBB CC, Incredible 7, and 91 Yards Club will play for the Spoon.
At the conclusion of a very long day’s play, Ian Liddell, ACST Tournament Referee and Director, was a happy man. “We have seen some excellent cricket throughout with more to come tomorrow on Finals Day. It’s been great to welcome sides from around the cricketing world, with a strong contingent of Indian sides reflecting how that nation is looked upon as a leader in cricket all around the world.”
Local representatives, Blue Tree Cricket Team, with an influence of Pattaya based players lead the ladder at the completion of Day 2 of the Phuket International Cricket Sixes.
They put out
a statement of intent with their hammering of Assam’s Cricket Club of Dibrugarh
who posted a respectful total of 62. However, Blue Tree passed the score in
just 3.3 overs as the opening partnership of Ashan Fonseka and Ahmad Mughal
shone as brightly as the Phuket sun.
Meanwhile, Cup holders from 2019, Heritage Cricketers, again provided evidence that they will not be relinquishing their title easily, with a couple of victories.
The team from Dhaka in Bangladesh who also won the ACST Siam International Cricket Sevens in November, sunk The Calcutta Swimming Club as they amassed 88-2 from their 5 overs as Manoj Yadav retired on 34. In their later match, Heritage then proved far too strong for 91 Yards Club in the final match of the day, chasing down the target of 64 with ease.
Just four other matches were played in Round One at the Alan Cook Ground. Mumbai Strikers, who look a decent punt for honours, defeating Lamma CC, one of the sides who competed in the first tournament back in 2004. 91 Yards Club will feel better for their first victory at the event, especially after their later defeat, as they proved too strong for Incredible 7 in the opening match of the day.
Gauhati Town Club got over the line in a thrilling finish off the final delivery against House of Cricket, after Deep Borah had set his side up in the reply after a fine knock in the first dig by Michael Payne.
Once again, the Friday of the tournament featured a separate match, this time a T15 encounter between the Indians and The Rest who are competing over the four days. The Indians scored 148-6 with Borah and Cyril getting the runs. It proved to be too little with The Rest reaching the target for the loss of 2 wickets with five overs to spare. Salman Hossain Emon and Benjamin Potgieter proved to be the stars with the bat in the chase.
Cricket was
the winner on Day 1 at the long-awaited continuation of the Asian Cricket Sixes
Tour (ACST) Phuket International Cricket Sixes, which was last staged in 2019.
Teams from far and wide assembled to get stuck into the action at the Alan Cook
Ground (ACG) on the paradise island.
11 teams are competing in the event over 4 days, with Round One action seeing all sides play 4 matches, before being seeded to play for honours. Local entrants Blue Tree Cricket team lead the ladder after seeing off Gauhati Town Club and fellow participants from Assam in India, Cricket Club of Dibrugarh with Ashan Fonseka scoring a retirement which was matched by Shad Wahid in the second of the victories.
South Africa is represented at the event by House of Cricket, and they also can be happy with their efforts. Cricket Club of Dibrugarh defeated them with the penultimate ball of the opening encounter hit by Saurav Bagawati after a dazzling 12 ball retirement of 33 from Kamakhya Saikia. House of Cricket responded to take down Gauhati Town Club as a fine batting display from Avumile Mnci rendered the total of 81 unmanageable.
Cup holders Heritage Cricketers of Bangladesh fired a warning to those wanting to take their crown with a crushing defeat of Lamma CC, as Manoj Yadav scored 36 of the posted total of 90.
The final
match of the day was another thriller as in a battle of newcomers, Mumbai
Strikers overcame Calcutta Swimming Club off the final ball. Yasovardhan
Kanodia looked set to send his side for a first win with his 31, but excellent
batting from Vinod Muthukumar proved decisive.
The other couple of encounters on the opening day involved perennial favourites CBB CC, who had a mixed start. They defeated debutants 91 Yards Club of Assam as Dixie Joy starred, but they were overcome by mixed gender side, Incredible 7, with Cyril and Rajes seeing the Singapore team home.
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