The Southerners 2nd XI cricket team won Bangkok’s A-Division Grand Final on Sunday, beating a strong Bangkok XI Cricket Club. Skipper Shane Thompson recounts the great day…
The victorious Southerners 2nd XI cricket side – A-Division Champions 2009-2010
The Bangkok XI CC won the toss and elected to bat – nothing to worry about, as that’s the way it had gone all year…perfect.
After two overs they were 0/21. Despite a terrific start by their batters, a concerted effort by our boys in the field and with the ball in hand enabled us to restrict them to 120 runs for the remainder of their innings.
First turning point for us occurred when Pema removed their two gun bats in consecutive balls. The Bangkok XI’s dangerous Manish went first ball with a little bolter from Pema (well sledged Adam) – a ball similar to those which Pema bowled way back in November/December, which got our season off to such a great start to the year.
The Bangkok XI then recovered slightly before big Jason and Dan put their middle order to the sword in the space of just over four overs, while a bit of lower-order resistance helped them to scratch and poke out a total of 120 runs. A shame we could not bowl them out as we had done to so many others.
Going into bat, for the first time I can remember our openers did not get a start – typical Grand Final gitters most likely. Not long after, Dan went to a good ball, then the ever-reliable Rob “Nurdles” Fidoe held up an end, doing the job he had been asked to do all year without fail – a credit to his powers of concentration, a real class act.
We had some difficult periods when they bowled well and kept the pressure on. The cricket certainly wasn’t easy, with heat being a definite factor factor for the old skipper.
By the end of the 21st over we needed 24 runs from 24 balls. The Bangkok XI’s skipper brought the right bloke onto bowl and I took to him……….yeahhhh cop that matey!!!
Job done, Southerners win!
Then we got on the piss.
A top job by the lads all year – from start to finish it was a pleasure to lead a fine bunch of blokes onto the field of play. I just wish I could have given blokes more of a go through the year – the 25-over is just not quite enough, especially when those batting further up the order did so well for most of the year.
I don’t think I have enjoyed a season of cricket so much since I have been in Thailand, and I thank all the players for their efforts all season.
P.S. The Cup leaks out the bottom…beer stains are now all over my table at home. Cheap Thai junk.
– Shane Thompson