Cricket: Patong CC take Thalang to town

PHUKET: Patong CC proved too hot to handle last Sunday with a clean defeat of visitors Thalang Cricket Team in the Phuket Cricket Group 40-over league competition.

Hot, sunny conditions usual for this time of year prevailed, with a brown grassy outfield and the wicket still sporting surplus sand from a recent AFL match.

Patong captain Seemant Raju won the toss and sent Thalang in to bat.

The left and right-handed opening combination of Andrew McMillan and Justin Thomatos began strongly, making an opening stand of 114 before Thomatos was dismissed in the 15th over on 42 (41 balls).

Carl Baxter joined McMillan at the crease, but made the long walk back to the sheds after Waseem Bhatt bowled him for 1. Simon Wetherell made a valuable stand of 39 runs with McMillan before being bowled by Imtiyaz Mustaq for 24 (16 balls) just after the second drinks break.

Jean Matthee, one of the two new signings for Thalang, joined McMillan in the center. He looked the part, playing solidly against the spin of Patrick Morton, who was enjoying the new-found purchase of the PCG wicket flush with coarse coral sand. The ball looked like it had been put in a blender for 30 minutes, with the only hope of getting some shine being to remove the leather and turn the ball inside out.

Matthee made 11 runs before being run out after an excellent boundary throw by Richard Desmond to Morton, causing Umpire M Sandargani to raise his finger and send the newcomer back to the stand.

Middle-order batsman Craig Murphy entered the fray, but opener McMillan was soon dismissed on 87 (81 balls) after Justin Swart took an excellent outfield catch off the bowling of Morton.

Thalang captain Bill Stahmer made a brief appearance with Murphy on the pitch, until he was adjudged LBW by umpire John King for 1 off the bowling of Mustaq coming on for his second spell off his short run up.

Gary Lane was next to the crease, joining Murphy in the 27th over. Murphy was dismissed in the last over before the third drinks break. Patrick Ledeboer survived the remaining five balls before drinks, but only lasted two balls after the break, as Bhatt cannoned the ball into the stumps, sending Ledeboer back to the clubhouse for 1.

Jurgen Jacobs, the second new signing for Thalang, strode to the wicket and looked very solid, cutting a ball backward off point for two runs before Bhatt sent the bails flying in the next delivery, and Jacobs and back to the sheds out for two runs.

Martin Hill joined Lane at the wicket, looking much slimmer after his recent bout of dengue fever. Hill was welcomed by players happy to see him up and about again, but the joy was short-lived as Lane (11) was run out by a direct hit by Bhatt to bring the Thalang innings to a close after the first ball of the 31st over. Hill remained not out for 1.

Analyzing their innings, Thalang realized they has started well, and were 3/154 after 20 overs, but collapsed to be all out for 205, just 11 overs later.

Best of the PCC bowlers: Bahtt – 8 overs, 1 maiden, 3/27; Mustaq – 8 overs, 3/39; Morton – 8 overs, 1/46. Swart – 5 overs, 1/43. Desmond and Raju also bowled, but failed to take any wickets, though Raju was bowling when Lane was run out.

Patong took their turn to bat, and had to negotiate two overs before the luncheon break, which they did, but Captain Raju as opener obviously didn’t finish his cucumber-and-cheese sandwiches, as he returned to the clubhouse two overs after lunch for 1, caught by wicketkeeper Hill off the bowling of Matthee.

Swart formed a left-right batting combination with Mustaq, resulting in a 145-run stand for the second wicket.

Mustaq was finally dismissed in the 27th over on 92 runs from 74 balls faced. Swart soon followed, dismissed for 67 runs (83 balls) by Baxter in the 28th over.

Bhatt joined Morton, but an excellent catch in the covers by Matthee ended Bhatt’s innings on 7, but with Patong on 4/201, just five runs shy of first innings points.

Owen Pringle joined Morton at the crease and watched Morton hit the points-scoring runs, before Morton was caught by Baxter for 27 (29 balls) off the bowling of McMillan.

Paul Baker joined Pringle in the center and played two lovely boundary strokes before his cameo ended when caught by Murphy at mid-on, off the bowling of Lane, for 8 runs off 7 balls.

Neil Quail was bowled by Lane for 4, bringing Richard Desmond to the center to join Pringle, who was bowled off the final delivery for 10 runs by Wetherell.

Desmond remained not out for 1, with Patong 8/247 at the end of the match.

Best of the Thalang bowlers: Matthee – 6 overs, 1 maiden, 1/19; McMillan – 9 overs, 2/41; Baxter – 7 overs 1/31; Murphy – 9 overs, 1/61, Lane – 4 overs, 2/34; and Wetherell – 1 over, 1 wicket, 2 runs.

A short spell by Jacobs proved that eight years between bowling spells will exacerbate any perceived flaws in technique. Thalang captain Stahmer also tossed the ball down the wicket, along with Thomatos, without success.

Patong return next weekend to face Laguna at the Alan Cooke Ground in Thalang this Sunday (March 29). The match starts at 10am, with a close contest expected.

Everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy cricket in Phuket. Cold drinks and food available all day. For directions to the ACG, visit ACGPhuket.com

— Owen Pringle