Cricket: Thalang big guns fire in Village win

PHUKET: The Thalang Cricket Team (TCT) big guns fired up last Sunday in a win over the Village Cricket Team at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) in Thalang.

Fresh off an upset victory against top-of-the-league Patong, the Village were looking to climb higher up the ladder with a win against a TCT side that had yet to find form with the bat or ball.

The toss of the coin fell the way of the Village captain Mudasir Rehman and he chose to bat first in beautiful conditions for a hotly contested cricket match.

Mike Khan and Martin Platts were slow to get going, and when TCT’s Sam Ali dismissed Platts and then

Pir with successive deliveries, the Village found themselves 2/12 from six overs. Syed Shahnaz joined Khan out in the middle and they guided their side to 2/23 at the first drink break.

TCT skipper Bill “Steamboat” Stahmer had Khan out LBW on the second ball following the break. Mark Ashman came to the crease and the small ACG crowd saw their first attacking shots of the morning.

In the next seven overs the Village lifted their score to 61 runs before the introduction of Thai youngster “Paan” saw the end of Ashman, bowled for 18 runs from 23 balls. The Village were 4/66 after 20 overs.

Paan continued to provide chances for TCT with three close LBW appeals and a number of balls that narrowly missed the edge of the bat. In the 28th over, he got a ball to jump off a good length and catch a glove on its way through to the wicket keeper. The Village were 5/103 at the third drink break with Shahnaz still at the crease on 37 not out.

The final 10 overs of the Village’s innings began with TCT all-rounder Justin Thomatos having his first bowl of the season. His over included three wides, one run and, more notably, two Village wickets, including Village captain Rehman.

The Villagers managed to face out another six overs and bring their total up to 132 before a running mix up ended the 37.2 over innings.

Shahnaz was the top scorer with 47 (83). Best with the ball for TCT was Neil Culpan with his two late wickets giving him the great figures of 2/5 from seven overs including two wides and four maiden overs.

TCT required 133 to take a first innings points win and for the first time this season Thomatos and Andrew McMillan paired up in the middle. The dynamic duo took a liking to the Village bowlers and posted 0/88 off the first 10 overs.

After a drink the TCT batsmen got straight back to their work, with McMillan in rare form hitting numerous boundaries. Village captain Rehman shared the ball between eight of his men, but couldn’t find a wicket or slow down the TCT opening pair.

Just before the 20-over drinks break, McMillan lofted Platts down the ground to reach his maiden century at the Alan Cooke Ground. TCT went to the 20-over break at 0/173, already with a lead of 41 runs, with McMillan 105*(78) and Thomatos 45*(42).

Culpan came out to replace the retired McMillan after the break and continued to keep the scorers busy as TCT went on the attack in search of an outright result.

The 26th over produced some highlights for the Village, with Culpan elegantly stumped by wicket keeper Harvey Nolan off the leg-spin of Platts and then Simon Wetherell was bowled by Platts off the very next ball.

TCT captain Stahmer declared the innings closed after the 28th over with a lead of 105 runs and 15 overs remaining in the match.

The TCT total was 3/237, with Thomatos finishing 81*(68) and Platts the only wicket taker with 2/41.

The Village second innings was a non-affair, with Khan and Shahnaz keeping their wickets intact early. After seeing off Culpan the field was spread and the Village used the remaining overs to get in some batting practice. Khan finished 17 not out in the total of 3/58. Sam Ali picked up 2/17 and McMillan grabbed another two catches to take his tally to four catches for the match.

The result catapults TCT into second place on the table with the match this coming Sunday between Laguna and ICC rounding out the first half of the Phuket Cricket League season.

— David Thomas