National Youth Competition Bangkok 2011

Chiang Mai v Supanburi @ TCG 08/01/2011 (FINAL)
CHIANG MAI TRIUMPH IN NATIONAL YOUTH CHAMIONSHIPS

             The final of the National Youth Cricket Championships was held at the new Thailand Cricket Ground (TCG) situated in the low lying marshes near Suvanabhumi airport. Chiang Mai U-19 boys faced Supanburi in the last match of the day, and elected to field having won the toss. With some knowledge of the opposition from playing them in the group stages, Chiang Mai’s tactics were to restrict boundaries and bowl straight and full to the Supanburi batsmen in the hope of bowling them out cheaply. With an ultra defensive field and six accurate bowlers, the game plan worked perfectly, and was helped by a poor pitch with very little bounce. With the ball keeping so low, along with the field placing's, the batsmen only managed to score four boundaries in the innings and wickets fell with regularity. Opener Jun, who took 3 wickets, and finished as the tournament’s leading wicket taker, made the early inroads. Pong took 4 wickets, and the second change pairing of Date and Game, both Thailand U-16 Internationals, got into the wickets, and wrapped up proceedings by the 11th over. Supanburi were 60 all out. The last wicket was the highlight of the match, as wicketkeeper Mack ran at full pace to a ball edged to point, taking a brilliant one handed diving catch at full stretch.
Chasing such a modest total posed no problems for Chiang Mai. Once again the openers Nikom and Seegame got the batting side off to a steady start, pushing simple ones and twos and occasionally dispatching the bad balls. Supanburi helped Chiang Mai’s cause by bowling two or three wides an over, and although Seegame was out at the midway point, number three bat Jun quickly knocked off the remaining runs. Nikom fell towards the end, but a comfortable victory was assured. Chiang Mai won by 8 wickets, and this very young side has achieved the double of becoming National Youth Cricket Champions as well as the Makhamwan National Youth Games Champions in the same season. A fine achievement and the success looks set to continue for many years with the gulf in class between Chiang Mai and the other Provinces. The win was made all the sweeter by the Chiang Mai girls U-19 side being crowned champions earlier in the day.