Please excuse me for a touch of indulgence this week. As regular readers will know, I play each year in the Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes tournament in northern Thailand. This has been held in late March/early April every year since 1988, apart from 2020-22, during the pandemic. This year, the 35th edition, so nearly did not happen.
In early October last year, the Gymkhana Club, where the tournament is hosted, was covered in 20 centimeters of mud and silt when the adjacent River Ping overflowed for a second time. The waters swept all before them from one end of the area to the other. Over the course of the next two months, the monumental task of clearing up was undertaken by a combination of golf caddies, local volunteers, tournament committee members and hired machinery.
Then came the returfing of the playing area. By the time the tournament opened, only a small area of the ground lacked turf — for some reason, I found myself fielding there. It has been an outstanding effort by everyone concerned to ensure the 2025 Chiang Mai Sixes could be held. Donations are still being received from friends and supporters to support the recovery program.
In its early days, the tournament attracted an impressive array of former international cricketers, including Dennis Lillie in 1994. England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka were always well represented. The latter continued to be involved until 2012; then, in a sign of cricket’s changing nature, their successors had many more options for their post cricket careers.
However, not all contact has been lost. One of those who last played in Chiang Mai in 2012, Amal Silva, paid a visit this year. He scored a century for Sri Lanka at Lords in his country’s first ever Test match in England in 1984. He recalls being motivated by a jibe from Ian Botham, who said Sri Lanka would be “a piece of cake for him.” England ought to have been wary, given that in the first ever Test between the two countries in Colombo in 2012 Sri Lanka had put in a competitive performance after sharing the spoils in a two-match One Day International series.
Another former player with a tale to tell also visited Chiang Mai this year, in support of the New Zealand-based team, the Divine Felons. John Morrison played 17 Test matches and 18 ODIs for New Zealand between 1973 and 1983. In the second of a three-match series against Australia at Sydney in January 1974, he scored a century in the second innings and was the highest run scorer on either side in the series, which Australia won 2-0. At Sydney, New Zealand was in a strong position but rain on the last day ruined the chance to square the series. Morrison points out that no New Zealand player has scored a Test match century at Sydney since 1974.
After cricket, Morrison went into commentating. He was also active in Wellington city politics between 1998 and 2013. When chatting to him, he remarked that the latter felt stranger than sitting in a cricket dressing room and he would love to have been good enough to write a script on what happens in debates. It is a shame his dry, understated wit has not had such a stage.
In 2025, the Chiang Mai Sixes consisted of 28 men’s teams and three women’s teams. Based on estimates of playing strength, the men were divided into a Players section of the strongest 12 and a Gentlemen’s section of 16 teams. In Round One, teams played three matches against teams in their section to generate a league table for Players and Gentlemen. This provided a basis to divide teams into five descending levels — Cup, Shield, Bowl, Plate and Spoon.
My team, the Drifters, is one of only three which has participated in every edition of the tournament. The other two are the Red Lion Wombats from Australia and Darjeeling Cricket Club of Dubai, which was formed in 1969. It is the oldest amateur cricket club in the UAE, consisting primarily of western expatriates. In both 2023 and 2024, the team finished third in the Cup.
The Wombats are an eclectic group, consisting mainly of Australians. Its composition has changed much over the years, but it still has the services of the only person to have played in every single edition of the tournament — Peter Nitschke. In 2024, the Wombats won the Plate but relinquished it in the 2025 semifinals. The composition of the Drifters has also morphed over time. Originally, it consisted of players from the UK. Now, it is largely made up of players who play for Pattaya Cricket Club in Thailand. The link has been forged by a Drifter, Simon Philbrook, as player and chair of that club over several years.
As a result, a strong set of younger players has supplemented those with years of experience. Last year, the team finished third in the Cup, alongside Darjeeling. In 2025, neither the 2024 Cup winners, the Bangladesh team, NCL Thunders, or the runners-up, St Francis de Sales of Australia, were present. Both Darjeeling and the Drifters knew this was their chance. The former have never won the Cup, whilst the last victory for the latter was in 1996. The Drifters were able to secure the services of Abaidullah, last year’s player of the tournament, from NCL.
In the Players section, the Drifters finished top with Darjeeling second. Both teams topped their Cup groups to progress to the semifinals, which both successfully negotiated to set up the Final. Going into that, the Drifters’ average score was 85 per innings compared with Darjeeling’s 63. However, the Drifters had conceded 65 runs per innings compared with 50 by Darjeeling. The question was whether Darjeeling could rein in the Drifters’ prolific batting.
Their strategy to do so was revealed when, on winning the toss, they elected to bowl. Abaidullah was not given freedom to hit legside sixes and was out, caught at long off for 19. Luke Stokes, voted player of the tournament, continued his imperious form, striking another unbeaten 30 before having to retire. When the mercurial Habby Singh was out the very next ball, 59 for three at the end of over four was below the Drifters normal strike rate. Mike Gerits added a valuable 14 from the final over to post a final score of 74. This was not an unimpregnable target but Darjeeling fell to 39 for three in the fourth over, Gerits and Stokes holding onto excellent catches in the deep.
Darjeeling had no option but to attack, which they did to good effect, entering the final over needing 18 to win. Drama then ensued. Philbrook, the Drifters wicketkeeper, suffered a tweaked hamstring and retired. He was replaced by your columnist, who watched as the batter struck the next ball sweetly, seemingly for six. After review, four runs were awarded, much to the angst of the opposition. Tim Peters, entrusted to bowl the last over, held his nerve and Darjeeling failed to level the scores by a single run in a thrilling conclusion.
Such an exciting finish was a fitting end to a well contested and organized tournament. After the initial disappointment of defeat, the Darjeeling cohort recovered its poise, chatting amiably with the Drifters in post-match revelry. Celebrations of a long-awaited Cup triumph continued for the Drifters, all of whom were grateful for the Arab News shirt sponsorship.
