Thalang could only manage 124 runs in reply as a new format has been introduced for this season. Teams have an opportunity to achieve an outright win (by bowling another team out twice for less runs than the winning teams total runs). However, a normal 1st innings win is also crucial to score points.
After some heavy overnight rain, the outfield was going to be slow and boundaries difficult to come by. However, despite this, after winning the toss, Laguna opted to bat first hoping to set a good target to defend against Thalang.
Laguna got off to a steady start, with opener’s Manish Sadarangani (31) and Iqbal Malik (17), before Malik was bowled in the 7th over at 1 for 30. Sameer Khan (13) and Sadarangani put on another 30 runs, before Khan top-edged gifting an easy catch at square leg just before the 20 over drinks break at 3 for 80.
With the score on 96, one of crickets more unusual dismissals occurred with non-striker Sadarangani being run-out while backing up (“Mankad”) by Thalang captain, Bill Stahmer. This type of dismissal is named after Indian bowler, Vinoo Mankad, who during India's tour of Australia on 13 December 1947 in the second Test at Sydney, Mankad ran out Australian batsman, Bill Brown, when, in the act of delivering the ball, he held on to it and removed the bails with Brown out of his crease.
With Laguna finding boundaries hard to come by, Ali Khan (40) gave the innings a much needed boost which included four towering 6’s (one of which is estimated to have travelled more than 100 metres).
Ishmail Mohammed (29 not out) managed to bolster the innings total to 176 but eventually ran out of batting partners in the 35th over (5 overs short of their allocated 40 overs).
Pick of the bowlers for Thalang were Gary Lane (3 for 38), Sam Ali (2 for 10) and Anthony Dupont (2 for 31). However, with 31 wides being bowled, this will be an area requiring improvement by Thalang.
Thalang had 45 overs in which to attain the 177 run target to achieve a 1st innings win (being their allocated 40 overs plus 5 remaining overs from Laguna’s 1st innings).
Laguna struck a blow early on removing openers Anthony Du Pont (2) and Bill Stahmer (6) and had Thalang at 2 for 15 with an inspired early spell of bowling from Iqbal Malik. They struck again removing Gary Lane (9) in the 7th over with Thalang at 3 for 26.
Thai youngster “Pao” (36) and Simon Wetherell (19) steadied the innings for Thalang with a 35 run partnership until Wetherell fell in the 14th over at 4 for 61. Pao then combined with Craig Murphy (10) to put on a further 30 runs before a communication mix up saw Murphy run out at 5 for 91.
With 23 overs in hand, Thalang only required 4 runs per over, but they could not afford to lose more wickets. After a spirited partnership of 17 runs between Pao and fellow Thai youngster Karn, Laguna managed to contain the rest of the Thalang batsmen bowling them out in the 35th over for 124.
With only 7 overs remaining in the days play, Laguna did not enforce the follow on (where the 1st innings lead is 50 runs or more) as an outright result was deemed unlikely.
This Sunday (December 14), arch rivals Patong take on ICC at the ACG in Thalang with a 10am start time.
If anyone is interested in getting involved with cricket in Phuket, please email the Phuket Cricket Group Chairman at chairman@phuketcricketgroup.com, or visit www.phuketcricketgroup.com for more information.