How TCT approached the final at the Alan Cooke Ground on May 17, where they won their second consecutive title with a 157-run win over Patong Cricket Club (see match report here), has shone a light on the team’s future, explained captain Bill Stahmer.
“We were already confident, as we had steadily improved throughout the season and we were looking forward to having a full-strength squad on the day,” he said.
“But we also looked at the Patong lineup and considered what our strengths were, and what was necessary for us to improve on.”
Consequently, TCT changed their training schedule and targeted skills to improve on. “Specifically, we practiced high-ball outfield catches. In our opening matches of the season, we dropped 25 or 26 catches on the boundary,” Bill noted.
But the winning formula came down to two key ingredients. “Above all, we had discipline and passion,” Bill said. “And while we’re competitive while out on the field, we’re still social after the match.”
The win puts TCT on target for a top performance in the Outrigger T20 competition later this month.
“It’s good to have ongoing success with different leaders at the club. It gives everyone the opportunity to lead the team to success – and it shows that we have depth at the club,” says Andrew McMillan, who captained the champion TCT squad last year.
“We haven’t won a T20 yet, so we’re looking forward to entering that competition with a strong side.”
THE ROAD AHEAD
While teams will be doing their utmost to lay their hands on trophies in the upcoming tourneys, many players will have their eyes firmly fixed on the PCG general meeting to be held next Tuesday (June 9).
At the meeting, PCG members will elect a new committee, who many hope will reinvigorate efforts to develop the sport on the island and its connections with the Cricket Association of Thailand (CAT).
Currently, there is no Phuket representative, notes Bill, who at one time served as head coach at the Cricket Institute of Thailand in Chiang Mai, where where he had up to 135 youngsters involved in the sport.
“At one time, I had 39 local kids involved in [cricket skills] clinics in Phuket,” he explains, but a lack of enthusiasm and support soon saw the clinics fall by the wayside.
A resurgence in developing local players, with a focus on quality, not quantity, can have huge payoffs, Bill adds.
Thawekron Sutiphpa, better known simply as “Pao”, is a key player on the TCT squad.
“Pao started playing only a handful of years ago,” says Bill, “He showed a lot promise at the early stages, but that wavered. With some extra attention he has improved, and this year has produced his best cricket yet.”