Media Release - Phuket Sixes

The Asian Cricket Sixes Tour got underway at the newly refurbished Republic Phuket Football Ground today, with the competition off to a cracking start.

10 games were played on Day One and already teams are stating their intentions in the quest for 6s glory.

MATCH ONE

The first match of the day was contested between The Wild Men From Borneo 2 and Mt Compass, with honours going to Mt Compass. The boys from near Adelaide managed to take one wicket and restricted The Wild Men From Borneo 2 to 46 at the end of their innings. Top score for the Wild Men was by Mark ‘Captain Cricket’ Stirling with a handy 21no. Mt Compass preserved all their wickets and took just 3 overs to chase down the total and finished with a total of 49.

WON BY: MT COMPASS

MATCH TWO

Match Two was played between the Southern Stars from country Victoria and MG7 from Kuwait and saw some very tight bowling from both sides with minimal sundries conceded. Southern Stars took to the crease first and got their innings underway with some conservative batting and well chosen shots to get the scoreboard moving. Usman (MG7) claimed two wickets and conceded 8 runs for his over, and the Stars finished on 39, with Jake Wright top scoring on 15no. MG7 got their innings off to a shaky start losing the wicket of Usman for a duck, followed quickly by a clean bowled Rohan off the very economical bowling of Ron Elliott who completed his over with a very commendable 2/8. It was left to Murad (18no) and Faisal (16no) to achieve the 40 runs required for the win.

WON BY: MG7

MACTH THREE

Match Three saw the Phuket Juniors take to the field and take on the Sharifally Huzifers, an eclectic group of mates hailing from Hong Kong, Port Moresby, Penang and Perth. The Phuket Juniors batted first and made an impressive 67, with Tae top scoring (and retiring) on 30. His knock saw six 4s hit, and the youngster shows great promise with a solid batting technique being developed. He was well supported by teammates Ball (4no) and Took (1no) who saw out the innings. Sharifally showed their batting strength with some big hits from opener Curtis ‘Doggie’ Lind, who carried his bat to the end of the innings with a top score of 33, and was well supported by Number 2 batsman Mark ‘The Champ’ Genovesi (23no). Sharifally won the match with a score of 74 scored off 4 overs.

WON BY: SHARIFALLY HUZIFERS

MATCH FOUR

The MG Warriors took on Bat 69 in one of the highest scoring matches played on Day One. The Warriors batted first and the openers set the scorecard on fire with a barrage of boundaries and 6s seeing both batsmen once they reached 30 (Roy 33no, Casino 32no). The opening pair were well backed-up by the Number 3 and 4 batsmen who completed the innings to see the Warriors finish on 85. Bat 69 took to the crease with a job to do, and weren’t afraid to swing the bat. Opener Amish Raja amassed a tidy 23 runs before being bowled by Melwin, with the top score of the Bat 69 innings earned by Vishal Sahay (34 retired). The Bat 69 boys completed their knock with 2/70, with match honours going to the MG Warriors.

WON BY: MG WARRIORS

MATCH FIVE

The Storm Chasers played against tournament stalwarts the CBBs in the fifth match of the day. Impressive bowling from the CBBs saw the Chasers lose 5 wickets for a total of 57, with only 4 sundries conceded. Top scorer for the Chasers was Reaman, who came in at Number 5 and smashed his way to a solid 29 which included 3 huge 6s off the bowling of Bob ‘Tiny’ Phillips. The CBBs came in to bat full of purpose, but fell short, unable to get their run rate up . Top scorer for the CBBs was Newi (18) who ended his knock being caught off the bowling of Siva (1/5).

WON BY: STORM CHASERS

MATCH SIX

The Phuket AllStars played Etihad 1 in match 6. The AllStars got their innings off to a solid start with careful shot selections racking up the singles early on. A wicket falling in the second over slowed their momentum, then the loss of their opener and top scorer Ron Jones (11) saw them fight their way to a respectable total of 41. Etihad 1 made short work in their batting reply, with the opening pair carrying their bats through the innings to achieve the required winning score of 42 in the third over, notable mention to Sreekanth who top scored for Etihad 1 with 22no.

WON BY: ETIHAD 1

MATCH SEVEN

Match 7 saw the Wolf Pack and the Desa Bangles start their campaign, with the Wolf Pack opening their account with a massive win and the biggest score of the day of 95. Opening pair Scott ‘Cess’ Maitland (32 ret) and Matt ‘Jenko’ Jenkins (27 ret) made it rain sixes and 4s, with both retiring quite early in the innings. Impressive as their batting was, it was overshadowed by an aggressive bowling display that saw Desa Bangles all out for 46. Notable mention to Steve ‘Coxy’ Hancox with 2 wickets, both caught & bowled, in the opening over of the innings.

WON BY: WOLF PACK

MATCH EIGHT

Wild Men From Borneo 1 took on Etihad 2 in the eighth match of the day. The Wild Men got off to a belter of a start with opener Ginger amassing 31 before compulsory retirement. Tong Tong and Sir Les backed him up in their supporting roles at 3 and 4 to give the team a total of 69, for the loss of one wicket (Ice Pack, 1, run out). Etihad 2 showed the same mettle as their brother team Etihad 1, achieving a winning total of 79, after opening batsman Indra retired on 32, and was well supported by Chinag (20no) and Rahil (7no). Sundries played a big role in the outcome of the match, with both teams loose bowling affecting the opposition’s score to the tune of 20runs on each side of the ledger.

WON BY: ETIHAD 2

MATCH NINE

The penultimate game of Day One was played between the Phuket All Stars and Mt Compass, both playing their second match of the tournament. The All Stars batting innings saw them lose 4 wickets for a total of 43, top scoring honours going to Mike Khan (11no). The boys from Mt Compass backed up their form from earlier in the day and chased down the total inside 3 overs, with both openers carrying their bats through the innings to achieve the required total – Barrett 16no, Hicks 19no.

WON BY: MT COMPASS

MATCH TEN

The final match of Day One was fought out between the Phuket Juniors and the Southern Stars, with honours going to the Stars. The Juniors again did themselves proud, achieving a total of 41 and losing only two wickets. Tae once again top scored for the Juniors (17) but was run out in an attempt to add to the scoreboard. The Southern Stars made short work of their batting innings, chasing down the total in the third over, with opener Ron Elliott top scoring (30ret). Special commendation to the Juniors for only conceding 4 sundries with only the one wide delivered in their bowling innings.

WON BY: SOUTHERN STARS

PLAYS OF THE DAY

Highest Team Score Match 7 Wolf Pack 95

Highest Individual Score Match 4 Vishal Sahay – Bat 69 34 ret.

Most Wickets – Team Match 7 Wolf Pack 5

Best Bowling Figures Match 2 Usman – MG7 2/3