On Friday Phattrapon Phonsorrant played a starring role for his team, The Wild Men From Borneo, and yesterday Chanchai Asavasirisin also did well when he turned out for Bangkok-based side the Southerners.

Chanchai learned to play cricket while studying at the University of South Australia 15 years ago and has now been a regular member of the Southerners team for the past eight years.

"There wasn't much to do in Adelaide when I was at university, and I slowly got into it," he told The Nation yesterday. "Now I love it."

The left-handed Thai batsman was involved in one of the closest games at Karon Stadium yesterday when the Southerners faced Taiwan-based Aussie team Formosa in their Bowl division match.

Formosa batted first and scored 58 in their innings, then the Southerners were on 57, needing only two runs to win off the last ball of the match. They managed only one run as one of their batsmen was run out, leaving the score tied on 58.

After checking the score sheets, officials gave the game to Formosa because they had lost fewer wickets than the Southerners.

The very popular Moonshine Warathais from Newcastle in Australia also had a close game in their Bowl match against the Taipans Cricket club from Hong Kong, but the Aussie veterans, led by former international Trevor Chappell, ran out the winners with 77 runs against 72.

Perth team Applecross, also playing in the Bowl division, then went out swinging and scored a big total of 90 against local team Laguna, who could only manage 57 in reply.

Former England Test cricketers Adam Hollioake and Alan Mullally both played very well yesterday and entertained the crowd with some fine batting and bowling.

Mullally managed to hit the edge of the Karon Stadium roof twice yesterday with big sixes and was lucky not to be given out: this year officials have ruled that any ball which goes onto or over the stadium roof is out in an effort to cut back on damage to pedestrians and vehicles on the crowded beachfront opposite the ground.

Mullally hit the edge but not the top of the roof and managed to bat on in his innings yesterday for the Macau Scrubbers. Unfortunately, his outstanding efforts with both the bat and ball were not enough against Indian side Guwaharti, who won by six runs.

Hollioake had his bowling tested at the start of his game with Western Australian team Nollamarra but made amends with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 30 retired against Kelwar Cricket Club from Malaysia.

At the end of the match both teams were level on 75 runs, and officials awarded victory to the Malaysians, who had lost fewer wickets.

Matches in the Bowl, Plate and Cup divisions were still being played at press time last night before the feature Twenty/20 match was played under lights last night.

A select team of mostly Australians, led by Chappell, played a side made up of the best players from the other teams in the Twenty/20 slugfest under the lights at Karon Stadium.

The finals of the tournament will be held today, finishing with the top-flight Cup-division final at 5pm. Entry to the ground is free, and food and drinks are available. For more information, see www.phuketsixes.com.

Alan Parkhouse

The Nation

Phuket