DAY 6 -THAILAND BEAT INDONESIA TO REACH CHALLENGER CUP SEMI-FINALS

On day six of the ACC Men’s Challenger Cup being held in Bangkok the group stages were finished with Saudi Arabia winning Group B after demolishing Myanmar by 327 runs at TCG but they have been joined in the semi-finals by hosts Thailand who bowled out Indonesia for 125 at AIT and held on to win by four wickets.

Thailand were facing Indonesia at AIT and with both teams having already beaten Myanmar and lost to Saudi Arabia the winner of this match would reach the semi-finals alongside Saudi Arabia who were far ahead at the top of the group.

Thailand won the toss and chose to field first. Jandre Coetzee took the new ball and conceded a boundary to Gede Priandana but Chanchai Pengkumta made an early breakthrough as he dismissed Katut Pastika lbw for 0 as Indonesia were 6:for 1 in the second over.

Chanchai Pengkumta was causing problems for Indonesia as he was getting swing from a good length. Gede Priandana was lbw for 7 to give Pengkumta his second wicket. Indonesia were 13:for 2 after 5 overs.

Padmakar Surve has come in at number 4 and he has been in outstanding form with innings of 63 against Saudi Arabia and 128 against Myanmar.

Both opening bowlers were taken off after four overs with Pengkumta’s spell standing at 4-0-7-2. Padmakar Surve hit his first boundary as Indonesia were 27 for 2 after 10 overs.

Left-arm spinner Nopphon Senamontree started well and he took the wicket of Ferdinando Banunaek as he enticed him down the pitch to have him stumped. Captain I Kadek Gamantika fell lbw second ball as Indonesia slipped to 36 for 4 as Senamontree managed a double wicket maiden.

Indonesia were playing in an ACC tournament for the first time so a place in the semi-finals would be quite an achievement but they were on the back foot against Thailand and Robert Raina claimed the crucial wicket of Padmakar Surve bowled by an off-cutter that kept low for just 8. Indonesia were in trouble at 43 for 5.

Substitute fielder Mahsid Faheem dropped a catch at mid off from the bowling of Robert Raina but Akshay Yadav dived forward at mid wicket to dismiss Anjar Tadarus for 12 as Indonesia slipped to 53 for 6.

Sorawat Desungnoen was playing his first match of the tournament and bowled a steady spell of off-spin and Raina finished his spell of 2 for 23 with Nopphon Senamontree changing ends. Akshay Yadav has brought himself on as Thailand were searching for wickets as Indonesia were 76 for 6 after 25 overs.

Indonesia were resisting well thanks to Gede Arte and Danilson Hawoe so the Thai captain was ringing the changes and the off-spinner Desungnoen has dismissed Gede Arte caught at long off for 17 to end a seventh wicket partnership of 43. After 30 overs Indonesia were 98 for 7.

Another dropped catch at deep mid-wicket by Chanchai Pengumkta as Indonesia passed the 100 and their total was building steadily. Daniel Jacobs was now bowling his leg-spin as the ninth Thailand bowler of the innings with Indonesia 111 for 7 in 35 overs.

Back on is Nopphon Senamontree and finally the breakthrough has come as Denilson Hawoe miscued to deep extra cover to be dismissed for 37 as Indonesia lost their eighth wicket on 117.

Runs had been hard to come by and I Ketut Artawan was caught by Akshay Yadav at mid on as Senamontree claimed his fourth wicket and the fifth quickly followed as Muhammad Afis was lbw and Indonesia were dismissed for 125 in 42 overs

Nopphon Senamontree finished with outstanding figures of 5 for 13 in 10 overs. Thailand needed 126 to win in 50 overs

Thailand were underway after a 10-minute break with Daniel Jacobs hitting the first boundary of the innings. Indonesia have had their chances but have dropped three catches. Jacobs has not taken advantage as he hit straight to long off and Thailand were 14 for 1.

Thailand’s top order were not inspiring much confidence as they offered five chances as well as the one catch that was taken but Phiriyaphong Suanchuai has swept a four and only one wicket has been lost before lunch as Sorawat Desungnoen was also unbeaten. Thailand were 39 for 1 from 9 overs at lunch.

Thailand’s young batsmen were now making good progress towards their target and Phiriyaphong Suanchuai had hit a number of crisp boundaries. The second wicket partnership with Sorawat Desungnoen had reached fifty and with 17 overs gone Thailand needed 50 runs to win.

It was Sorawat’s turn to hit a boundary through the leg side then Phiriyaphong swept for four but he was out caught and bowled by Gede Arte for 44 at 86 for 2. Naveed Pathan came in but was bowled first ball by Ferdinando Banunaek. Thailand’s wickets were falling quickly as Sorawat was caught at gully for 33. Akshay Yadav had been joined by Chaloemwong Chatpaisan. There was still work to do.

Thailand’s total reached 100 in the 24th over and Chaloemwong Chatpaisan hit a six over long on to calm any nerves the home side might have been feeling.

Chaloemwong Chatpaisan was the fifth wicket to fall as he was caught at long on off Danilson Hawoe for 9. Thailand were 114 for 5 as Robert Raina came to the crease.

A boundary to Raina as he pulled to deep mid wicket and a single took the score to 122 for 5. Four more runs to win.

Raina tried to hit the winning boundary but was caught at long off as Ferdinando collected his third wicket. Thailand were 122 for 6.

It was left to captain Akshay Yadav to hit the winning runs as he clipped a boundary off his legs. Thailand had made 127 for 6 from 28.5 overs to win by 4 wickets and claim their place in the semi-finals as they finished second in Group B behind Saudi Arabia. Nopphon Senamontree was named man of the match for figures of 5 for 13 in 10 excellent overs of left-arm spin.

In the day’s other match at TCG, Saudi Arabia won the toss against Myanmar and chose to bat first. Manan Ali and Haseeb Ghafoor were opening the batting and the total had reached 53 for 0 after 10 overs

Saudi Arabia were making good progress although they had lost the wicket of Haseeb Ghafoor for 24 with the score on 68. Manan Ali reached his fifty and the hundred was up as the 16th over cost 16 runs. Manan Ali then completed his 100 from 79 balls with 11 fours and 2 sixes and the total passed 150 with one wicket down.

Saudi Arabia were piling on the runs against the unfortunate Myanmar team who had already conceded totals of 300 against Thailand and Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have made it a hat trick. Manan Ali retired hurt on 102 but Hisham Shaikh made 59 and Abdul Wahid has raced to his fifty as Saudi Arabia are giving everyone a chance to bat. The 300 came up in 40 overs with four wickets down.

Saudi Arabia have made the highest total of the tournament and have reached 400 as the runs continued to flow right to the end of the innings. The final score was 424 for 7 in 50 overs with two batsmen retiring hurt.

Myanmar had done their best in the field and had been rewarded with seven wickets as Saudi Arabia had hit out to reach 424 in their 50 overs and their batsmen now faced the challenge of at least making three figures if they could.

The Myanmar openers at least survived the first five overs before they both were dismissed by Ahmed Baladraf. Ye Naming Tun hit four fours and a six in his 29 as Myanmar reached 50 with two wickets down but he was the only man to reach double figures.

The wickets were shared around and there were two run outs before Ahmed Baladraf returned to take the last two wickets and finish with figures of 4 for 30.

Myanmar were bowled out for 97 in 25.3 overs and Saudi Arabia had won by the emphatic margin of 327 runs. They finished top of Group B with three wins out of three.

Thailand finished second in the group and will face Group A winners Bahrain in the semi-final held at AIT.

Saudi Arabia as winners of Group B will face Bhutan at TCG in the other semi-final with both matches held on 3rd March with the winners contesting the final and qualifying for the Premier Cup in Nepal

 

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