THAILAND WIN IN BRILLIANT FASHION BUT JUST MISS OUT ON A SEMI-FINAL PLACE

Thailand needed a comprehensive win over Maldives to overtake Japan to reach second place in Group B and claim a place in the semi-finals.

Maldives won the toss and chose to bat first. Thailand were looking to restrict Maldives to a low score and then chase the target down emphatically. It almost worked to perfection but Maldives reached 127 which meant Thailand needed to win in 9 overs but won in 9.4 overs so just missed oit.

In the Maldives innings 14 runs came from the opening. over but Mukesh Thakur took another wicket in his first over as the dangerous Adam Nasif was out. Nopphon Senamontree bowled an over of left-arm spin but Jandree Coetzee was brought back. 13 runs came off the 6th over with Yoosuf Azyan going well and Maldives were 44 for 1 after the powerplay.

.Nopphon took the second wicket on 48 with Hassan Haziq caught on the boundary and the spinners were bowling tidily and the third wicket fell in the 10th over.

With Yoosuf Azyan batting through the innings Maldives kept their rate at six an over and Yoosuf reached his first 50 in T20Is and hit out towards the end to take Maldives to 127 for 7 in 20 overs

Thailand needed to reach their target in 9 overs to move above Japan into second place and reach the semi-finals. Their aggressive batting approach might just be made for this day

Two boundaries in the third over took Thailand to 26 with the openers getting started but Chaloemwong could not clear deep mid-wicket and was the first wicket to fall. Captain Austin Lazarus hit his first ball for four and fell in similar fashion.

Jandree Coetzee has been promoted in the order but Adam Asif had taken two wickets in his first over. Three fours came in the fifth over before Jandree hit a six over long off. 51 for 2 after five overs.

13 more came from the sixth over and Thailand were 64 for 2. Jandree hit another six and four byes and Akshay launched a six before reaching his fifty in 21 balls.83 off 7.

11 runs came from the 8th over and Jandree hit three sixes in the ninth over as the score reached 115. If three more sixes came from the first three balls of the 10th over and Thailand finished on 133 from 9.3 it might have been enough.

As it was 128 for 2 in 9.4 brought a fantastic victory for Thailand by right wickets. Akshay made 68 from 28 balls with 8 fours and 2 sixes and Jandree hit 43 from 18. It was one of Thailand’s greatest chases but they finished third by virtue of net run rate.

Saudi Arabia face Japan and Singapore play Cambodia in the semi-finals. Thailand play Indonesia in the 5th place play-off and Maldives face Bhutan in the 7th place play-off.