Cricket Takes Its Place In The National Games

Cricket has played its part in the National Youth Games over the last five years with the game having spread across Thailand and 15 or more provinces taking part in competitions for boys and girls. Cricket was introduced into the senior National Games in 2012 in Chiang Mai when matches were played on the existing cricket grounds at Gymkhana and Royals in a province where cricket’s roots have been firmly established over the last decade. Cricket was an exhibition event with four teams playing in men’s and women’s competitions over a three-day period following immediately after Thailand had hosted an international tournament. 2014 sees another step in the development of cricket as a national sport in Thailand as there is a full program of cricket staged at the Nakhon Ratchasima Games with a total of 38 matches played over a ten day period from 9th to 18th December at the Suranari University of Technology Ground in Korat. Nine teams are playing in both men’s and women’s competitions and players from all provinces will get plenty of cricket as teams are divided into two groups before the top two teams contest the semi-finals with the tournament concluding with men’s and women’s finals on 18th December. Provinces like Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen are likely to be among the favourites as they have been playing cricket for more than a decade and have produced several players for junior and senior Thailand teams but the competition also gives the chance to provinces such at Pattani, Yala and Songkhla to gain more cricketing experience and confirm that cricket has become a national sport in Thailand. Members of the very successful Thailand women’s team will be taking part either as players or officials and the National Games may well uncover some new talent as well as enabling most of the national squad to remain fully involved in cricket on a year-round basis. Thailand’s growing reputation in the cricket world has also been recognized by the ICC awarding the country its first official tournament because the next Women’s World T20 qualifying competition will be staged in Thailand in November 2015 with the hosts playing alongside countries such as Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands, China, and Bangladesh.
The full list of provinces involved in the 43rd National Games is as follows:
Men:
Group A – Chiang Mai, Pattani, Uttaradit, Bangkok, Lopburi;
Group B – Chantaburi, Khon Kaen, Yala, Mahsarakhan.

Women:
Group A – Songkhla, Khon Kaen, Pattani, Lopburi, Bangkok;
Group B – Chiang Mai, Chonburi, Uttaradit, Mahasarakhan.