SAUDI ARABIA TESTED BY THAILAND BUT WIN BY FIVE WICKETS

Saudi Arabia faced Thailand in the third match of the Thailand Quadrangular and would have expected a sterner test than they were given by Maldives on the opening day. The hosts were looking forward to a difficult contest against the Challenger Cup winners and they would be playing without their two left-arm opening bowlers in Jandree Coetzee and Mukesh Thakur who had impressed as Thailand finished fifth in the Challenger Cup.

Both teams could be pleased with their performance in this match as Thailand made 112 for 7 in 20 overs and then pegged Saudi Arabia back to 78 for five before the visitors won by five wickets in 16.1 overs and they are likely to meet again in the final on Friday.

On winning the toss Saudi Arabia asked Thailand to bat first and the home side were soon 8 for 2 in four overs before reaching 16 for 2 in the powerplay. In previous matches Thailand’s openers had provided explosive starts but here was an opportunity for captain Austin Lazarus to come to the crease early to build an innings and he was able to show his class against the Saudi Arabian bowlers.

He reached his first international fifty in 37 balls as he hit 6 fours and 3 sixes to ensure Thailand would at least put runs on the scoreboard before he was out to the ball after making his half-century with Thailand on 98 for 4, Runs dried up towards the end of the innings but at least Thailand had made 112 for 7 in their 20 overs.

Faisal Khan hit his first two balls for four but was dismissed by Chanchai Pengkumpta in the first over for 8 off 4 balls as he attempted another off-drive. Abdul Waheed joined Kashif Siddique and boundaries were hit at regular intervals even without Faisal at the crease. 13 fours and a six came in the first six overs as it looked like Saudi Arabia would race to victory.

The Thailand spinners would soon have their say as Nopphon Senamontree dismissed Kashif for 26 from 16 balls with his slow left-arm and Khanitson  Namchaikul would also have a say with this leg-spin. The two spinners engineered a collapse from 68 for 1 to 78 for 5 as Saudi Arabia lost four wickets for 10 runs as each spinner took two wickets.

Abdul Waheed was still there and he was joined by Hisham Shaikh and they were able to see off any further danger from the Thailand spinners. Abdul Waheed finished on an unbeaten 58 from 38 balls with 9 fours and a six and Hisham Shaikh was again there to see his side home to victory by five wickets in 16.1 overs.

Saudi Arabia now have two wins out of two in the quadrangular as well as ten wins out of ten in the two editions of the ACC Challenger Cup played in Thailand so Bangkok is clearly proving a second home for the Saudi team.