THAILAND MAKE THEIR HIGHEST EVER T20I TOTAL ON THE WAY TO BEATING CAMBODIA BY 16 RUNS

THAILAND MAKE THEIR HIGHEST EVER T20I TOTAL ON THE WAY TO BEATING CAMBODIA BY 16 RUNS

Thailand gave one of their most impressive performances in an official T20 international as they reached 178 for 6 against Cambodia which is their best ever score beating the total of 171 for 6 they made against Bhutan last month. They held off a brilliant innings from Loqman Butt to win by 16 runs to register their first victory in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier B being held in Qatar.

Thailand’s openers provided the foundation for their innings as they posted a partnership of 48 and Chaloernwong Chatphaisan hit 42 from 29 balls to take his side to 74 for 2 at the halfway stage. The middle-order had the perfect platform to go for their shots as Austin Lazarus hit 32 from 20 balls with 3 sixes and Jandre Coetzee made an unbeaten 34 from 23 balls with 3 fours and a six.

Thailand had registered their highest 20-over total and gained a run out off the first ball of the innings as Cambodia looked in trouble at 32 for 3. Mahaj Chadha played steadily for 44 from 41 balls to allow former Pakistani first-class player Loqman Butt to play a brilliant innings of 60 from 31 balls with 4 sixes.

Butt’s innings came to an end in the 17^th over at 135 for 5 but Etienne Beukes who had played some big hitting innings in Bangkok earlier in the year to help take Cambodia to the final of the ACC Challenger Cup again hit two sixes to take his side close to victory before he was dismissed by Coetzee in the 19^th over.

Thailand had held on to win by 16 runs to gain one of their best ever victories in an official ICC qualifying tournament and Jandre Coetzee was named man of the match as he added 1 for 24 to his innings of 34 to excel at the close of both innings.