Sawasdee Cricket has always played an important part in the San Miguel Chiang Mai Sixes with a special Sawasdee Cup competition being held for school children who have just started playing cricket. In the early years this was played at Gymkhana itself during the main Sixes but it is now held at Prem with the next competition due to be played on 7th March 2015.

A lot of hard work is being put into re-establishing a junior cricket team at Prem International School and coaches Mark Bowyer and David Buck now have a squad of 19 children who are desperate to play cricket. Aged between 7 and 10 years old, the children have been practising hard and finally had the chance to take part in a tournament that was held on the marvellous Prem Oval as Constitution Day gave them the chance to have a day playing Sawasdee Cricket.

Prem used to take part in Sawasdee tournaments and hard ball leagues but in recent years older children at the school have concentrated on their academic studies and on the other sports available rather than playing cricket. This season a new effort has been made to build a new young cricket team and the wonderful facilities at Prem were laid open to schools in Chiang Mai and Mae On with young cricketers coached by Martin and Puy Papworth delivered to the ground in a fleet of red taxis.

Buakrocnoi School came from the city, while teams also came from schools in Mae On, including Sahagon II and Huai Keaw which have had a long history of success in Sawasdee tournaments arranged by the Chiang Mai Schools Cricket Alliance.

Five schools took part in a round robin league so each team had four matches and although the children from Prem were younger than their opposition they gave a good account of themselves showing off some very good bowling actions despite only having a few weeks of coaching. They even won a match to the great delight of the parents who were watching as they beat the girls team from Mae On.

Buakrocnoi and Huai Keaw were the strongest teams as each won their first three matches and so the last match of the competition between the two sides would decide the winners. BKN came out on top as some of their players have already been attending hard ball nets at Gymkhana and possibly the highlight of the day was the award of player of the tournament to young Gop who is not naturally athletic but threw himself around enthusiastically in the field and took two wickets in his over against Huai Keaw. His team-mates had selected him as their best player and cheered as he proudly claimed his trophy.

It was clearly an important day for all at Prem, both in giving their own young cricketers a chance to play in a competition, but also in opening up the facilities at Prem to other local children. Lynda Rolph, President and Head of Community, presented the winners' trophy to Buakrocnoi and gave medals to all the children who took part. Sandwiches and cakes were provided by Linda Buck and a number of parents from Prem so it was a wonderful occasion that was enjoyed by all the children.

Mark Bowyer who has done so much in creating the new team at Prem wrote:

'One of my students has told me, "this was the best day of sport ever". The kids had such a fantastic time that they have been begging their coaches for more match play ever since. We are so proud to be involved as the last time Prem played at this level was 2006, so it's wonderful to have 19 young ones keen to play.'

It is hoped to stage more matches for the children to play in, and a number of similar tournaments in the lead up to the Sixes Sawasdee Cup that will also be held at Prem in March. Other International Schools such as Varee, Lanna and aven Chiang Rai are also keen for their children to have a chance to play softball cricket, and with a junior hardball league also underway for older children, cricket in Chiang Mai and beyond is catering for players of all ages.

The continued well-being of Sawasdee Cricket is just one of the many ways in which the players and supporters of the Chiang Mai Sixes are continuing to help in the development of junior cricket in the North of Thailand