It was a case of the usual suspects, as Pattaya CC lifted the Royal Sixes crown at majestic Royal Chiang Mai on Saturday to add to their bulging trophy cabinet. The team from the coastal city defeated local favourites Lanna CC with five balls to spare in the final as they reached the target of 55.

Much of Pattayas success can be attributed to Luke Stokes, who retired on 31 or more in his four innings, with ample backup in all departments in a fine all-round team performance. They had earlier seen off last year’s Gymkhana Sixes champions, Lamphun, in their semifinal clash. Lamphun had been surprisingly defeated in their final group game by the TJCDF.

The youngsters of that side then went on to lose gamely to Lanna CC for whom Chris Coombes rolled back the years with a virtuoso performance with the bat. The game to decide fifth and sixth place matched up the Black Swans and Shrewsbury Sloggers. Both sides contributed richly on and off the pitch before the Swannies chased down 31 to avoid the wooden spoon.

The event, arranged as a replacement for the Gymkhana Sixes was a great success, played in a wonderful setting, with teams gathering on Sunday lunchtime at the Gymkhana Club to see for themselves the damage caused by the recent floods.