Blythswood CC: The 2026 "Greatest Hits" Tour, 19 Years of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"
Returning for our 19th consecutive appearance at the Chiang Mai Sixes, the Blythswood Cricket Club arrives with a heavy heart but a full glass, older, marginally wiser, and still absolutely convinced this is their year. We are back to prove that while our joints are creakier, our thirst remains unquenchable. We arrive with our signature blend of "maximum effort, minimum fitness," ready to turn potential wickets into certain boundaries.
Nineteen years of Sixes cricket has taught this band of wandering all-rounders many things: sunscreen is not optional, hydration is a tactical decision, and every team needs at least one “legend” - preferably more. Fortunately, Blythswood have always travelled with legends. Some cricketing. Some mythical. Some largely fictional after midnight.
This year, though, is different and dedicated to the man who defined our spirit, reminding us that while form is temporary, being a Legend is forever. The 2026 campaign is dedicated to the memory of our dear friend, teammate and undisputed club legend, Chris Love, who sadly passed away in July 2025. Lovey was the sort of cricketer who could change a game - occasionally intentionally. A man who never met a cover drive he didn’t admire, a post-match singalong he didn’t lead, or a scoreboard he couldn’t creatively reinterpret.
If cricket had a Champions League of charisma, Lovey would have been player, manager, DJ and fine collector.
He always said, “It’s not how many runs you score, it’s how good you look walking off.” and “Cricket’s a simple game - see ball, hit ball. Miss ball… blame pitch.”
And by that measure, he remains statistically unbeatable.
Lovey played the game the way it should be played - with a smile, a story, and the firm belief that "we are the champions"… of the over-50s social division of Southeast Asia.
So this year, every lofted six will be struck thinking, “Don’t stop me now!”
Every tight over will echo, “Under Pressure.”
Every optimistic run chase will begin with, “I want it all… and I want it now!”
And at least once per innings, someone will mutter, “Another one bites the dust,” usually referring to our batting order.
Blythswood cricket has always been a kind of rhapsody - part skill, part theatre, occasionally a little bit operatic. Some call it chaos. We call it Bohemian run-ody.
Our team motto for 2026? “We will, we will… rock you.” (Though realistically, we may settle for nudging you gently into the covers for a well-run single.)
As ever, the squad boasts:
• At least one batter who claims he’s “still got it” (medical evidence pending).
• A bowler who insists the slower ball is “a thinking man’s weapon.”
• A wicketkeeper who appeals like Freddie Mercury at Wembley.
• And several all-rounders who are very round.
The Squad Philosophy
We are a team of Legends - mostly in our own minds, and occasionally in the local bars. Our cricketing strategy remains unchanged: we don't like cricket, we love it (mostly because it involves sitting down in a padded chair).
As Lovey would have said, "The older I get, the better I used to be." We might not be "Fat Bottomed Girls," but we are certainly "Fat Bottomed Batsmen" making the world go 'round... very slowly, between the wickets. Blythswood CC: Still "Doing All Right," still looking for the "Radio Ga Ga," and forever playing in the memory of the great Chris Love.
But beyond the jokes, the puns and the legendary after-match analysis sessions, this year is about friendship. It’s about 19 years of shared tours, shared triumphs, shared collapses, and shared laughter. Lovey embodied everything the Sixes is about - camaraderie, competition, and never taking yourself too seriously. He remains forever in our dressing room, forever at mid-off offering “helpful advice,” and forever first to the bar insisting, “The show must go on.”
And so it does.
Here’s to 19 years.
Here’s to legends past and present.
And here’s to Chris Love - our champion, our mate, our forever opening act.
Blythswood Cricket Club, Chiang Mai Sixes 2026.
Still swinging. Still singing. Still believing. Playing for love. Playing for laughs. Playing for Lovey.
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The All-Rounder
Crusher by name, Crusher by cricketing nature. Physically and metaphorically, he is larger
than life. After missing the last few tournaments, he’s back to show us he still has the
"Hammer to Fall" on any loose deliveries. While he's been away coaching the "Future
Legends" of Thai cricket, we’re just glad he’s back to help us avoid "Another One Bites the Dust."
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The Impact Sub
"Don't Try Suicide" (by asking why the nickname Jenny!) Joining the crew mid week, Jenny is the wildcard. There are whispers he might be our golden ticket to the Gymkhana bar for the week. Only "Time" will tell if he’s the hero we need, but for now, we’re just glad to have him in the "Massive."
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The Opening Batsman
Kevin "022" Mason. A man who knows how to find the ropes, Maso is our very own "Don’t Stop Me Now" specialist. With lightning-quick feet, he can turn a simple single into three or more runs - mostly because he’s "Breaking Free" from the crease before the ball has even left the bowler's hand. He is a master of the "Bicycle Race" between the wickets, though he’s known for leaving his batting partners gasping for air! By the fourth over, his partner is usually
shouting "Save Me," while Maso carries his bat.
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The Opening Bowler
Known to his family as Mr. T and to the Blythswood ‘Massive’ as Thommo, he arrives as a
much slimmer version of his former self. He is a "Lean Mean Fighting Machine" ready to rock
and roll on the strip. For Thommo, "The Show Must Go On," and with his new athletic frame,
he’s looking to prove he’s "Doing All Right" - both on the field and at the crease. He’s the
Legend we’re counting on to provide the mid-innings fireworks!
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The Skipper
Taking the captaincy for the first time in 2026, Rosie is the anointed leader of this motley
crew. Nicknamed "Rosie" for his uncanny likeness to the legendary 1968 Bantamweight World
Champion Lionel Rose, he doesn't just lead - he floats like a butterfly and stings like a...
well, a very fast wicketkeeper. He is a "Whippet" between the sticks with hands so fast he’s a
"Flash" behind the stumps. While the rest of us are "Stone Cold Crazy" trying to bend our
knees, Rosie is the Legend keeping the innings together.
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The Specialist Fielder
"Innuendo" A long-time supporter who, alas, does not live up to his cricketing
namesake. When it comes to his on-field prowess, "The Invisible Man" would be a more
fitting title. The least said, the better - we’ll just let the "Radio Ga Ga" at the bar do the
talking for him.
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The Wicketkeeper
The final piece of our touring jigsaw, "Mr. Blythswood" himself. Rodders is our "Mr. Dependable," and having recently found himself with plenty of free time, he’s become a "Travelin' Man," touring the globe to watch and play every form of the game. Always available to guide, support, and share a cold one, he and Lovey were famously "brothers from another
mother." With Rodders in the camp, we have "Somebody to Love" (and someone to make
sure we actually turn up to the right pitch).
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The Bar Sponsors
Faang & Fern: "Simply The Best" Our honorary Blythswood sisters and the owners of
Maxim - the only place to go for post-match frolics. They are the ones who keep the "Cold
Cerveza" flowing and the smiles wide. In the world of Chiang Mai nightlife, they truly are the
"Champions of the World." If you’re looking for the team after dark, follow the music to Maxim.
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The Cheerleaders
Angel: "The Miracle" Angel by name and angel by nature. Returning for her third year
alongside her husband, Thommo, she is our official "You’re My Best Friend" nominee. While
she’s always there to cheer on Mr. T, she’s equally likely to be found seeking "A Kind of
Magic" at the massage spa or visiting wild animals. Lovey treated Angel like a sister from the
very first moment they met, and that bond remains a cherished part of our tour history.
Keekii: "The Killer Queen" Partner to Kevin "022" Mason, Keekii is returning for her third year
and is a legendary supporter in her own right. Kevin might have the quick feet, but Keekii has
the style; as the song goes, she’s "guaranteed to blow your mind." Kevin is a very lucky man indeed - let’s hope he doesn't run her out of breath like he does his batting partners!
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The Coach
Maybe small in stature, but Chippy is a towering Legend of the opening spell. When he’s not steaming in for Blythswood, he’s coaching the Chile National Rugby League team - which explains why his appeal for LBW sounds more like a pre-match Haka. He will be back in 2027 to prove he’s the "Champion of the World." For Chippy, "I Want It All" usually means all the wickets and a very cold Cerveza.
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The Immortal Legend
This year, the boundary rope feels a little quieter and the "Spirit of the Game" a little heavier. In July 2025, we lost a true Blythswood titan, Chris Love. Lovey wasn't just a teammate; he was the heartbeat of our Chiang Mai tours.
The undisputed "Prince of the Universe." Lovey didn't just play the Chiang Mai Sixes; he owned the atmosphere. Whether he was orchestrating a tactical collapse or a legendary post-match session, he was our "Killer Queen" on the field - deadly with a glass in his hand and a joke on his lips. He taught us that even if you’re "Under Pressure," you should always do it with a smile. We’re playing this year with "A Kind of Magic" in the air, knowing Lovey is watching from the best seat in the house, probably telling the umpire he’s got it wrong.
Lovey was the sort of cricketer who believed every leave outside off stump was a moral victory. A man who said, “Form is temporary, class is permanent… unfortunately mine’s in storage.” A true legend - and not the social-media kind - the proper, clubhouse-wall, last-round’s-on-me kind.
He taught us many things:
• Always appeal confidently - even if it hit middle of middle.
• Never miss a tour.
• And if you’re going to get bowled first ball, at least look stylish walking off
To honour the man, the myth, and the Legend, we’ve turned to the music he loved to describe the cricket we..... well, we try to play. This one's for you, Lovey:
• "Another One Bites the Dust" – traditionally sung whenever one of our batters ignores the team plan.
• “We Will, We Will… Block You” – Blythswood’s new defensive masterclass.
• "Under Pressure" – The state of the buffet table when Blythswood arrives for lunch.
• "We Are The Champions (of the Bar)” – self-explanatory and historically accurate.
• "Don’t Stop Me Now" – usually heard from a batter on 2 off 12 balls who’s finally middled one.
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The Management
"The Magician" Now you see him, now you don't! Dread is our very own "Flash" - appearing in a puff of smoke only to vanish again. Who knows where or when The Magician will strike? One thing is for sure: when he’s around, it’s always "A Kind of Magic."
