St Helier RFC CC returns to the Chiang Mai International Cricket 6s for their second appearance, bringing over 30 years of history, camaraderie and social cricket spirit from the island of Jersey. Formed originally as a mid-week side to keep the St Helier rugby community connected during the off-season, the club competed in an evening league limited-overs competition. While the rugby section has long since folded, the cricket club lives on — a tight-knit group built on friendship, competitive cricket, and a strong social culture.
2025 marked the Saints’ first appearance in Chiang Mai and proved to be memorable for more than just the cricket. Originally touring as the “Seven Saints”, the squad famously became the “Six Saints” midway through the tournament after the club’s founding member was controversially dropped for a second time despite several players barely missing a ball. Following a spirited disagreement with his protégé Will “COTY” Church, he departed early for Phuket, adding an unexpected subplot to the tour.
Churchy himself misses the 2026 edition after being dropped from the squad, while the original skipper — regarded by many as the one and only captain of the Saints — returns to the side for the full campaign. No tour is ever complete without a touch of drama, but the Saints head into 2026 hopeful that this year’s adventure will be remembered more for the cricket than the chaos that ensued in 2025.
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Andrew “Bunter” Downs
The newest Saint on tour, Bunter makes his Chiang Mai debut this year after growing up in Brisbane playing club cricket alongside Dingo. Now based in South Australia in the wine districts of the Barossa, he arrives with only the squad’s stories — and a healthy sense of curiosity — about what awaits him.
Having been away from the game for some time, it remains to be seen how his fitness will hold up across a full week of cricket, relentless heat and the equally demanding social schedule. One of the genuine good blokes and a natural team player, Bunter will quickly discover what touring with the Saints is all about as the squad looks forward to putting their tour debutant through every initiation test available.
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Dean “Dingo” Morrison
Dingo led superbly off the field during the Saints’ 2025 debut, introducing the squad to a wide circle of new friends — and an impressive selection of bars — across Chiang Mai. The team’s resident hand-grenade thrower, he specialises in stirring good-natured chaos and keeping morale high. With #DDW omitted from this year’s squad, Dingo will once again be expected to dictate proceedings as he looks forward to an even bigger 2026 tour.
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Jonny “JMac” Mackintosh
After a false start in 2025, JMac is set to make his long-awaited debut this year. Since the end of the northern hemisphere summer he’s been on an intense fitness regime, prompting quiet concern from teammates that he may have overprepared. The bigger question is whether he’ll have the stamina to survive a full week of tournament cricket — and the equally demanding social schedule — in 40-degree heat and relentless humidity.
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Mickey “Mental” Poulter
The original founding member of the St Helier RFC Cricket Club, Mickey remains one of the central figures of the touring party. Agreeing to sit out the second match of last year’s tournament on the basis that everyone would rotate, he later found himself at the centre of the tour’s biggest subplot when whispers of a wicketkeeping change surfaced on the eve of the final round-robin match. The situation, handled bluntly by skipper and protégé Churchy, brought Mickey’s playing campaign to an premature end — and effectively half a tour — after a message delivered at the ground the following morning went down about as well as a warm Chang!
The saga has lingered back in Jersey, where frosty relations have ensured the pair no longer linger side by side at the same bar. Fully fit and back for 2026, Mickey has been hard at work preparing behind the sticks, particularly focusing on dealing with Shane’s 25-mile-an-hour wides that mysteriously found their way past the keeper.
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Sean “Ferrero” Roche
One of the club’s longest-serving members, Ferrero brings heart, passion and plenty of personality to every tour. His 2025 exploits in the Far East earned him the prestigious BLOTY Club Award back home in Jersey, voted by the squad after an outstanding showing as the team’s leading tourist.
Known to bolt out of the blocks early, he can often be spotted tucking into a Chang not long after finishing his cornflakes at breakfast. Likely to be required behind the sticks again this year, the squad will be hoping he relies a little more on the gloves than his face. He’s NOKed in his new bat and is ready to smoke anything in his half.
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Shane “Starlight” Whitwell
Back for his second year on tour, Starlight returns after emerging as one of the Saints’ surprise weapons in 2025, opening the bowling and keeping opposition batters honest. Coming out of retirement for last year’s campaign, he quickly proved he still had plenty to offer — even if club legend Mickey will need to stay sharp behind the sticks, as Shane’s lively spells produced the occasional extra. According to Shane, of course, every one of them was stoppable.
Shane typically produces his best work later in the day and into the evening session when conditions suit him better, as running in during the peak Chiang Mai heat isn’t his strongest suit. One of the most dependable tourists between 10pm and 2am, he can always be relied upon to hold up the bar until closing time.
