CityNews – Duck lady Jenny Morgan in many ways has been the heartbeat of the Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes over the last 18 years as she has overseen the raising of several million baht for the twin causes of junior cricket in Northern Thailand and the Hill Tribe Fund which have helped a generation of local children to play cricket and has looked after the living costs and educational needs of a number of talented hill tribe children.
With Thailand’s recent success on the cricket field at the Southeast Games in Kuala Lumpur in August, Jenny has decided that the time is right for her to announce her retirement. It is a remarkable achievement that three of the hill tribe boys who lived in the same Sixes sponsored house in Chiang Mai, Bunchuai, Chanchai and Nikom, all won bronze medals for the men’s team in Kuala Lumpur, while the girls did even better as they won Thailand’s first ever gold medal for cricket as they beat Indonesia in the final of the women’s 20-over event.
Jenny said ‘I’m very proud of the recent achievements of our junior cricketers and the huge contributions made by so many for the junior cricket development programme. Thank you all. Please accept my very best wishes for the continued success of our wonderful tournament and the development of junior cricket in Northern Thailand.’
Former Sixes Chairman Maurice Bromley paid a lovely tribute to Jenny’s efforts over the last 18 years. ‘If anyone deserves a medal for the incredible contribution you have made to the junior cricket in Chiang Mai it is you. As you say it is wonderful to see the recent achievements of the juniors, especially the girls, but very little of it would have been possible without your incredible input, raising funds to help keep the programme going.’
‘Year after year you toiled continuously trying to find sponsors who would put up money to help. The wonderful little ducks you personally found to give to the unworthy batsmen who failed to score in their innings have become a symbol of the Chiang Mai Sixes; and, because of your wonderful attitude, nobody was shy to hang their ducks around their necks in the Sixes.’
The current Sixes committee shared those sentiments and thanked Jenny for all her hard work and infectious enthusiasm for junior cricket and the young cricketers who have done her proud. All involved in the Sixes will do their very best to make sure that junior cricket continues to flourish in the North of Thailand.
The Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes is one of the most treasured events on the Chiang Mai sporting and social calendar and the wonderful tournament for amateur teams from all around the world reached a special milestone in April 2017 as the Sixes recorded its 30thsuccessful staging as local team Kashmir CC won the Cup as left-handed opener Ubaid won player of the tournament with a series of brilliant performances.
Preparations are well underway for the 31sr tournament as the Chiang Mai Sixes will complete a full 30 years having been first held back in 1988. Three teams who have appeared every year have already entered, Darjeeling, Drifters and Wombats, but there will also be several new teams on show including the Katherine Bush Rangers who are also bringing a women’s team so the Ladies Cup will now have four teams and a final played on the last day.
Organisers are hoping that 36 men’s teams will join the Sixes party so that this special event will be bigger and better than ever when it is held from 1st to 7th April 2018 at Gymkhana Club in the heart of Chiang Mai.
The Sawasdee Cup for school teams will again be held at Prem International School as the Chiang Mai Sixes continues to support junior cricket in Northern Thailand, as the Chiang Mai Schools Cricket Alliance continues its program of junior coaching as it looks for the next generation of talented young Thai players.