Thailand cruise to clean sweep

The Netherlands batted first in the final ODI of the series at the Royal Chiang Mai Golf Club on Saturday after Babette de Leede, leading the side in the absence of the injured Heather Siegers, won the toss, but apart from that the match followed a familiar pattern as the Thais again demonstrated their superiority in most aspects of the game and went on to win by seven wickets with almost 24 overs to spare.

The Dutch innings began brightly enough despite the early loss of Sterre Kalis, who cut Phannita Maya uppishly to point when the total was just 18 and was caught by Suleeporn Laomi.

De Leede and Robine Rijke now produced one of their side’s best partnerships of the series, putting on 58 in ten and a half overs and finding the boundary with some regularity without taking any unnecessary risks.

But when Rijke, on 23, tried to hit Laomi back over her head she fell to a running catch by Rosenanee Kanoh at deep mid-off, triggering a mini-collapse as Frédérique Overdijk and Robine van Oosterom both ran themselves out without scoring and 76 for one suddenly became 77 for four.

Both fell to outstanding fielding, Overdijk looking for a single that wasn’t there and beaten by a throw from Kanoh and Van Oosterom surprised by an athletic stop and throw by Somnarin Tippoch off her own bowling.

De Leede was still there, looking thoroughly assured, but now Chaiwai introduced leg-spinner Nanthita Boonsukham, playing her first ODI, into the attack, and she was immediately successful as Iris Zwilling tried to loft her over cover and was caught by Tippoch.

Eva Lynch played a dogged hand, supporting De Leede as she reached her second ODI half-century, made from 61 deliveries with seven fours, but when Lynch hesitated in mid-pitch and was run out by Natthakan Chantham and, two balls later, Boonsukham bowled De Leede for 59, the total had declined to a disappointing 109 for seven.

Gwen Bloemen and Hannah Landheer showed commendable determination, putting on 34 and breaking the Dutch ODI record for the ninth wicket which Eva Lynch and Caroline de Lange had set on Sunday: Landheer hit the only six of the innings, lofting Boonsukham back over her head, while Bloemen contributed three fours, but when Thipatcha Putthawong bowled Bloemen and Landheer became Booksukham’s fourth victim in the next over the Netherlands were all our for 145.

Boonsukham had four for 26 while seamer Maya, bowling more overs in this game than she had in the rest of the series, provided greater variety than we had seen so far and took one for 27.

De Leede’s side needed quick wickets, and Zwilling raised their hopes by trapping Tippoch in front before there was a run on the board.

But Chantham was now joined by 16-year-old keeper Banthita Leephatana, another ODI debutant, and they added 86 for the second wicket, Leephatana making 26 before she was bowled by Caroline de Lange.

Chantham remained in command, passing fifty for the third time in four matches and going on to make 68 from 74 deliveries, including nine fours and two sixes, and by the time she was caught at deep backward square by Van Oosterom off Zwilling only 33 were needed for a Thai clean sweep.

Her departure cued a flurry of boundaries by Nannapat Koncharoenkai, who raced to an beaten 22-ball 30, and by skipper Chaiwai, and Thailand completed a very comfortable victory.

Zwilling took two for 24, bringing her tally of wickets for the series to ten, but the bowlers generally were able to make little impression on a more experienced Thai side.

The focus will now shift to the T20 format, with the first of four matches scheduled to be played on Tuesday.

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