Lanna were still looking for their first win of the season when they faced University CC a new team formed by Imran Ali made up of students and teaching staff. Many of the students had not played hard ball cricket for several years but they had been training hard and it all paid off on their first official match at Gymkhana.
Lanna made a promising start thanks to Luke Stokes who made his first fifty for the club and Richard Cowles who opened the batting on his first appearance of the season and helped Stokes add 79 for the first wicket. Stokes retired on 63 from 45 balls with 9 fours and 2 sixes but Richie George was second top score on 33 not out.
Several of the University bowlers banged the ball in short and were awkward to play but it was medium pacer Khurram Rauf and leg-spinner Ali who took the wickets as they each snared two victims, Lanna reached 187 for 5 in their 25 overs.
It looked a competitive total as University had struggled with the bat in their practice match against Lamphun but they never looked in trouble as they gave a batting master class. Tall wicket-keeper Zeeshan who also proved to be a handy bowler hit 64 from 34 balls with 10 fours and 3 sixes before retiring and Shujaat surprised us all by surviving against the new ball and then unleashing some lusty blows to reach 56 from 53 balls with 8 fours.
Asif Zaidi looked a compact player in his unbeaten 37 and Naeemullah went for his shots with 4 fours in his 10 balls as University beat Lanna without losing a wicket as they made 190 for 0 in 20.3 overs. It was a great day for University CC who raced to their first win and impressed everybody watching with their impeccable behaviour on and off the field.