Thailand maintain unbeaten run; thrash Netherlands by eight-wickets

Nattakan Chantham and Nattaya Boochatham continued their stellar form with bat and ball, respectively, to hand Thailand their third consecutive win of the Women's T20I Quadrangular series against Netherlands at Sportpark Het Schootsveld in Deventer on Saturday (August 10). Boochatham's three-wicket haul helped dismiss the hosts for 54, before Chantham's unbeaten 42 guided Thailand home with 12 overs to spare.

In their chase, Thailand got off to a steady start, scoring 29 off their first four overs before Iris Zwilling, Netherland's 17-year-old right-arm medium pacer, struck a double blow in the fifth over. She dismissed Naruemol Chaiwai (3) and Nannapat Koncharoenkai (0) in the space of three deliveries to reduce Thailand to 29 for 2.

Chantam, however, refused to let that trouble her as she continued to smash Netherlands’ attack around the ground, collecting seven boundaries in her 31-ball knock - three of which came off the bowling of Gwendolyn Bloemen.

Thailand eventually polished off the target off the last ball of the eighth over when, fittingly, Chantam collected a single off the bowling of Bloemen.

Chantham's knock took her tournament tally to 110 runs in three matches - almost 40 runs clear of the next best batter.

Earlier in the day, it was Boochatham who set the tone for Thailand, grabbing two quick wickets in her first two overs. She sent back Robine Rijke (1) and Babette de Leede (10)— Netherlands’ most successful batters in the tournament— within the fourth over.

If 14 for 2 wasn’t bad enough, the hosts soon found themselves tottering at 30 for 6 at the halfway stage— courtesy two run outs by Chanida Sutthiruang. Denise Hannema hung around for a while, scoring a patient 31-ball 15, but Thailand’s bowlers were simply too good for Netherlands’ lower order batters.

Leonie Bennet’s 16 meant Netherlands were able to last 17.5 overs. However, a lack of support at the other end, meant the hosts were dismissed for 54. Boochatham closed out the innings when she cleaned up Mikkie Zwilling for a six-ball duck.

Thailand’s victory on Saturday means they have now registered a world record 17 consecutive T20I victories, overtaking Australia’s record of 16 consecutive wins. They are the only unbeaten team in the tournament, sitting at the top of the table with 6 points, and are shaping up well for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Scotland later this month.

Brief Scores: Netherlands 54 in 17.5 overs (Nattaya Boochatham 3-3, Onnicha Kamchomphu 2-10) lost to Thailand 55/2 in 8 overs (Nattakan Chantham 42*) by eight wickets.