Many observers believed that 2019 would be the year when the most successful side in the Chiang Mai Sixes would finally meet their match.

NCL Dynamites had won six matches in a row to reach the Cup final as they comfortably disposed of UN Irish Pub in the semi-finals, but Gloucestershire Gipsies had matched the defending champions win for win as they also had an unbeaten record after easily beating NCL Masters in the semi-finals.
 
Gloucestershire Gipsies were in fact regarded at potentially the stronger side at least on paper, but it was a different story when the two teams met in a high-class Cup final. Faysal Ahmed bowled Henry Cooper, the leading run-scorer in New Zealand first-class cricket last season, with the third ball of the innings and Toufiqul Haque dismissed Ben Hyde in the next over as Gipsies slipped to 16 for 2. Nick Kelly and Tom Smith had launched an array of shots earlier in the competition, but although they rebuilt the innings they found the Dynamites bowling and field tough to combat.

Down 3-0 late in the second period of the 2018-2019 SHL final, Thai national team star Yean Thanakroekkiat started Hertz’s comeback with a blast over TRUE goalkeeper’s Lance Parker left shoulder and finished it off by scoring in the overtime shootout capping off a spectacular 4-3 rally to earn Hertz its second straight SHL title.

TRUE jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on goals by Tan Limpinphet, substitute Hideki Nagayama and Kim Lidberg, who played for Hertz last season. Hertz replied with Yean’s blast, then came within one late in the second period on a very strange goal when the puck bounced off the top of the TRUE net behind Parker, and then bounced off Parker’s back into the net (the goal was credited to Andy Brine).
The momentum shifted Hertz’s way at that point and they scored the tying goal when Champ Supadilokluk blasted one past Parker midway through the third period.

The teams then played four minutes of 3-on-3 overtime but the score remained knotted at three. Yean then scored on his shootout chance, leaving Patrick Forstner with a chance to tie it again and send it to another shootout round. But Hertz keeper Dream Ungkulpattanasuk stopped Forstner as he attempted a deke to the right side of the net, ensuring Hertz’s come-from-behind victory.

Oduya played two games on both February 7th and 10th showing little signs of rust although he has not played competitively in six months.

Last season in the National Hockey League he teamed up with superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson on the Ottawa Senators blue line to form an elite defending duo.
 
In Oduya’s first SHL game he helped the Novotel Spitfires beat AWARE 4-2, a team that the Spitfires have not beaten all year. In his second match, Oduya joined TRUE and helped that team to a 7-3 win over Hertz.
 
The drama came in his third appearance, the first game on February 10, when he played for TRUE again, this time against the Novotel Spitfires. The teams were tied at three after regulation time, and then after a 3-on-3 four-minute overtime session they were still tied, so they went to a shoot-out.
 
Both teams first two shootout attempts failed and Novotel’s Michael White failed to win the game on Novotel’s third attempt. This sent Oduya in alone on Spitfire keeper Yves Gaboriault and he blasted it by Yves to give TRUE the dramatic victory. Gaboriault had make two spectacular shootout saves prior to Oduya’s game-winning goal.

Coming  later this month, the week-long Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes, one of the largest and long-lasting amateur cricket tournaments in the world, having been played every year since 1988.
 
The 31st tournament brings hundreds of people to visit the historic city of Chiang Mai each year for seven days of partying and cricket.
 
The 2019 Sixes will run from Sunday, March 31 to Saturday, April 6 at the Chiang Mai Gymkhana Club, where 30 men’s teams will be competing for five trophies.The ladies competition involves six teams.
 
The 2018 champions, NCL Dynamites, will be returning from Bangladesh to defend their title, while local favourites Lanna CC are tipped to win the Bowl again.
 
New entrants, the RUC Rascals, a gold mining team from Indonesia captained by Colin Harlow, are also expected to field a strong unit, while old favourites including Blythswood CC of the UK, the Tokyo Dingbats, Ios Malakas and the Beijing Ducks all return for another year.

February 16 and 17, 2019 Patana Sports Complex, Sukhumvit Sol 105 Entry is free
 
THE largest and most festive rugby spectacle in the region is about to kick off again. The Bangkok International Rugby Tens tournament will be held on 16-17 February 2019 and will once again play host to rugby teams from around the world.
 
The event is organized annually to raise funds for Nak Suu, a charity that helps underprivileged children in the slums of Bangkok. Children in these areas are being subjected to substance abuse, prostitution, lack of education and poverty.
 
Not only does Nak Suu provide the children with a meal, English learning and something positive to look forward to, the programme also encourages and educates children in constructive life choices, values and skills, through a sports-based programme, in this case rugby.

Croatian defender, Perisic in real time looked to be unsighted when the pass by Griezmann failed to reach Paul Pogba and inadvertently came off his arm and crossed over the line for a corner. 

Argentinian referee Nestor Pitana, again in real time signaled for a corner kick to France.

Whether it was the cries of handball by the surrounding French players or the someone in the VAR control room, Pitana changed his call and headed to look at replays. 

It took some time for his decision, which he eventually changed and gave a penalty to France.

But here’s the thing, when you watch a reply in slow motion, of course you can see the handball and it looks more compelling. However one has to judge in real time, and in my opinion, Perisic had less than a fraction and unsighted to move his hands.
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It has to be hand to ball and not ball to hand, so for me was harsh, but I do think most of the VAR calls were good and I am in favour for correcingt decisions in matches by sometimes blatant cheating.