Chiang Mai: 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 at the weekend as they comfortably disposed of UN Irish Pub in the semi-finals, but Gloucestershire Gipsies matched the defending champions win for win as they also had an unbeaten record after easily beating NCL Masters in the last four.
The Gipsies were in fact regarded as potentially the stronger side at least on paper, but it was a different story when the two teams met in the 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 the 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 too tough to combat.
A total of 52 for two rarely proves enough to win the Cup final but the Gipsies gave their all in the field even after Syed Mokammel had blasted 27 from 10 balls.
Hyde claimed a wicket and only conceded six runs in the third over but Haque, so effective with the ball throughout the week, hit two sixes to take his side to victory with seven balls to spare.
NCL Dynamites did it again and Toufiqul was named player of the tournament for taking six wickets as well as scoring 102 runs without being dismissed.
