Tony Munro

The Papua New Guinea national championships have been revamped to a four-team elite “Super Series” involving the country's best players. The Super Series will bring together the top players in the nation who will compete for four teams in a series of Twenty20 and One Day fixtures.

For the first time, players will be paid and the Papua New Guinea Cricket Board hopes cricket will take on a semi-professional attitude. To be played under two formats, the Twenty20 competition starts on April 6, followed by the 50-over tournament on April 27.

Each team will contain no more than four national players per side.

In order to make games competitive the traditional teams' geographical basis will be replaced by four teams chosen by the national selectors and named after sponsors.

At the end of the tournament, the 22-man Papua New Guinea national squad will be chosen for the World Cricket League Division Three tournament to be played in Argentina next January.

The number of people actively participating in cricket outside the Test-playing countries increased 17% in 2007, according to the ICC.

The research, carried out by the ICC's development program, was collated from 33 Associate and 58 Affiliate members. It showed that there were 338,051 male and female players in those countries in 2007, an increase of 49,158 on the previous year. Since 2002, when there were 144,047 participants, there has been a 135% rise.

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Two of Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) most promising young players have been awarded a six-month scholarship with the Wanderers club in Townsville, Queensland. 

Assad Vala, a 20-year-old batsman, and 19-year-old pace bowler Loa Nou have been rewarded for their outstanding recent performances at both domestic and international level, and will spend the Australian summer testing their skills against the best players in Townsville.

Continue reading "PNG rising stars head to Australia"

The ICC East Asia–Pacific (EAP) Development Program has announced its squads for the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane in November.

Twelve young players have been selected for the EAP Emerging Players Program, and 16 for the squad camp which will bring together the region’s best players ahead of the Australian country cricket championship in Mackay, Queensland this January. This means players from Cook Islands, Fiji, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.

Both squads will experience a week of intensive coaching, training and skill development under the tutelage of Australia’s leading coaches. Each squad will play Twenty20 and 50-over one-day matches against local opposition in Brisbane.

Emerging players squad

Colin Amini (PNG), Arua Dikana (PNG), Willie Gavera (PNG), Masaomi Kobayashi (Japan), Trevor Langa (Vanuatu), Jacob Mado (PNG), Simpson Obed (Vanuatu), Pritchard Pritchard (Samoa), Sekove Ravoka (Fiji), Salesi Tu’Akoi (Tonga), Tony Ura (PNG), Vani Vagi Morea (PNG)

Squad camp

Chris Amini (PNG), Hitolo Areni (PNG), Kapena Arua (PNG), Inoa Baeau (PNG), Jamie Brazier (PNG), Tatsuro Chino (Japan), Mahuru Dai (PNG), Rarua Dikana (PNG), Dunu Eliaba (Cook Islands), Mahuta Kivung (PNG), Andrew Mansale (Vanuatu), Ipi Morea (PNG), Loa Nou (PNG), John Ovia (PNG), Josefa Rika (Fiji), Assad Vala (PNG)

Papua New Guinea beat Fiji by 30 runs in the final of the South Pacific Games tournament.

PNG fought their way to 164 after electing to bat, but couldn't use up their overs as they were dismissed for 164.

However, it proved more than enough as Fiji folded for 135.

The Chinese People’s Daily - admittedly an unlikely source of cricket news – reports that Papua New Guinea scored 572 for 6 in a South Pacific Games match against New Caledonia.

It broke the previous Games record of 502 for 9, also by PNG against New Caledonia four years ago.

PNG won the toss and started (relatively) sedately, reaching 121 for 0 in thr 14th over before losing two quick wickets, including Kepena for a duck. Opening batsman Uda was the third man out for 123 (299 for 3). Mahuru Dai, who scored a 16-ball fifty in the 1999 Under-19 World Cup, weighed in with 105 and Pala made 142.

Argentina and Papua New Guinea (PNG) complete the semi-final line-up of the World Cricket League Division 3 after recording impressive victories on the last day of the group matches in Darwin. Argentina take on Cayman Islands in the semi-finals tomorrow, while PNG meet Uganda.

Group A

PNG beat Italy by eight wickets, but it was their superior net run-rate which edged them into the semi-finals, after both teams were tied following two wins each. PNG, who suffered a shock five-wicket defeat against Argentina on Tuesday, had to beat the Italians by a convincing margin to earn a berth in the last four. They did just that, dismissing Italy for 134 before cruising to their target in the 34th over. Arua Uda top-scored with 58 from 92 balls.

Group B

Tanzania tasted its first win of the tournament, overpowering Hong Kong by five wickets. Hong Kong made 161, with Rahul Sharma notching 43 while Bhavesh Govind took 3 for 31. Tanzania cruised home with Abhik Patwa and Rishen Patel putting on 77 for the opening stand, edging over the line in the 47th over.

Eight of cricket’s emerging nations will be hoping to take one step towards qualification for the 2011 World Cup when the World Cricket League Division 3 gets underway this Sunday (May 27) in Darwin.

The top two teams from this event will join UAE, Namibia, Denmark and Oman
in Windhoek, Namibia at the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 November. The top four teams from the event in Namibia will automatically qualify for the ICC World Cup Qualifier in the UAE in 2009, while the two remaining teams will have a second chance to qualify for the UAE tournament at the World Cricket League Division 3 in early 2009.

Click here for the full team-by-team preview.

The ICC East Asia - Pacific (EAP) office have confirmed the dates for the 2007 ICC EAP U-19 World Cup Qualifier hosted by Vanuatu Cricket Association in Port Vila. The tournament will take place from July 17 to 24, 2007.

Continue reading "East Asia Pacific U-19 qualifier dates announced"

The strong MCC A side, which visited Papua New Guinea and New Zealand during the first half of March, returned home undefeated. The first four matches were close-fought contests. However, the final two matches of the tour, against an Otago Country XI and Auckland Emerging Players XI, were won by seven wickets and 57 runs respectively. The touring team consisted of six first-class cricketers, including England wicketkeeper Geraint Jones.

Later in March an MCC B tour to Brazil and Chile took place. The team played six matches, two against Brazil, followed by four against Chile.

It won't get many column inches in the mainstream cricket press, but the World Cricket League, which started in Nairobi yesterday and continues into next week, features the best of the rest, the six sides just under the ten Test-playing countries. For the two finalists, the rewards are bountiful - a place among the big boys in the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa this September, along with $250,000. For countries used to surviving on annual handouts from the ICC of less than $200,000, that's big money.

Continue reading "A long way from home"

The Papua New Guinea cricket board (PNGCB) has received extra funding, and have opened up a qualifying structure to allow more teams and players to qualify for the National Cricket Championship.

The chairman of the PNGCB Mick Nades announced this during the signing of K25,000 sponsorship from SP Brewery to back the Board to stage SP Lager Super Series cricket title. Nades said Port Moresby had been the dominant force in PNG cricket history and arguably the best organised competition in the country. With the new structure, the top teams in the elimination process will proceed to play in the championship. All five affiliated associations – Port Moresby, Lae, Central, Alotau and Popondetta – have been invited including five invitational sides – Aroma Coast, Fairfax, Koita Warriors, PNG Development Squad and Tabubil. Port Moresby will field three teams, Port Moresby 1, Port Moresby 2 and Port Moresby U23, Central will have two teams, Central One and Central Two, while Alotau and Lae one each. Eleven teams will take part in the qualifying and elimination series which starts on March 18-19.

More information can be found at The National