Papua New Guinea are the East Asia-Pacific Under-19 champions after they beat Vanuatu by 172 runs in the final at Amini Park, Port Moresby.

PNG won the toss and elected to bat in overcast conditions and scored freely early on, reaching 24 without loss before Lega Tau was well caught by Karl Laau from the bowling of Niko Unavalu. Heni Siaka was hitting everything in the middle, and started to free his arms, ably supported by middle-order batsmen Tony Ura (27) and Jason Kila (48).

The talented Siaka scored his maiden century for PNG, by far the best innings of the tournament. He was eventually dismissed for 101, but by then the damage had been done and PNG raced towards a huge total, batting their full 50 overs reaching 276 for 8.

It was to take a monumental effort by Vanuatu to chase down these runs, and early on the fielding talents of PNG rose to the fore, with two magnificent run-outs reducing Vanuatu to 31 for 2. They fought on valiantly before they were eventually dismissed for 103 after 34 overs. Jason Kila was the chief destroyer with 4 for 20.

In the battle for 3rd place at Colts Ground, Fiji beat Indonesia by six wickets in a game affected by rain.

PNG and Vanuatu will head to Canada to participate in the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

ICC staff

The ICC’s East Asia Pacific arm have appointed the Australian Bill Leane as Papua New Guinea’s general manager. “We at Cricket PNG are very excited at the appointment
of such a highly skilled and experienced candidate such as Bill to the position of general manager,” said Mick Nades, the chairman of Cricket PNG. “We are sure that he will take cricket to a new level in Papua New Guinea.

“With a number of tournaments scheduled later this year, earmarked improvements for facilities and administration still to come, and the continuing development of cricket at the grass-roots level, it is an extremely exciting time to take on this role,” said Leane.

Martin Gleeson, the Papua New Guinea coach, insists his side still have the belief to win despite losing to Afghanistan yesterday in the World Cricket League.

“We haven't lost confidence in our ability to achieve what we came here to achieve,” Gleeson said. “We have played well this week and we had a discussion after the game on the areas that we need to improve on and what we need to do to get back on track.”

Gleeson said PNG will seek to secure the win without thinking about the need to improve their run-rate, which is the worst of the three teams which have a realistic chance of finishing in the top two, which would automatically earn it promotion to the World Cup Qualifiers in South Africa in April.

“First thing's first - we must win the game. If we don't then run rate won’t be a factor at all. We can't control what happens in the other games so naturally our primary focus will be on winning the game whilst of course keeping half an eye on our run rate. Hopefully with a good win all else will fall into place.”

Gleeson said he was most pleased by his team’s bowling and fielding. “It has been excellent so far. Led by Rarua Dikana's fast-mediums and Jamie Brazier's off spin, all bowlers have maintained a good line and length and been able to consistently put pressure on opposition batters. Our fielding has also been of a high standard and has been great support to the bowlers.”

He wasn’t as generous about the batting, especially against Afghanistan. “We made some poor shot selection and batted without the application and commitment that we had been working on. Afghanistan bowled and fielded well and we were unable to get any momentum going in our innings. Our batting has been patchy at best and apart from a couple of exciting innings from opener Vani Vagi Morea has been largely below expectations.”

Tony Munro

Papua New Guinea won their third match in a row, defeating Uganda by 26 runs at Belgrano while Afghanistan beat the hosts, Argentina, on the third day of the World Cricket League. Hong Kong handed Cayman Islands its third straight defeat, too. Click here for the round-up.

Tony Munro

Eight of Papua New Guinea's best players will receive valuable match practice ahead of this month's World Cricket League Division 3 tournament when they play for East Asia-Pacific at the Australian Country Championships over the next nine days.

Rarua Dikana, the national captain, John Ovia, Ipi Morea, Vani Vagi Morea, Assad Vala, Kila Pala and Mahuru Dai will all get the chance to tone their game for the vital Division 3 tournament where a place in the final will give Papua New Guinea a coveted place at the World Cup qualifier in South Africa in April.

The East Asia-Pacific squad is a composite team representing the ICC's East Asia-Pacific development zone in the Australian Country Championships against country teams from the mainland Australian states. Their first fixture is a two-day game against Queensland Sunday.

The Division 3 tournament, which will be held from January 24-31, also features Afghanistan, Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Uganda and the host, Argentina.

Meanwhile, the rest of the PNG squad are continuing their preparations in Port Moresby, before the entire squad assembles in Toowoomba, Queensland on January 14 prior to travelling to Buenos Aires on January 19.

Papua New Guinea squad: Rarua Dikana (capt), John Ovia, Chris Amini, Ipi Morea, Vani Vagi Morea, Asad Vala, Kila Pala, Jacob Mado, Jamie Brazier, Willie Gavera, Peter Moide, Loa Nou, Mahuru Dai, John Hoada.

The schedule for the ICC World Cricket League Division 3 which takes place in Argentina next month has been announced. The two finalists will progress to the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in South Africa in April.

Click here for the complete schedule

Turf wickets are rarer then hen's teeth beyond the Test world, but Papua New Guinea are the proud owners of a brand-new grass wicket in Kimbe.

Tony Munro

The Papua New Guinea Barramundi, as the men's national cricket team is called, will hold two camps in Brisbane as part of their preparations for the World Cricket League Division Three tournament in Buenos Aires in January.

The first camp will be held at Cricket Australia's Centre of Excellence in Brisbane from November 9 to 15 before another camp at South Brisbane CC just prior to leaving for Argentina.

These follow a recent 10-day camp in Port Moresby which was overseen by national coach Martin Gleeson and incorporated a visit from ICC East Asia-Pacific development officer, Charlie Burke.

Meanwhile, as usual, most cricket activity in PNG will centre around the two associations affiliated to Cricket Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby and Lae.

In Port Moresby, 14 teams will contest the A & B Grades, six teams in the ladies' league, and there are also under 19 and under 16 teams.

In Lae, on PNG's northeastern coast, six teams will compete in the men's competition, six women's teams contest a knockout and there is a six team under 16 competition.

Fourteen villages in the Highlands in PNG's Central Province recently conducted an inter-village competition. Like other competitions in Kimbe, Milne Bay, Popondetta on the northern coast and Tabubil, it is not affiliated to Cricket PNG.

By Tony Munro

Papua New Guinea (PNG) batsman Maharu Dai will spend the 2008-09 New Zealand season playing for the Christchurch-based Marist CC.

Dai, who also bowls left-arm spin, will play under Stuart McCullum, the father of New Zealand wicketkeeper, Brendon McCullum.

Meanwhile, four of PNG's more promising youngsters will spend the Australian summer playing in the Townsville (North Queensland) competition.

Assad Vala (Wanderers CC), Willie Gavera (Wanderers CC), Kapena Arua (Western CC) and Joel Tom (Western CC), all from Port Moresby, are being groomed for the national team.

Right-hand opening batsman, Vani Vagi Morea, and left-arm swing bowler, Jacob Mado, will be returning to PNG after successful seasons with Nightcliff CC in Australia's Northern Territory Cricket Association competition in Darwin. The pair helped their club into the finals and also won the Twenty20 Cup.

Telikom Titans became the first cricket team to win the inaugural SP Super Series
Trophy after a seven-wicket win over Trukai Invincible side at Amini Park in Port
Moresby on 22 June. Assad Vala made his third half century to lead the Titans to their first SP Super Series grand final win. Titans made 143 for 3, which was just enough as they bolwed out Invincibles for 141.

This news first appeared in the ICC EAP Newsflash

Next week's ICC annual get-together promises to have more than its fair share of politicking, posturing and controversy. But, unless there is a major about-turn, it should also be a watershed for the Associates and Affiliates.

In 2009, income from the ICC's six-year media deal with ESPN-Star, worth over US$1 billion, kicks in, and while the game's big boys will still keep the lion's share, the rest will see substantial increases in their incomes.

Continue reading "Future bright beyond the Test world"

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.

Click here for the full story.

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