Auckland A troubled before easing to victory over Papua New Guinea
After a nervous start, Papua New Guinea's bowlers hit their straps to spark panic amongst the Auckland A batting line-up in their 50 over match in Auckland yesterday. However a tail-end resurgence saw PNG's hopes of an upset fade as the hosts won Monday's friendly match by 146 runs at the home of the Auckland University Cricket Club, Colin Maiden Park.
Another beautiful Auckland day greeted the East Asia-Pacific Men's Twenty20 Championship winners who chose to bowl first after winning the toss. Auckland A's opening pair of Tim McIntosh and Reece Young, both recent former New Zealand Test representatives, raced to 36 in the opening five overs.
PNG opening bowlers Willie Gavera and Pipi Raho struggled to find the right lines on the flat wicket and it appeared like it was going to be a long day for the tourists.
But the introduction of Charles Amini's leg-spin and paceman Hitolo Areni put the brakes on the scoring, with McIntosh in particular became increasingly subdued before he was beaten by an Areni delivery that cut back into the left-hander from around the wicket and bowled for 20 from 47 balls.
Young then departed for a brisk 40 to the first delivery after the opening drinks break as Auckland A began to stumble.
Charles Amini deceived Parnell Cricket Club's Kirk Bunting as keeper Jack Vare-Kavere completed a sharp stumping to leave Auckland A 89-3 in the 20th over. Takapuna Cricket Club's Jono Sole holed out off PNG skipper Chris Amini in the 28th over after surviving an earlier chance, while Amini also rearranged the stumps of his opposite number, Brad Schmulian.
But the Barramundis' most impressive bowler was off-spinner Mahuru Dai, who was miserly in his 10-over spell, conceding only 33 runs and snaring two important wickets.
Auckland A had slumped to a below-par 159 for 7 in the 39th over and were in danger of being bowled out for under 175. However Cornwall Cricket Club's Rajiv Sharma stitched together 48 and 49-run partnerships with Richard Lane and Lockie Ferguson respectively to lift Auckland A to 256 for 8 in their 50 overs.
Despite being rattled by some fiery pace bowling from Ferguson and Matt Quinn early on, PNG's chase progressed promisingly to 60-2 in 13 overs before top-scorer Assad Vala departed for 26, one of three wickets for Lane. Chris Amini was the only other PNG player to reach 20 as off-spinner Bhupinder Singh nipped out two middle-order wickets before Schmulian mopped up the tail with his leg-spinners to secure victory by the rather misleading margin of 146 runs.
Papua New Guinea conclude their trip to New Zealand on Tuesday with another friendly match at Colin Maiden Park, this time against a touring Northern Districts A side, before heading home on Wednesday to begin preparations for the World Twenty20 Qualifier.
Tuesday 12 February 2013 (Friendly)
Papua New Guinea v Northern Districts A
Colin Maiden Park B
Scores in Brief
At Colin Maiden Park B
Auckland A 256-8, 50 overs (R Sharma 41*, R Young 40, R Lane 27; Chris Amini 2-28, H Areni 2-29, M Dai 2-33)
Papua New Guinea 110 all out, 27.4 overs (A Vala 26; B Schmulian 3-12, R Lane 3-24, B Singh 2-4)
Auckland A won by 146 runs
