Debutant Dogodo drives PNG home

Dogodo Bau, the 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, was the catalyst in a remarkable five-wicket victory for Papua New Guinea against Namibia in their ICC World Cricket League Championships (WCLC) Round 4 match at Amini Park, Port Moresby on Friday (October 21).

Dogodo, playing his maiden List A match just the week after he had made his first-class debut, hit 80 not out off 74 balls from No. 6 as PNG reached its target of 274 in 48 overs. Namibia had put up a competitive 273 for 4, driven by Craig Williams’s classy 109 not out off 89 balls, but with Dogodo playing a fine hand and Lega Siaka having set the base with a 78-ball 70, PNG notched a fine win.

After winning the toss, Sarel Burger, the Namibia captain, had no hesitation in batting first on another hot and humid day in Port Moresby. Despite not taking too many wickets up front, PNG’s bowlers had restricted Namibia’s batsmen, who had 154 for 2 after 36 overs. But some late-order hitting from Burger (34 not out off 23 balls) and Williams’s century got Namibia to a good total.

Mahuru Dai (1-24), Sese Bau (1-21), Chad Soper (1-36) and Norman Vanua (1-71) all took a wicket each for PNG.

In PNG’s reply, Tony Ura hit 12 runs off the first over, before both Ura (19) and his opening partner, Vani Vagi Morea (0), fell to leave the score at 30 for 2 after only four overs. Assad Vala (15), the captain, and Siaka then steadied the innings and put on 61 runs for the third wicket before Vala offered a return catch to Gerrie Snyman. Siaka continued, putting on another handy partnership with Sese Bau before he holed out in the deep off Bernard Scholtz.

That brought Dogodo to the crease. After making his debut for PNG in the ICC Intercontinental Cup earlier in the week, Dogodo played the innings of his career so far, hitting eight fours to take PNG past the target. Dogodo was well supported by Sese (76 off 98 balls), who played a very mature innings, putting on 126 runs with Dogodo for the fifth wicket.

PNG will take on Namibia in the second match of the ICC WCLC Round 4 on Sunday at the same venue.

With this win, PNG moved up to third position in the points table with 10 points. Another victory on Sunday will see the team move to the top of the table.